The management of Mind Builders School, Omole Phase 1 annex, has assured parents and guardians of maximum security of lives of their wards.

Security personnel attached to the school had foiled an attempt by two unknown men to kidnap school children, who were  dropped off by their mother on Monday around 9am.

One of the kidnappers, was arrested and handed over to the police at Ojodu Police station for further investigation. The suspected kidnapper confessed that they have been kidnapping children in Lagos for quite a while.

In a statement, the school’s education director, Bolajoko Falore, said the security of pupils was of utmost importance to the management.

Falore noted that the incident, which occurred on Monday, was a testimony that the school was committed to the safety of pupils.

The statement reads; “Thanks to the vigilance of the security men and staff that made it impossible for the kidnappers to abduct the pupil.

“We want to assure all our esteemed parents and the members of the public that we are committed more than ever to the safety of the pupils and students in our care. The incident, is a testimony to the fact that we place a premium on the security of our learners in all the branches of Mind Builders School.

“We shall continue to do this by relying on God and our highly vigilant and tight security system and personnel that has not failed us in the 24 years of the existence of the school.

“The incident happened after the school had resumed on Monday. One of the kidnappers was caught. The other escaped.

“They did not come with a car. It was their intention to kidnap the child along with the car.

“We understand the insecurity situation of the country and we can not afford these agents of the darkness to use any of our schools as a scapegoat; so we are always steps ahead of them.

“Learning can only take place in a secured environment. We therefore use this opportunity to tell all our parents and prospective parents that Mind Builder Schools are safe places to learn.

The Committee of Pro Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities has cautioned against the introduction of primordial sentiments in the selection of Vice Chancellors and administrative officers of Universities in the country.

Reacting to protest against the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor at the Obafemi Awolowo University OAU, Ile-Ife Osun State, the Pro chancellors urged all stakeholders to forge a common front to tackle the many challenges currently bedeviling universities in Nigeria.

The committee made these known in a statement signed by the Chairman of the Committee of the Pro-chancellors of Federal Universities, Prof. Nimi Briggs and made available to journalists in Abuja.

The Pro chancellors condemned the insistence that an indigene of Ife be appointed to the position of Vice Chancellor saying OAU is a federal university that has staff from all over Nigeria.

Another level of it disapproval of the insistence is that OAU is a university that recruits staff and students from all over the world.

“In the same vein, the Vice Chancellor can come from any part of Nigeria and the wider world.”

The Pro-chancellors noted that stringent protocols guide the appointment of Vice-chancellors adding that it is a well-defined scoring formula that is not subjective.

“This is followed by the presentation of the candidate’s vision for the university if appointed and his or her track record and pedigree in realising aspects of that vision the answers provided constitute what makes the difference between applicants.”

The committee affirmed that the Pro-chancellors chair the selection committee and final decision is approved by the governing council.

The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi  says emerging constraints in basic education delivery in Nigeria may necessitate an increase in the consolidated revenue funds from the current two percent to four percent

He made this observation during a One Day Civil Society Organisation CSO-legislative Round Table Meeting held in Abuja.

At the meeting which also hosted some members of the National Assembly, Bobboyi buttressed his position for an increase in funding to the security challenges currently affecting the country; he insisted that increasing students’ population also calls for urgent need for teaching facilities.

The UBEC boss further tasked the relevant civil society organisations ,  the media and other critical stakeholders not to shy away from rendering assistance to the government in bridging observed gaps in learning and teaching processes, especially at the basic school level.

Bobboyi equally stressed the enormity of challenges in the basic education sub sector, stating that over 50 percent of schools in the country have no furniture and pupils sit on the floor to take lessons.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Basic Education on Basic Education, represented Senator Frank Ibiziem decried the failure of States’ Universal Basic Education, SUBEB to sustain some UBEC initiated projects such as classroom libraries earlier introduced by the commission in all constituencies in the country.

He called for a rapid response initiative to commence repairs of dilapidated schools and pledged the Senate’s support for any move by the commission towards ensuring the provision of a good learning environment for students.

A representative of MacArthur Foundation, Dayo Olaoye , called on stakeholders to review the impact of the country’s annual budget on education, stressing that it was not enough that the country is increasing its budget to the sector.

“As we think about reforms, let us think beyond buildings that have been delivered, let us start thinking about how many children have been brought to school,” he said.

He emphasised the need for accountability in the educational.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has described the agitations by some individuals and groups that indigenes of towns where universities are sited be made the vice chancellors of such universities as reducing the institutions to local entities.

Reacting to the recent action by some people in Ile Ife who protested against the choice of a non-indigene as the VC of Obafemi  Awolowo University,  the union, through the National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke,  also said universities are universal in nature and that appointments there should be devoid of ethnic and other sentiments.

“Is VC not about being competent? So, the VCs in all universities in the South-West must be Yoruba, those in the North must be Hausa/Fulani and those in the South-East must be Igbo? The university is universal and a Russian can be heading a university in America and vice versa.”

Osodeke also wondered if the funds used in setting up these universities were sourced from their host communities only.  The ASUU boss also blamed the government for not putting the right persons in the Governing Councils of the universities, saying some council members lacked the knowledge of how to run the universities.

In recent times, the choice of who become the VCs of some universities has been turned into what some people have labelled ‘a show of shame.’ Recently, some people took over the main gate of OAU to protest the non-recommendation of an Ife man as the next OAU VC.