Uganda’s Makerere University to Start Online Examinations Next Week

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September 9, 2021

Students of Makerere University who did not complete their examinations before President Yoweri Museveni closed institutions of learning across the country in June will resume their exams next week online.

A statement from the university Academic Registrar, Alfred Masikye Namoah, says the University Senate and Council have approved the alternative modes of assessment for the completion of semester one exams.

Prior to closure of schools for the second time in June, only finalist and postgraduate students at the university had completed their end of semester exams.

Masikye said the university scheduled the exams to run from September 13 to 30 online since the government has not yet reopened schools for all learners.

According to Masikye, colleges and schools have published detailed examination schedules and timetables

Alternative Assessment Modes

In the meantime,the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, told local media that Senate approved 14 alternative modes of assessment which must all be done online.

Some of them include group assignments, individual take home assignments, tests or questions with options, among others.

According to Prof Nawangwe, colleges and schools are free to choose any mode to assess their learners from the approved alternatives.

The university however, reminded students who had not completed payment of relevant fees to contact their respective college bursars to be guided on the new payment procedures.

According to the Makerere tuition policy, all students are supposed to have completed tuition fees before writing tests and examinations.

Federal University Lokoja Management Refutes Claim of Tuition Increment

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Precious Obazee

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September 9, 2021

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The management of the Federal University, Lokoja, says it has no plan to increase the institutions tuition fees.

The school’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olayemi Akinwunmi disclosed this to journalists during a chat in his office at the permanent site of the university.

He was reacting to an online publication that FUL management had increased school fees, and people were about to protest.

He allayed the concerns already created in the minds of parents and guardians, saying that the story had no iota of truth on the increase of school fees.

According to him, the school only increased the acceptance fee. He explained that the institution’s new intakes would pay N55,000, including other charges, while returning students would pay N47,000.

He described the acceptance fee increased from N10,000 to N20,000 as optional, stating that those who could not afford it could try another institution.

Akinwunmi added that funding had become a major impediment to the university system’s development and appealed to the government to increase budgetary allocations to tertiary institutions, particularly new ones.

He regretted that most federal universities found it difficult to operate after IPPIS’ introduction adding that the system took away all the responsibilities of the university system and rendered the management ineffective.

He added that most of the structures and facilities at the institution’s permanent site had been vandalised because of continued stay at the Adankolo campus of the institution. Akinwunmi called for an urgent response to salvage the facilities from vandals.

Stakeholders Suggest Use Of Local Languages to Boost Digital Education

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Precious Obazee

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September 9, 2021

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The need to integrate indigenous languages with digital education resources in promoting literacy skills in line with 21^st century expectations has prompted stakeholders in the education sector to initiate and seek public-private partnerships to boost the availability of these resources to students in Nigeria.

This was the focus of discussion at the just concluded August edition of Ed-tech Monday – an initiative of Mastercard Foundation in partnership with CcHub Limited.

This virtual discussion, themed “Access to Digital Resources” featured discussants from different segments of the education sector.

Speaking during the virtual discussion held in the last week of August, one of the participant Gideon Olanrewaju noted that a lack of digital skills and in-access to digital resources were the major challenges affecting digital learning in Nigeria while developed countries had gone ahead to adopt strategies such as the flip classroom method, this in-access to digital resources has limited the adoption of forward-looking strategies that enhance the learning experience.

He said the foundation of learning which begins with comprehension skills has been affected due to failure of educators at both private and public sectors to adopt languages best understood by the students.

Olarenwaju added that if the children are unable to have such foundational skills, it would be very difficult for them to access or use the knowledge that is obtainable from digital resources.

He called on the government and educators to employ the use of indigenous languages in teaching students.

He further enjoined government and stakeholders to invest in community level infrastructural development to find lasting solutions to the problem of access to digital resources.

Another participant, the Digital Content and Innovation Manager at Airtel Networks Limited, Bankole Alao, noted that connectivity remained a huge barrier to adopting digital learning in Nigeria.

He said the solution to this challenge lies in the readiness of stakeholders to collaborate.

Also speaking, Kayode Akinwale, a member of Virtual Learning Teachers, noted that COVID-19 had further proved the effectiveness of technology in digital learning for students and parents.

Akinwale identified connectivity cost, poor power supply, limited understanding of digital resources by students, teachers, and cost of digital devices as major barriers that Nigeria needed to break to guarantee equitable access to digital resources for the students.

Today In History – Sept. 9 – 1776 – Congress Officially Renames Country As The United States Of America

By

Angel Gimalo

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September 9, 2021

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1000 Battle of Svolder, Baltic Sea: King Olaf on board the Long Serpent defeated in one of the greatest naval battles of the Viking Age. He leaps to his death overboard.

1776 Congress officially renames the country as the United States of America (from the United Colonies)

1817 Alexander Twilight, probably first African American to graduate from a US college, receives BA degree at Middlebury College

1914 First fully mechanized unit in the British Army created – the Canadian Automobile Machine Gun Brigade (WWI)

1993 Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization exchange letters of mutual recognition

2015 Queen Elizabeth II becomes Great Britain’s longest-reigning monarch at 63 years and seven months, beating the previous record set by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria

Today in Film & TV
1951 1st broadcast of “Love of Life” on CBS-TV

1956 Elvis Presley appears on “The Ed Sullivan Show” for the 1st time

Today in Sport

1972 Soviet Union beats the United States 51-50 in the most controversial game in international basketball history; with US leading 50-49 the final 3 seconds is replayed 3 times until the Soviets finally win

Do you know this fact about today? Did You Know?
Mary Stuart, at nine months old, is crowned “Queen of Scots” in the central Scottish town of Stirling

Would you believe this fact about today? Would You Believe?
Nurse Sally Tompkins is officially commissioned as an officer (and its only woman officer) by the Confederate US Army

Adamawa Poly Set To Run Seven Degree Programmes

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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September 9, 2021

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Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola, has said it will begin degree programmes in seven courses, in affiliation with the University of Maiduguri, Borno State.

The Polytechnic’s Director of Academic Planning Unit, Dr. Gabriel Teneke, after a resource verification visit by 21 member panel from the National Universities Commission, said the arrangement would begin when the institution reopens for academic session in October.

The seven approved degree programmes are in the fields of Accounting, Banking and Finance, Public Administration, English Language and Literature.

Others are Economics, Business Education and Mass Communication.

Teneke said a nod from the NUC was all the institution was awaiting before the degree programmes begin in October.

He said, “We are hopeful that we would get the approval to commence the degree programmes. After three to four years then they will be back for final accreditation. The NUC team visited to verify and ascertain what the University of Maiduguri told them about our resources and capabilities to run this programmes.”

The Rector of the Polytechnic, Prof. Ibrahim Umar, also expressed confidence about the degree programmes commencing as scheduled.

FG To Sanction Institutions Over Illegal Admission

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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September 9, 2021

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The Federal Government has said stiffer penalties would be meted out to tertiary institutions and admission racketeers who bypass admission processes and the Central Admissions Processing System of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, was quoted to have said this at a policy meeting at JAMB headquarters, according to the weekly bulletin of the board released by JAMB’s Head of Information and Media, Dr Fabian Benjamin on Monday.

Adamu, who was represented by Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, said, “As a demonstration of our resolve, I have directed JAMB to bring forward for appropriate sanctions, the list of all institutions involved in the violation of the directive of government which was personally conveyed by me at the 2018 policy meeting at Gbongan, Osun State.

“The ministry is very resolute that heads of such institutions will be held personally responsible, either in or out of office. As such, if we are to sanitise our society, we must begin from the academics as they are saddled with the responsibility of moulding the character of future generations.”

The minister warned that all guidelines issued at the policy meeting on admissions must be strictly adhered to as the ministry would not condone any abuse of the admission guidelines.

He explained that CAPS was designed to safeguard the integrity of the admission process and ensure that all errors and biases are eliminated, wondering why institutions would jettison the automated platform.

Adamu said, “Any institution that issue admission letters to candidates outside CAPS will be punished for such gross indiscipline and fraud.”
JAMB Registrar, Prof Is-haq Oloyede said for the 2021/22 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, the board would be introducing two new subjects – Computer Studies and Physical and Health Education.

This will bring the total number of UTME subjects to 25.

President Buhari Approves New Appointments In Education Agencies

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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September 8, 2021

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.President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointments of new chief executives for some agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education.

The appointments were rolled out in continuation of the sustained efforts by the federal government to further strengthen effective service delivery in the education sector.

In a statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Affairs in the ministry, Ben Goong, in Abuja on Wednesday, the new appointees were listed as Prof. Akpama Ibar as Executive Secretary, National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education; Prof. Chinwe Anunobi, Director/CEO, National Library; and Prof. Musa Maitafsir as Director/CEO, National Teachers Institute.

”All the three appointments took effect from the September 2 and would each be for an initial tenure of five years,” he said.

Goong added that the president also approved the reappointment of the Registrar/CEO, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, for a second and final tenure of five years, with effect from August 1.

Similarly, Prof. Bashir Usman has been reappointed as the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Nomadic Education, for a second and final tenure of five years

NYSC Prepares Corps Members For Self-Employment

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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September 8, 2021

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The Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, has expressed concern over the rate of unemployment in the country.

He made this known, during the swearing-in of the 2021 Batch B Stream 2 corps members in Bauchi State.

The DG, who was represented by the State Coordinator, Hamisu Abubakar, said the scheme was meticulous in the implementation of its Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, to prepare corps members for self-employment and wealth creation.

He, however, assured corps members that the Federal Government was leaving no stone unturned to address unemployment.

Gov. Sanwo-Olu Says He Won’t Interfere In LASU VC Appointment Process

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

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September 8, 2021

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The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said he would not interfere in the appointment process of the substantive Vice-Chancellor of the state-owned Lagos State University (LASU).

The Governor said he is not interested in who becomes LASU’s next Vice-Chancellor, maintaining that due process would be followed in the appointment.

Governor Sanwo-Olu said this while receiving members of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) who paid him a courtesy visit at the Lagos House, Ikeja on Tuesday.

“The process for the appointment of the substantive Vice-Chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU) is ongoing and I can assure you that all the laws and due process that would lead to the appointment of the VC would be fully adhered to.

“I have no intention to interfere or have any interest in the choice of who would be vice-chancellor. We have put in the committeemen and women of impeccable character that have distinguished themselves and are willing to do for us a good job,” he told the visitors led by CVCNU chairman, Prof. Samuel Edoumiekumo.

The governor who promised adequate and continuous funding for state-owned tertiary institutions in Lagos State, said plans were in top gear to establish two more universities of technology and education in the State.

He also promised to assist the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities to get back the title documents of its property situated at Idowu Taylor Street, Victoria Island in Lagos, saying the property would be released to the Committee at no cost.

According to him, the Lagos State Government will support the Committee on its forthcoming 60th anniversary celebration next year.

The Chairman of CVCNU said Governor Sanwo-Olu’s support as the Visitor to the Lagos State University is commendable and called for the Lagos State Government’s support for the forthcoming 60th anniversary of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.

“As Nigeria’s economic and social powerhouse, Lagos is arguably a mini-Nigeria and leader in its federation of states. Lagos sets the agenda and leads other states to emulate in economic development, innovation, good governance and education,” he added.

Prof. Edoumiekumo said the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities is desirous of working with key stakeholders to improve the country’s university system and therefore seeks for mutually rewarding partnership with Lagos State Government and the people in that regard.

Ministers Say Egyptian Gas To Reach Crisis-Hit Lebanon Soon

By

Zoe Maven

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September 8, 2021

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Egyptian natural gas should reach Lebanon through Jordan and Syria soon after maintenance of pipelines and the review of a deal interrupted 10-years ago are finalized by early October.

There is no date yet for when the gas will be pumped. But reviving the Arab gas pipeline to deliver Egyptian gas to Lebanon comes as the small country is reeling from a crippling energy crisis.

Lebanese Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar said the World Bank would help his cash-strapped government guarantee payment for the gas, which is expected to help produce 450 megawatts of electricity in the country’s only natural gas plant, in northern Lebanon.

Speaking at a news conference with the three ministers in Amman, Jordanian energy minister Hala al-Zawati said the infrastructure to resume gas flow to Lebanon needed checks after a 10-year hiatus. These should be finished in three weeks.

Egyptian energy minister Tarek Mullah said some clauses in the deal will also need reviewing. He didn’t elaborate.

Lebanon is witnessing an economic crisis described as one of the world’s worst since the 1850s. Shortages of medicine, fuel and basic supplies have often brought the country to standstill, while political disagreements have foiled efforts to form a government to negotiate a rescue package with international financial institutions.

The Arab cooperation to deliver gas to Lebanon through Syria represents a significant thawing of relations between the war-ravaged country and its neighbors, most of who had either cut diplomatic ties or limited relations to security collaboration during the 10-year civil war.