The Federal Government through the North East Development Commission (NEDC) has commenced the building of more schools in Yobe and other parts of the North East.
NEDC is a department of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
The Yobe government had provided land for the building of new primary and secondary schools in Potsdam, Buni Yadi (Gujba) and Gahsua (Bade) Local Government Areas.
The commission’s Managing Director, Mohammed Alkali, who made the disclosure on Saturday in Gasua, said that the initiative was meant to address the current problem of insufficient classrooms.
According to him, the problem in primary and secondary schools in the North-East region is due to activities of insurgents.
Akali said that insurgency and other factors had made the region highest on the poverty index and lowest in literacy rate.
The managing director added that the destruction of schools by the insurgents had disrupted primary and secondary education in the region.
“Widespread poverty coupled with insecurity, has rendered an estimated 600,000 young people unable to go beyond the primary or secondary school levels.
“As such, millions of the out of school children in the region remain uneducated, justifying the need for massive intervention in the development of school infrastructure.
“Consequently, the commission resolved to construct three composite mega schools or upgrading of existing ones in each states of the region, thus making 18, one in each of the Senatorial District.
“We are also going to complement the physical structure with soft support like teachers’ training, curriculum and upgrade,” he said.
In his remarks, Gov. Mai Mala Buni, commended the gesture, adding that it was “timely and desirable” and was in line with his government’s policy on education.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abdullahi Yusuf, Buni appealed to members of the community, local government authorities and the emirate council to take ownership of the projects.
Rapper Bill Kahan Kapri, popularly known by his stage name “Kodak Black,” was one of 73 people granted pardons by former President Donald Trump before he left office earlier this year. On Sunday, the rapper announced his acceptance of “Jesus as my Lord and Savior.”
The announcement from Kapri comes days after Christian ministers Kevin Louidor and Annia Icart, who both attend King Jesus Universal Ministry, prayed with the artist at a gas station in Florida last Tuesday.
On social media, Louidor also shared how shortly after they helped the rapper pray, God protected their lives in a grisly crash.
“TESTIMONY! GOD SAVES! On our way to our church King Jesus Universal Ministry with my sister in Christ Annia Icart, we went to stop by the gas station and we happen to meet a popular rapper Kodak Black and the Lord used us to minister to him and his crew, and Kodak gave his life to Jesus Christ!” Louidor wrote.
“Then after we was done, we started driving to church and the presence of God filled the car, and we [were] praising God and out of nowhere I started speaking in tongues and declared may the angel of protection be with us! And soon as I finished saying that the car lost control and we got into a car accident. We know the enemy is not happy of what took place because we brought a soul to the kingdom so he retaliated! Victory is won! Jesus is Lord!” he declared.
In a video of Kapri saying the prayer, he declared to God, in part: “I pray right now that you forgive me of all of my sins, and I receive your forgiveness and I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and He rose from the dead. I accept you, Jesus, as my Lord and my Savior. Come into my heart, clean me up. Use me for your glory. I believe that if I was to die that when I wake up, I will be in your arms. In Jesus’ name, I am saved. Amen.”
Kapri, who previously identified as a Hebrew Israelite, shared the video of his conversion in a post on social media.
Stakeholders in education have advised that capacity-building is essential in developing competence and skills that will make the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) effective.
In a statement issued in Ibadan on Thursday during a training for 100 quality assurance officers of the commission, the statement quoted the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, as saying that the training would improve learning in line with international best practices.
Represented by Alhaji Alabi Asaju, the South-West Zonal Director of the commission, Bobboyi said: “The commission, in conjunction with the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board is setting standards that will be sustained in years to come”.
He commended the Management Board of Oyo State Universal Basic Education for commitment to effectiveness and efficiency in the basic education sub-sector of Oyo State.
Also, the Executive Chairman, Oyo SUBEB, Dr Nureni Adeniran, said that the state’s quality assurance had been in practice but the training would be needed to further expose officers to various techniques in approach to education.
He explained that the theme of the training: “Effective School Evaluation: Panacea for improving learning outcomes and strengthening of the school system”, would enable the trainees to improve learning outcomes, results and performances in the educational system.
Adeniran, however, acknowledged the support from UBEC by giving 33 motorcycles, 30 laptops and printers to quality assurance officers.
He expressed optimism that after the training, officers would be acquainted with the requisite skills for effective performance.
The Executive Secretary, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Olusanjo Adeniyi and the Director, Quality Assurance, UBEC, Mansir Idris, agreed that the training sought to develop new strategies to improve the quality of learning in basic schools across Oyo State.
They observed that the training was in response to the need to strengthen the capacity of the officers, especially at the local government levels.
The 2019 degree graduates of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education Owerri, Imo state have lamented the high rate of extortion by the management of the college.
The college is an affiliate of the University of Nigeria Nsukka.
The students said it was unfortunate that they have not been mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps programme after two years of their graduation.
The spokesman of the student, Chike Anyaso, from the Department of Education/Social Studies, said the degree students had been milked dry by the AIFCE management ahead of their convocation.
Adding his voice, Matthew Anyanwu from the department of Guidance and Counselling listed payment they had made to the college to include N3,000 for accreditation, N2000 for alumni levy, N20,000 for convocation, N1,000 for golden jubilee celebration, N2,000 for NYSC screening, N6,000 for Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, N5,000 for TRCN induction and N3,500 for TRCN exam.
He, however, added that the school management recently released another notice, urging them to pay another convocation fee of N5,000 after the initial N20,000 they had paid.
Another student, Babara Nsukpo, noted that there had been several payments concerning graduation clearance, regretting that the college management had not made any conscious effort to get UNN to mobilise them for the NYSC programme.
She said, “We graduated since 2019 having gained admission in 2015/2016 academic year. Since we graduated, the college management has been giving us an excuse that COVID-19 pandemic stopped them from mobilising us for the NYSC programme.
“When we contacted UNN in July, 2021 to mobilise us for the NYSC programme, they told us to better sort ourselves out with AIFCE management. Since then we have been writing to our school to remind them to send us to NYSC.
“Since that time till now, we have not heard anything from them. But they told us that the information will come to us no more than three weeks from that time.”
When contacted, the College Registrar,Ben Anyanwu, said he was aware of the students’ complaint.
He said, “AIFCE is an affiliate of UNN, but these students don’t know how higher institution operates. The N20,000 convocation fee they paid was sent to UNN but the N5,000 they are to pay now is for the AIFCE NCE convocation.
“The students should calm down because NYSC programme is coming up in November 2021.”
The Vice-Chancellor, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Prof Edward Olanipekun, has said that EKSU International College, Afao Ekiti, will recruit the best brains to ensure quality instruction and excellent performance of the students.
Olanipekun, who spoke at an event in the university, said that through the ongoing admission of its first set of students expected to resume this month, EKSU had broken the jinx of not having international school, adding that the college had come to stay.
EKSU VC- Prof Edward Olanipekun
“I want the best brains to be employed in our international college in the ongoing recruitment exercise. I am personally interested in the recruitment. The college will take off with Junior Secondary School one, two and Senior Secondary School three classes.
“The institution is fortified with standard infrastructure and security architecture. We have also recruited armed personnel to guard against any breach of security. Parents can bring their children to the college and go to sleep”, He added.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the National Assembly to pass the Bill to amend the National Universities Commission Act to address the proliferation of state universities.
The coordinator of the Kano Zone of the Union, Prof. Abdulkadir Muhammad made the call at a press conference held at Bayero University Kano.
Muhammad, who called for the passage of the bill, also called on the visitors of the Universities to live up to their responsibilities.
“We are calling on the national assembly to, as a matter of urgency, consider and pass the Bill. Due to bad governance and underfunding, our state-owned universities may soon collapse beyond redemption.
“Visitors of state universities had turned establishment of state universities into projects for appeasing electorates in their senatorial and state constituencies, while neglecting the existing state universities.
“Besides non funding of capital projects, most state governors have also failed in the primary responsibility of regular payment of staff salaries in their universities,” he added.
The coordinator said that the association also rejected the charging of exorbitant tuition fees in the state universities because it places university education beyond the reach of common Nigerians.
The association also urged the Federal Government to sign and implement the draft ASUU/FGN renegotiated agreement of May, 2021, in addition to the release of the first tranche of the N30 billion funds for the revitalization of public universities.
“The government should also release N25billion Earned Academic Allowance.
“We also urge the federal government to immediately remit withheld check-off dues to the branches of the withheld and amputated salaries/ allowances and third party deductions.” he added.
The coordinator said that the Union would always deploy appropriate measures to salvage the Nigerian university system from rot and decay.
He said that the union firmly believes in the use of qualitative education to liberate and transform Nigeria from its current state of underdevelopment.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Monday, said it might be compelled to embark on another strike if the Federal Government failed to implement the December 22, 2020 Memorandum of Action signed with it prior to the suspension of the last strike.
The Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Benin, Prof. Fred Esumeh, told newsmen while speaking on ‘Another Inevitable Round of Crisis in Nigerian Universities.’
Esumeh who did not disclose when the strike would commence, said they awaited the decision of the national body to give the directive.
Recall that in March 2020, ASUU embarked on a strike action following its disagreement with the Federal Government over the funding of the universities and ineffectiveness and discrepancies around the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System and others.
ASUU, however, developed the University Transparency and Accountability Solution to replace IPPIS and had several meetings with the Ministries of Finance, Education, Labour and Employment, and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation before it was approved but yet to be implemented.
Prof. Esumeh said: “For the records, that strike action was declared on the 23rd of March 2020 over the federal government’s failure to honour the terms of an earlier 7th February 2019 MoA in which the federal government had freely agreed to conclude the details of the renegotiation of the FGN-ASUU 2009 agreement.
“The specific issues remain that the federal government deliberate delay in deploying the University Transparency and Accountability Solution as the payment platform for university staff, the non-payment of the due tranche of Earned Academic Allowances.
“Others are the non-release of the earlier agreed N40 billion fund for the revitalisation of public universities, the unwillingness to sign the draft of the renegotiated 2009 agreement, the continued non-payment of promotion arrears, the non-payment of withheld salaries and the non-remittance of deducted check-off dues of the union.”
Likewise, in a letter dated September 9,2021 and jointly signed by the Plateau State University branch chairman of ASUU, Dr Pamson Bentse and the Secretary,Samson Bitrus specifically accused Governor Simon Lalong led administration of failing to settle the national minimum wage arrears owed the lecturers within the first quarter of 2021 as well as failing to effect immediate release of N70 million as part payment of the Earned Academic Allowance arrears for the first tranche while the second tranche of N72 million will be due in October ,among others .
They also accused the government of failing to commence the payment of mainstreamed Earned Academic Allowance from January, 2021 and failing to commence the construction of staff quarters within the second quarter of 2021 as well as failing to complete the perimeter fencing of the university among other issues as contained in the Memorandum of Action.
In another development, the Sokoto Zonal Coordinator of Academic Staff Union of Universities, Jamilu Shehu, in Katsina decried deteriorating condition of many state owned universities.
He insisted that many states Governors were establishing the universities for political patronage rather than for the advancement of fields of knowledge.
As schools in Kaduna State prepare to reopen, all administrators and proprietors of public and private schools and other learning centres including Islamiya and Madrasas are to set up school-based security committees, the state government has directed.
While urging that students’ safety be ensured in schools, the state government said all schools management should inculcate Safe School Learning initiatives as directed by the Federal Ministry of Education.
The government, in a statement issued on Saturday evening by the Commissioner for Education, Dr Shehu Usman Muhammad, said members of the School Security Committee are to ensure proper monitoring of security apparatuses in place and prompt security alertness.
“The Ministry appreciated the support of all stakeholders in the education sector, security agencies, parents and guardians and the media, and calls on them not to relent in ensuring a safer learning environment for all learners at all levels in the state.
“The Ministry also expresses its profound gratitude to the general public for their resilience, understanding and continuous support during this trying period.
“Whilst 1st Phase of the resumption is already in school writing exams, the Ministry of Education is directing all Principals to make arrangements to receive JSS1, JSS2, SS1 and SS2 Boarding Students on Sunday, 12 September 2021 and Day Students on Monday 13 September 2021 for a period of fourteen (14) weeks for the term.
“Primary 1-6 are to resume on the 27 September 2021 for a period of twelve (12) weeks for the term,” he said.
1752 Britain and the British Empire (including the American colonies) adopt the Gregorian calendar (no Sept 3 – Sept 13)
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1939 World’s 1st practical helicopter, the VS-300 designed by Igor Sikorsky takes (tethered) flight in Stratford, Connecticut
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1960 Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi-Arabia and Venezuela form the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
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An Israeli-French-American Holocaust survivor and historian and a U.S. scientist specializing in gut bacteria were among the recipients this year’s Balzan Prizes, recognizing scholarly and scientific achievements, announced on Monday.
The International Balzan Prize Foundation awards four annual monetary prizes to people or organizations who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of humanities, natural sciences, culture, as well as for endeavours for peace and the brotherhood of man.
Saul Friedlander, who has taught at both the University of California, Los Angeles and Tel Aviv University, was awarded the prize for Holocaust and Genocide Studies for his work broadening the perspective on the history of the Holocaust.
Friedlander, 88, was born in Prague in 1932 in a non-religious Jewish family, which fled to France after the German occupation in March 1939.
His parents hid him in a Catholic boarding school near Vichy, where they were later captured and sent to Auschwitz.
With his parents’ agreement, Friedlander was baptized as a Catholic and later, out of his own conviction, considered becoming a priest. After he learned in 1946 that his parents had been killed at Auschwitz, Friedlander reclaimed his Jewish identity. He later said, “for the first time, I felt Jewish.”
Friedlander received the Pulitzer Prize in general non-fiction in 2008 for “The Years of Extermination: Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1939-1945,” the second volume in his history of Jews in Hitler’s Germany.
He was named a MacArthur Fellow in 1999, after the publication of the first volume covering the period from 1933-39 and has also been awarded the Dan David Prize recognizing outstanding achievement in interdisciplinary research.
Friedlander was recognized for examining the persecution of all Jews in Europe, going beyond country-focused studies that had preceded him, and for making personal documents accepted in scholarly practice.
“His authority is special in the sense that he is both a scholar and a victim of the Holocaust. He says that you can study your own experiences in a critical way,” said Marjan Schwegman, a Dutch historian who announced the prize. “The way he integrates the voices of victims, perpetrators and bystanders in this narrative has changed the way historians write about the history of the Holocaust.”
The Balzan Foundation awards two prizes in the sciences and two in the humanities each year, rotating specialties to highlight new or emerging areas of research and sustain fields that might be overlooked elsewhere.
Recipients receive 750,000 Swiss francs ($815,000), half of which must be used for research, preferably by young scholars or scientists.
Jeffrey Gordon, a biologist and director of the Center for Genome Science at the Washington University in Saint Louis, was awarded for founding the field of human microbiome research and revolutionizing its role on human health and disease.
Prior to Gordon’s pioneering work in the 1990s, just 20 papers were published every decade on the microbiome, or the estimated 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of microbiota living in each adult, including on the skin, in the nose and gut, according to Jules Hoffman, a Nobel Prize winner in medicine who announced the award.
That expanded to 4,000 papers a decade after 2000 and is now up to 80,000 every 10 years. “It has become a very hot topic in science,” Hoffman said.
Gordon has expanded his research in the last decade to malnutrition, a primary reason for disease in children under 5, including the possibility of combating the deleterious impact of malnutrition through fecal microbiome transplants, Hoffman said.
Italian physicist Alessandra Buonanno and French physicist Thibault Damour were recognized for work that was instrumental in the detection of gravitational waves, which has helped to promote a type of astronomy that uses gravitational waves as “new, powerful messengers of the universe,″ the Balzan prize committee said.
Buonanno, 52, is director of the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Potsdam, Germany, and holds a research professorship at the University of Maryland, College Park and honorary professorships at the Humboldt University in Berlin and the University of Potsdam.
Damour, 70, has been a professor of theoretical physics at the Institut des Haute Etudes Scientifique in Bures-sur-Yvette France since 1989.
The Balzan Committee has not yet reached consensus on the prize for Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, but officials said they hope to do so before the prizes are presented in Rome on Nov. 18 by Italy’s president, Sergio Mattarella.
Next year’s prizes will be awarded in moral philosophy, ethnomusicology, biomaterials for nanomedicine and tissue engineering and glaciation and ice-sheet dynamics.
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