Ijaw leaders in secret meeting over Jonathan’s safety

Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson
| credits: File copy

NOTABLE Ijaw leaders met behind closed doors in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on the security situation in the country and the safety of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Jonathan, who comes from Bayelsa, is Ijaw.

Our correspondent learnt that the meeting, which took place  at the Government House on Friday,  was reportedly  convened by Governor Seriake Dickson.

It was attended by former Chairman of the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission, Chief Albert Horsfall; former Governor of the old Rivers State, Alfred Diete -Spiff; and former Bayelsa Governor Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

Others were former Minister of Aviation, Alabo Graham-Douglas; former President of Ijaw National Congress, Chief Joshua Fumudoh; and a Niger Delta activist, Ankio Briggs.

But former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark, famously called the Ijaw Nation Leader,  was absent from the meeting,  which lasted over six hours.

Our correspondent learnt that the security challenges facing the country, protection of Jonathan’s interests and that of the Ijaw ethnic group, development of Niger Delta, constitution amendment and the development of Bayelsa topped the agenda of the meeting.

A source,  who attended the meeting,  told our correspondent on Sunday  that the elders were disturbed by the wave of violence in  the country,  especially in the North.

The  source, who pleaded anonymity, said the the Ijaw leaders were afraid that Jonathan’s life might be in danger.

They were also worried that most of the security chiefs appointed by the President, including the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, are not from the region.

The source said, “We are worried about the physical and political security of our President, who is our kinsman. His security is very important. He has to be protected so that  he can  deliver on his electoral promises. We are also aware that most of the security chiefs are not from our region and we are appealing to them to redouble their efforts in  protecting  our President.

“We are aware of the many obstacles in the way of his administration to portray him as being weak and incapable of managing the affairs of the country. We also condemn the condition given to him by Boko Haram to convert to Islam. It is unconstitutional because the constitution does not allow a state religion.”

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, confirmed that the leaders met. He said the meeting was convened “to discuss critical issues considered crucial to the development of the Ijaw nation within the context of the Nigerian state”.

But Diete-Spiff said  Dickson convened the meeting to  unveil his restoration agenda to the elders and sought their advice on issues affecting the state and the country.

He said, “Actually, the governor briefed us on his stewardship.  Basically on how to improve the transport  system  of the state, develop some seaports and make sure that some of the things penciled down are done, which are the refineries and LNG for Brass and Seaport in Agge.”

Ony on round the world cruise

ASUU flays Amaechi for re-appointing VC

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has accused Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi of meddling in the running of Rivers State University of Science and Technology.

The President of ASUU, Dr Nasir Isa, said at a media briefing on Thursday in Abuja that the governor had shown a clear violation of the statutes establishing the university by the “undeserved and illegal” re-appointment of Prof. Barineme Fakae as the Vice-Chancellor.

He said Fakae’s appointment by Amaechi in 2008 was illegal as it was not the responsibility of the governor to do so but that of the university’s governing council.

He said the appointment of the VC did not follow due process and when the matter was challenged by the RSUST branch of ASUU, the governor, who attended the congress of the union, pleaded that the matter be laid to rest.

“The governor and Visitor to the university knew the appointment of Prof. Fakae in 2008 did not follow due process as spelt out in the University Law. When this was challenged by the RSUST branch of ASUU and other unions and groups on campus, Amaechi made time out to visit the university.”

MIT students turn pupils into 'whiz kids'

• From Left: Kaosisochukwu, Tobi, Abel, Joseph, Obinna Ukwuani, Onyinyechi and Obinna Ozwodu

The 35 secondary school pupils who participated in the Exposure Robotics Challenge competition at the Grange School, Ikeja last Saturday will forever be grateful to their mentors, seven Nigerian students studying at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States for turning them into computer whiz kids.
Five weeks ago, the pupils, drawn from public and private secondary schools across Nigeria and Ghana, did not even know how to use the computer. But last Saturday, they had to use the programs they wrote to control robots they built to carry out specific tasks in four stages of the competition.
The pupils were divided into 12 teams of three for the robotic contest which had the ordinary, amateur, tournament and championship stages. In the first stage, the teams had to use the computer programs to operate the robots to transport stationary balls to a designated location and return to their bases. They were given six minutes to complete the task.
At the end of the first stage, four teams lost out, leaving eight of them to proceed to the amateur stage, which was more challenging than the previous stage. Four teams qualified from that stage for the semi-final challenge (tournament stage).
Team BEM's robot moved three balls to designated location and returned to its initial position within two minutes of the semi-final contest, leaving VIA team's robot moving without direction. At the end of the challenge, BEM and Android qualified for the championship stage which was the final lap. However, Android team, made up of Ben Akuagbonwu, SSS 2 pupil of Okogwu Memorial Grammar School, Nnewi, Jemimah Osunde, SSS 3 pupil of Holy Child College, Lagos and Alex Agadaga, SSS 2 pupil of Belary Schools, Bayelsa State, won the contest. 
They were rewarded with new Compaq laptops, medals and plaques by sponsors, Shell Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Interswitch Limited and First Bank of Nigeria.
A member of the winning team, Jemimah, said the task seemed unachievable when she arrived for the challenge. 
"It was tasking because I felt how could coded computer program move a physical object not to talk of something we built ourselves? When we started, I was convinced that it would work and now, my team wins the challenge," she said, adding that she would improve on the skills she acquired from the programme. 
Speaking at the event, the Operation Readiness and Assurance Manager of SPDC, Mr Okay Onuoha, who represented the Managing Director of the Multinational, commended the MIT students for their foresight, describing them as Nigeria's shining light. He said SPDC sponsored the competition to support technology-driven education in Nigeria. 
"It is instructive to note that all the pupils that participated in the contest could not use computer prior to the programme. But after about five weeks of training, we can all see that they all have written different computer programs to control the robots they built. This is the kind of education we at the Shell want to give Nigerian students and we are glad that we are part of this programme," Onuoha said.
"The skills the pupils learned from operating the robots could be used to solve problems in Nigeria's economy, politics and technology," said Babafemi Ogungbamila, Divisional Head, Techquest, Interswitch, who spoke on behalf of the company's MD, Mitchell Elegbe.
He advised the pupils not to underestimate their potentials, urging them to further develop their newly-acquired skills.
The organisers said the contest could signal a new beginning for Nigeria's education system, "which is seen as cycle of memorisation and regurgitation."
The team leader, Obinna Ukwuani, said the group wants to prove that education is not all about making good results.
He said: "We are group of students who believe education should be more than grades. Exposure Robotic Challenge (XRL) seeks to drive technical and practical education in Nigeria. The progress the pupils made in five weeks of learning programming, mechanics and problem solving would prove our hypothesis in the long run."
He added that Nigeria education system must be reformed to allow students to apply the theory they learn in class to solve practical problem, saying it was the only way Nigerian students could favorably compete with their peers across the world.
Other members of the XRL are: Obinna Ozwodu, Onyinyechi Okeke, Joseph Aboki, Philip Abel, Tobi Amos and Kaosisochukwu Uzokwe.  Mayowa Adegeye and John Itebu, both students of University of Ibadan, acted as teaching assistants. First Bank was represented by Mrs Bernadine Okeke at the event.

Making varsities athletes’ breeding ground

University of Ilorin Female Basketball team during the West African Universities Games (WAUG) hosted by the institution recently PHOTO: MICHAEL ADEBAYO

In the past, universities produced the bulk of athletes that represented the country in global sporting events. Through the Nigeria Universities Games  (NUGA) and West African Universities Games (WAUG), talents were discovered and nurtured. All of a sudden, things changed and the result was the country’s dismal outing at the last London Olympics. GILBERT ALASA (400-Level Foreign Languages, University of Benin), writes on resuscitating campus games to drive national sport.

The football pitch was patchy. Kits were not  available. So, many of the participating athletes borrowed jerseys, ankle pads and footwears from friends. Even the glucose - the energy giving drink - was bought  with contributions by the athletes. The First Aid Box was scanty.

At times, the materials are provided by the authorities. But this happens only during“crucial” matches. “Crucial matches” refer to major local or international competitions, such as the Nigerian Universities Games Association (NUGA), West African University Games (WAUG) and World Universities Games, among others.

After these competitions, the students are left to their own devices and the cycle continues. This is the low into which campus sports has sunk. Perhaps it could be responsible for Nigeria’s uninspiring outing in major sports competitions across the world.

Sport has mental and psychological benefits. Aside its unifying advantage, it is a great economic booster for a nation and a strong weapon for fighting unemployment. At last year’s Nigerian Universities Games Association (NUGA), President Goodluck Jonathan said sportsmen and women wield enormous influence on the global stage, adding that such inter-universities competitions are vital to prepare the country’s athletes (Nigerian sportsmen) for the just ended London Olympics. 

The President said: “Some of the most wealthy and popular personalities in the world today are sportsmen and women or personalities involved in some way in the administration of sports. The 23rd NUGA Games, in my mind, could not have come at a more opportune time as it signalled the beginning of our preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games in London and several other international competitions.” 

But Nigerian athletes performed poorly at the games. It was the country’s worst outing in recent times. It won no medal in all the events it participated in. But Nigerian athletes. 

Countries such as France, United States and Russia, that` do well in sport, it was learnt, recruit athletes from the universities. In most of these universities, students are required to register for certain courses in sport. Facilities are  provided for their training and motivation. Students enjoy scholarships to pursue their careers in sports.

In Nigeria, there is little or no attention to sporting activities on campuses. 

“Here sport enthusiasts are considered unserious. They are derided by lecturers and, sometimes, they are despised by their colleagues. The premium placed on academics is so overwhelming that no thought is spared for other essential aspects of a student’s life. A lot of highly-talented athletes are wasting away on our campuses,” said Chika Eletuoanya, 400-Level Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).

In many universities, sporting facilities are lacking, stalling the emergence of successful world rated atheletes.

“There is a saying that one cannot build something on nothing. Facilities are to sports what raw materials are to industries. So, the dearth of sporting facilities in our universities spells doom for campus sport. Let our school managements and governments rise to the occasion by providing us with appropriate facilities” said Tosin Kawona, 400-Level Foreign Languages, Lagos State University (LASU).

Sport lovers on campuses are unhappy over the management’s attitude to sport. They believe  Nigeria’s hope of rearing great sportsmen is dampened by laxity of school authorities that support teams only at external competitions. In a report in the Global Journal of Medical Research, Dr Jeroh Eruteyan of Delta State University (DELSU), said: “Our academics do not allocate any period to sports in their curricula.”

Saturday Osarumwese, 200-Level International Studies and Diplomacy af the University of Benin (UNIBEN), said if the neglect is allowed to continue, campus sport would continue to decline. 

“Today, the state of sporting activities on campus is nothing to write home about, especially with the indifference of management,” Saturday said.

He added: “As a sportsman, regular training is necessary if one must make something out of his sporting career. But what happens most times is that one risks failure because of the attitude of lecturers who conduct their continuous assessments (CA) even during critical training hours. Consequently, one is faced with the options of either watching himself fail academically or staying out of sporting altogether.”

In many tertiary institutions in the country, sporting activities are rituals marking freshers’ orientation, students’ week, students’ union and religious activities. But misappropriation of fund and poor co-ordination have marred sport administration on campuses. Last year, a president of the Faculty of Arts Students Association (FASA) at UNIBEN was suspended by the faculty’s parliament for alleged financial impropriety.

Raphael Achomi, a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi (AUCHIPOLY), said the administration of campus sports should be entrusted to competent hands.

“Sadly, on many campuses, corrupt persons hold sway in sport administration. Remember, it is all politics and morally upright persons hardly find their way to the seat of power. These self-serving leaders are known to pull the strings through various means to get money. But such money is used to satisfy personal frivolities.”

As big names in sport failed at the Olympics, administrators, students and stakeholders are calling for restoration of grassroots sport to redeem the nation’s glory in local and international competitions. Students, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, said school authorities and government must invest in campus sport to shore up the athletes’ base for international competitions.

OKO POLY to establish mechatronics department

The Rector, Federal Polytechnic Oko, in Anambra State, Prof Godwin Onu, has called for more funding for the execution of 2012 Capital projects at the institution. He said the institution plans to establish Department of Mechatronics.

Onu spoke while receiving officials of the Federal Ministries of Education and Finance who came to monitor the first and second quarters of the 2012 capital project execution in the school.

He commended the efforts of the Federal Government in uplifting the status of technical education. He decried the delay in the release of funds, noting that this had stunted infrastructural development in the polytechnic. 

According to the Rector, "we are aware of government's efforts to ensure judicious use of funds", but the delay in the release of funds for capital projects constrain completion of projects on time". 

Onu disclosed that the polytechnic had, among other things, in the 2013 budget, planned for the establishment of the Department of Mechatronics.

This, he said, would be a meeting point for Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics Engineering. He added that the cheapest machine costs about $1 million (N160 million) to acquire. 

He said the school was perfecting plans of establishing school of Marine and Aeronautic Technology, adding that the Polytechnic would soon also establish the Department of Nano Technology which would specialize in micro chips production and called for more funds to achieve the feats. 

However, the leader of the group, Barde Galtima said their mission was not to witch hunt any body or institution but to strictly monitor the use of allocations for capital projects, adding that such exercise was routine. 

He lauded the Polytechnics management for the peaceful and cordial atmosphere in the institution, which he said would,  to a greater extent ensure development and promised to take back the Rector's message to the ministry.

Veritas University gets NUC full Accreditation in all Programmes

 

AN ADDRESS BY THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, PROFESSOR DAVID I. KER,OON AT A PRESS BRIEFING HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER ON

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2012

http://thenigerianpost.blogspot.com 

Gentlemen of the Press,

I am pleased to welcome you all to this press briefing. Veritas University, Abuja (VUNA), is the Catholic University of Nigeria. It was founded by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria through a resolution given at its March 2002 meeting in Abuja. The University was established in response to the felt need for a University that would provide high quality tertiary education according to the noble tradition of the Catholic Church.  Provisional licence for operation was granted by the National Universities Commission on May 7, 2007. The permanent site of the University is located in Bwari Local Government of Abuja. The University opened its gates to its first set of students in October 2008 at its take-off site in Obehie, Abia State. It will interest you to know that our first set of students have written their final examinations and completed all requirements for graduation.

NUC ACCREDITATION OF PROGRAMMES

From March 27-30, 2012 the National Universities Commission (NUC) paid a visit to the University for the Programme accreditation exercise. The University presented the following nine programmes: Accounting; Applied Microbiology; Economics; English and Literary Studies; History and International Relations; Industrial Chemistry; Marketing and Advertising; Political Science and Diplomacy; and Physics with Electronics. I am pleased to announce today that all were granted FULL accreditation.

Abia State government, our host has commended Veritas University for having the most disciplined set of students in the country and playing a major role in the human resources development of the nation. Since the focus in all Universities is on character and learning we are excited to get full marks in these key areas in our early years.

We operate a collegiate system. We have two colleges, the College of Natural and Applied Sciences (NAS), and the College of Management, Social Sciences, Arts and Theological Studies (MSAT), spread across these colleges are six Departments and nine degree programmes that have been fully accredited by the National Universities Commission.

AIM TO RANK AMONG TOP 10 IN NIGERIA

I wish to reiterate the determination of all in the Veritas University community to make the University rank among the top universities in Nigeria. Though there are more than 117 universities in Nigeria, we plan to place our University among the top 10.

The FULL accreditation of all programmes is the key to our aim of ranking top in the Country. The record is unprecedented as no University in Nigeria has ever got full accreditation in all its programmes at the first NUC visit.

Veritas University is a digital-based University in terms of administration, teaching and learning. All students have their laptops which are indispensible to their learning experience in the University. Every registered student has a Veritas University e-mail address and is connected to the library.

Our library gives students and staff access to the world’s biggest collections of biomedical and health literature, Agora Database which provides a collection of 1900 journals in all fields. We also have data base for Oxford reference online, business source complete, academic source complete, JSTOR, National Virtual Library among others

We have vibrant and internationally recognised academic staff and well experienced non teaching staff that are working hard to achieve the aim of ranking among top 10 in Nigeria.

MOVEMENT TO THE UNIVERSITY’S PARMANENT SITE IN ABUJA

The sod-turning and official foundation laying ceremony of the permanent site took place at the main campus in Bwari Area Council, FCT, Abuja on March 1, 2012. The colourful ceremony was performed by the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop  Ignatius Kaigama who was accompanied by the Chancellor of the University, Archbishop John Onaiyekan and the Pro-Chancellor, Archbishop Anthony Obinna in addition to nearly fifty Bishops.

We plan to relocate to Abuja in the 2013/14 academic session which will commence in October 2013. Work has continued steadily at the permanent site.

ADMISSION OF STUDENTS

In pursuance of the noble objective of the University, we are inviting eligible candidates to a Post-UTME screening exercise for admission into the 2012/2013 academic session on Friday, August 31, 2012. The screening will take place at Regina Pacis College, Garki Area 10, FCT, Abuja and the Take-Off Campus, Obehie, Abia State

Eligible candidates include those who made Veritas University  their first or second choice in the 2012 UTME Application form as well as all other candidates interested in studying at Veritas University who obtained a minimum of 180 score in the 2012 UTM Examination

We are calling on Nigerians to come and be part of the great academic achievements of the University.

Professor David I. Ker,OON

Vice-Chancellor