Blog

NAN-H-97

Welfare

By Azubuike Okeh

Port Harcourt, Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers has reassured teachers in the state government’s payroll of his administration’s commitment to improved welfare packages.

Wike, in his message to teachers in the state in commemoration of the 2016 World Teachers Day in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, described teachers as “a strategic set of people in every society” adding, “every successful society is the product of good teaching.’’

He said that the welfare of teachers would form a cardinal part of his administration’s reform policy in the education sector.

“Every one of us passed through teachers; we may not have become what we are without those who taught us at the formative stage.

“As an administration, we understand the place of teachers in the society; we will always promote the welfare of teachers,’’ he said.

The governor commended teachers in the state for their proactive role in the academic and moral upbringing of the younger generation.

“Society as a whole needs to be committed to the celebration of teachers following their pivotal roles in societal enlightenment and social re-engineering,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that World Teachers’ Day is annually observed around the globe on Oct. 5.

The theme for this year’s celebration is “Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status”. (NAN)

AZU/JPE/NKO

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Edited by Joseph Edeh/Nkechi Okoronkwo

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NAN-H-91

Colleges

Yola, Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) Adamawa Government is to established two boarding Teachers’ Colleges as part of measures to revive the standard of primary and secondary education in the state.

The state Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Mallam Ahmad Sajoh, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the weekly State Executive Council Meeting on Wednesday in Yola.

Sajoh said that the state government had declared a state of emergency at the basic education sector, which comprised of primary and secondary schools.

 He said that the  government would equally embarked on aggressive motivation for teachers in both primary and secondary schools in the state, adding that some retired teachers would be fully engaged under the new dispensation.

“The engagement of this category of retired teachers is to garner and tap the experiences of the retired teachers  into the new system.”

Sajoh equally disclosed that govt had agreed to improved the funding of the education sector to enable it cope with the new challenges.

The commissioner also announced the order to pay teachers their two months outstanding salaries within the week.

“As part of the teachers day celebration, Adamawa govt has ordered the payment of two months outstanding salary to teachers in the state before the end of this week.” (NAN)
YMU/MTM/
Edited by Tukur Muntari.

International organisations advocate improved incentives for teachers

NAN-H-88

Incentives

By Kate Obande

Abuja, Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) International Organisations working in the education sector have advised the Federal Government to improve incentives for teachers to promote quality education.

Dr Saidou Jallow, Senior Education Specialist at UNESCO, made the call at the 2016 World Teachers Day on Wednesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the occasion, with the theme “Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status”, was organised by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), to honour teachers for their role in development.

Jallow said that teachers needed to be compensated properly for their role in shaping a better world for all.

He noted that many teachers in the country were under paid, under-trained and undervalued.

“Teaching could be an attractive, first choice profession, if teachers were valued commensurate with the immense value they provide to our children.

“But many teachers still work with inadequate contracts and pay.

“They often live in difficult conditions and lack appropriate initial training, continuous professional development and consistent support,’’ Jallow said.

He emphasised the need for government to put in place policies that would safeguard and reinforce the status of teachers.

He added that teachers should be given a place to play active role in decision-making processes of the country as it affects their work.

Jallow explained that the Sustainable Development Goals could not be achieved except teachers were empowered.

Similarly in her address, Laura Brynnell, Education Specialist at Department For International Development (DFID), said that incentives for teachers should be increased to encourage them to carry out their duties effectively.

She added that teachers should be promoted when due, noting that teachers’ promotion was unduly delayed.

According to her, the development of teachers is the bedrock of education, adding that current best practices in education should be extended to all schools.

Brynnell noted that 25,000 teachers would benefit from the Teachers Development Programme of DFID in 11 states of the federation.

She further underscored the need to avail head teachers at the basic education of appropriate training on how to manage schools. (NAN)

KTE/NKO/NKO

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Edited by Nkechi Okoronkwo

Danbatta’s audioAudio Attached

NAN-H-75
Committee
By Constance Athekame
Abuja, Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has inaugurated a committee to harness the 56 research findings available to the commission towards improve telecommunications services.

Its Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said while inaugurating the committee in Abuja on Wednesday, that the committee will take advantage of the diverse areas of telecommunications engineering and establish a synergy between NCC and the country’s university system.

Danbatta said that the exercise would help address the challenges in the telecommunications industry, particularly those associated with quality of service.

• Cue in audio (Danbatta)

“We have received 56 research proposals in the diverse areas of telecommunications engineering.

“And the committee we have just inaugurated is going to access these proposals and come up with those proposals that will improve services in the telecommunications industry, the importance of the synergy between Nigeria communications Commission, and the Nigeria educational system especially the Nigeria university system.

“A lot of research is going on in the tertiary institutions especially the universities.
“Most of these research outputs are very relevant to addressing challenges in the telecommunications industry particularly challenges associated with quality of service.

“And we are of the opinion that if we can translate some of these research outputs, even if it is going to be in a pilot scheme, test its efficacy towards solving some of these problems that are manifest in the telecom industry, we will succeed in really improving telecommunication services to virtually all Nigerians irrespective of where they are.’’

• Cue out audio

The executive vice chair said that the partnership with the universities and other research institutions began about four years ago.
He said: “The continuation of the engagement with the institutes attests to the commitment of the commission to tapping their wealth of experience, especially in the area of research in our universities to find solutions to problems in the telecommunications sector.’’
According to him, the event is the accumulation of the collective efforts, which began in 2013, when the pilot phase of the initiative commenced.

“I urge you all to be dispassionate and fair in your assessment constituent with the present administration’s desire to further develop and deepen the technological trajectory of the Nigerian telecommunications industry in line with our eight point agenda.

“Specifically, the fourth and fifth items of that agenda are on promoting ICT innovation and investment opportunities and facilitating strategic collaborations and partnerships with relevant stakeholders to foster ICT advancement for sustainable economic development and social advancement,’’ he said.

He stated that the committee is expected to be committed, thorough, and to provide reliable advice that will assist the commission in achieving its objective of promoting telecommunications-based innovation from the academic world.

Responding, the Chairman of the committee, Dr Ephriam Okejiri, said that the task before his team is to study the research findings and make recommendations to the commission.

Okejiri, who is also the Director of Technology Transfer Registration at the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, said the committee would consider the findings that could be sponsored by the commission towards promoting telecoms-based innovations in the country.

“As a developing nation, it is important for the country to develop research findings locally.

“As the commission promotes these innovations, people, who are involved learn skills as well as develop products and services that can reduce our dependence on foreign technology.

“The skills they acquire can be used to drive many aspects the economy of the country,’’ he said. (NAN)
COA/YEE

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

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NAN-AE-8

Training

Dutse, Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) The SASAKAWA Global 2000 Nigeria, an NGO, in collaboration with Jigawa State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (JARDA) has trained 40 rural women farmers on agricultural business development.

Mrs Easther Afor, the Coordinator, Post Harvest and Agro Processing Extension Sassakawa Global, disclosed this at the two-day training programme organised for the selected women farmers from Birninkudu and Kirikasamma Local Government Areas of the state.

“We are training these 40 rural women farmers on agricultural business with a sole idea of transforming them from subsistence to modern agricultural business farmers.

“These are women that have been in agriculture for all their lives, they have the knowledge of farming but lack the basic components of agriculture along the value added chain.

“So we are training them on how to improve on the quality of their produce as well as processing.”

Afor, who recalled that her organisation trained over 300 women farmers since it started in 2010, said the training was to develop women farmers’ capacity on agriculture in the state.

According to her,  the programme was aimed at training women farmers to transform agricultural operations from subsistence to modern one.

She said at the end of the programme, another 100 women farmers would be selected in various  communities for the programme.

“The participants are divided into two groups where each group is attached with an extension supervisor.”

Afor said extension workers would continue to work with the women farmers in line with the design of the programme. (NAN)

MNB/ADA/MTM/

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab/controlled by Tukur Muntari.

NAN-DS-4
Shooting
By Olabisi Akinbode and Suleiman Shehu
Ibadan, Oct., 5, 2016 (NAN) A former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, was shot in Ibadan on Tuesday evening by gunmen in a failed kidnap attempt, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

A top police source told NAN that the incident took place at Oluyole area of Ibadan while the former vice chancellor was taken to the University College Hospital(UCH), Ibadan, for treatment.

The spokesman of the Oyo Police Command, Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu, confirmed the incident.

He said Bamiro was rescued by the prompt intervention of policemen from the Oluyole Division of the command who responded to a distress call.

Ajisebutu told NAN that the Police Commissioner, Mr Sam Adegbuyi, had ordered the despatch of the anti-kidnapping squad to go after the gunmen.

The police spokesman also said the former vice chancellor who was shot on the right foot, had been taken to UCH.

The Chief Medical Director of UCH, Prof. Temitope Alonge, who said he was in Abuja for a budget defence session, also confirmed receipt of the report.

“ I am away in Abuja for budget defence and I was also informed of this unfortunate incident.

“ The good news is that I am told that he is good spirits and that the injuries are minor,’’ he said in a text message sent to a NAN correspondent.

Bamiro, a first class graduate, was a professor of Mechanical Engineering and former vice chancellor at the university. (NAN)
OOA/SYS/OJO
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(Edited and controlled by Mufutau Ojo)

NAFEST is reviving lost traditional cuisines in Nigeria – Festus-Lukoh

NAN-H-87

Cuisines

Uyo, Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) The food exhibition programme of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) has revived some of the lost traditional delicacies and cuisine prevalent in different states of the country.

The Acting Director, Bayelsa Council of Arts and Culture, Mrs Payeboye Festus-Lukoh, said this in Uyo on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Lukoh is also the chairman of the Bayelsa’s contingent in charge of traditional cuisine at the NAFEST 2016  in Uyo.

The festival was opened officially on Tuesday by the Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

She said that the competition on food exhibitions had helped the participating states to showcase their different food ingredients, spices and snacks.

Lukoh said the traditional cuisines as exhibited by the state could be packaged for export and become a major foreign exchange earner for the country.

She said that Bayelsa had the local lobster, which eggs could be harvested and used as sweetener in foods and could be preserved for over a year.

Lukoh conducted the NAN correspondent around the state stand showcasing smoke fish, fresh fish, crayfish, lobster and prawns, snail, cocoyam, bitter leaf and scent leaf.

She said that the exhibited cousine could be processed for use and preserved for more than three months.

In another interview with NAN, the Head of food exhibition from Akwa Ibom, Mrs Nwetobong Ubeng, said that the state had peculiar cuisines, spices and snacks not found in other states.

Ubeng said that melon cake locally called Ikpan was one of the food snacks exhibited that was common only in Akwa Ibom.

She said that two vegetable leaves common to the state were Editan and Atama and visitors often found them very delicious.

NAN reports that the state’s stand featured varieties of seafood items, fresh raffia palm wine and the snacks used in drinking the wine.

At the time of this report, only these two states were ready for the traditional food exhibition and competition.

NAFEST 2016, which is the 29th edition, has the theme, “Exploring the Goldmine Inherent in Nigeria’s Creative Industries.” (NAN)

BB/IA

(Edited by Idris Abdulrahman)

NUT warns against retrenchment of teachers

NAN-H-86

Warning

By Kate Obande

Abuja, Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) The Nigeria Union of Teachers has warned state governments against the retrenchment teachers and reduction of their  emoluments due to economic recession.

Comrade Michael Olukoya, the NUT National President, gave the warning at the celebration of the 2016 World Teachers day on Wednesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ‘theme for this years’ celebration is “Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status”.

Olukoya, at an event organised by the union to honour teachers for their role in development, described the plan to retrench teachers as misplaced.

He said that said such act would jeopardise the progress of public education and the future of the Nigerian child.

He also advised state governments to be alive to their responsibility of managing basic education.

“We demand that state governments should appreciate and take up their constitutional responsibility of providing and maintaining primary education and the provision of funds for payment of teachers salaries in line with the 2002 Supreme Court judgment.

“State governments should avoid promoting privatisation and commercialisation of education especially at the primary and secondary school levels under the guise of seeking higher standard of education through the hand-over of schools to voluntary agencies.”

He also urged the Federal Government to  increase the retirement age of basic education teachers from 60 years to 65 years, adding that lecturers at higher institutions were already benefitting.

The National President noted that for the government to effectively fight corruption, salaries and pension owed teachers should be paid urgently.

“The NUT demands that all tiers of government should, as a matter of urgency, pay up all salaries owed teachers of primary and secondary schools in the federation.

“The union calls on governments to see to the plight of retired teachers and pay their retirement benefits in order that the labour of these veterans will not be in vain.

“If we want to clear our society, government should not make retirees regret their honesty while in office.’’

In his address, the President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, condemned the non-payment of teachers’ salary and retirement benefits by state governments.

Wabba added that any policy not focusing on teachers will not succeed as they have play significant roles in educating Nigerians.

“Knowledge is what drives development today; why should education be so expensive and commercialised, when most of our leaders today benefitted from public schools, free education, bursaries and various scholarships.

“The best way out of poverty is to educate the children of the poor and if this is not addressed, the country will not move forward.

“We offer our full support to NUT in pursuing their demands and we will jointly succeed in our endeavour,’’ the NLC president said. (NAN)

KTE/NKO/NKO

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NAN-H-80
Attack
By Moses Omorogieva
Lagos, Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) Hoodlums on Wednesday attacked officials of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) at Costain Roundabout in Lagos and vandalised one of their patrol vehicles.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the hoodlums went on rampage on suspicion that one LASTMA official allegedly hit a commercial driver with a charm while arresting him over traffic offence.
The hoodlums and commercial drivers then blocked the Costain roundabout, causing a traffic snarl on the ever busy road.
An eye witness, Mr Kehinde Salami, said the LASTMA official stopped the commercial bus.
“The driver was dragging the steering wheel with the officials and one of them hit the driver with hand, the driver fell down and started foaming from the mouth.
“The LASTMA officials took away the bus, leaving the man on the floor.
“While this was happening, a LASTMA patrol car 003, with registration number RT 503 LA came into the scene with two officials in it. The hoodlums’ pounced on them but the officials escaped.
“The vehicle was vandalized; they even attempted to set it ablaze if not for BRT buses parked within the vicinity,’’ Salami said.
The conductor of the erring commercial bus, who simply identified himself as Kelvin, told NAN that LASTMA officials arrested their vehicle while attempting to pick passengers at Costain Roundabout.
According to the conductor, the officials physically assaulted both of them until the driver fell down and fainted.
“As soon as he fell down, the LASTMA officials took away our bus,’’ he said.
NAN further reports that the hoodlums took the victim in a tricycle with registration number KJA 409 QD to LASTMA Iponri office where a scuffle ensued.
The hoodlums later retreated following the arrival of police patrol teams which removed the vandalized LATSMA car to Iponri Police Station.
A Lagos State Emergency Ambulance Service with registration number KSF 632 DR later took the victim to General Hospital in Lagos Island.
LASTMA Commander in Surulere, Gbolahan Rasheed, who was in the vandalised car, told NAN that his vehicle ran into the hoodlums at about 9:20 am at Costain.
“We escaped by a whisker. I ran to Iponri Police Station to report, while the driver of the patrol car, Abalaya, was beaten seriously,’’ said the LASTMA Commander.
He said that the commercial bus driver, who allegedly fainted at the scene, suddenly started talking on getting to Lagos Island General Hospital.
“`The doctor called from the hospital to inform us that the driver had been discharged.
“That is why we arrested the conductor and one other, who claimed to be a brother to the commercial bus driver. We want them to provide the driver,’’ Rasheed said. (NAN)
MIO/WOJ
(Edited and controlled by Wale Ojetimi)