Enugu State Government has safely evacuated 135 indigenes studying at University of Jos (UNIJOS) to their respective homes, following the crisis in Jos, Plateau State.

The Special Adviser to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on Students Affairs, Chidi Ilogebe, disclosed that 37 students returned to Enugu, yesterday, 28 were taken to Abuja to join their families, while others were taken to their preferred destinations amid tight security.

The governor, in the wake of the Jos crisis, had directed Ilogebe to take immediate steps to ensure that Enugu students in UNIJOS were evacuated from the school to safety.

Ilogede disclosed that he led a delegation to receive students from UNIJOS, who returned to Enugu about 10p.m, yesterday.

One of the evacuated students, Anthony Onah, expressed gratitude to the governor for his proactivity, concern and commitment to the welfare of Enugu indigenes, irrespective of where they reside.

He revealed that the governor’s action spurred other governors from the South East to send rescue teams to evacuate their people from UNIJOS.

“The Association of Enugu State Students in UNIJOS is proud of you (Ugwuanyi) for the fatherly role you played,” he added.

Also, a 300-level student of Marketing, Olivia Nebeokike, said she was dumbfounded at the governor’s gesture, stressing that they did not believe that their state government could come looking for them at the time they were in distress.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of UNIJOS Students Union Government (SUG), Ebenezer Iloadinma, an indigene Enugu, equally thanked Ugwuanyi for the gesture.

He also thanked the governor’s aide, Iloegebe, for facilitating the move, maintaining that they deeply appreciate the governor’s efforts as well as his good works in Enugu.

Ex Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has stressed the need for a robust education system that teaches character and leadership and others to kick-start Nigeria’s development journey.

She gave the charge at the graduation of the third Cohort of Teach For Nigeria (TFN) fellows in Lagos over the weekend.

Ezekwesili acknowledged that the body was addressing issue of quality teachers as bedrock of any nation. She said the non-governmental organisation had picked the best graduates across the federation, giving them the opportunity to explore and change the state of education in the country.

The activist stated that the most populous black nation needed to reform its education sector and work with like-minded organisations to transform rural communities with experienced teachers to impact the grassroots.

The former minister charged the graduates to be focused in transforming Nigeria through the knowledge they have acquired.

In his remarks, TFN’s Chairman, Gbenga Oyebode, urged the fellows’ continued commitment to the fellowship, assuring that the board remains committed to the sustainability of the programme.

The Chief Executive Officer, Folawe Omikunle, said the graduating class of 2021 had shown resilience and strong leadership, even in the face of a global pandemic. “This cohort of fellows, who taught in 29 schools across Ogun State, experienced unprecedented struggle, joy, perseverance and love,” she added

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has said revamping the state College of Education will enhance the employability of graduates from the institution, as well as help them to compete favourably with their peers.

Obaseki, who was represented by his Chief of Staff (CoS), Osaigbovo Iyoha, said this during a visit of the Students Union Government (SUG) of the Edo State College of Education, Igueben Campus, at the Government House, Benin City.

He said the decision by the government to revamp the college would benefit the students and ensure that it competes favourably with other world-class institutions across the globe.

Speaking, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Stella-Maris Imasuen, said: “The report on recruitment into the institution has been sent to the governor and as soon as it is approved, the college will commence academic activities on the three campuses with a uniform academic calendar.”

The Oyo State post-Primary Schools Teaching Service Commission, TESCOM, has, on Monday, organised an Induction and Training Programme for the new teaching and non-teaching staff employed in the state.

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, while speaking at the Induction and Training Programme for the 5,000 newly-recruited teachers and 700 non-teaching staff converted to teaching cadre in the state, held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, charged the new employees to embrace professionalism in the discharge of their duties.

The governor, who disclosed that the teachers’ appointments were based on merit, noted that his administration would continue to train and retrain the new teachers and give them all the necessary support needed for the success of their work.

Makinde stated: “You are being inducted into a noble profession and some of you will go on to do some other things. This is just the beginning but not the end for all of you. Some of you will leave the teaching line and become politicians. Even if you don’t become governor, two of my teachers are here, some of the students you will teach may become governors.”

He urged the teachers to always put the interest of the state first in the discharge of their duties and to see themselves as indispensable partners in the task of repositioning Oyo State and taking its people from poverty to prosperity.

 “People have been asking how we have been doing it in Oyo State. Others are paying half salaries and struggling. They are rescinding their decisions to pay the national minimum wage, but we are paying the minimum wage, the consequential adjustment and we are also recruiting. Not just teachers, even health care professionals. We are also recruiting environmental officers.” The Governor added.

He also called on the new teachers to partner with the state government in its bid to improve the education system, saying that the state has moved from 26th to 11th position out the 36 states in the country.

“I beg of you, our future generations are the ones that you are going to mold. So, every time you wake in the morning to go to your various schools for your assignments, have it at the back of your minds that the little contribution you are making has ramifications for our future as a state and as a country,” Makinde advised.

The Chairman of TESCOM, Pastor Akinade Alamu, said the support given to TESCOM by Governor Makinde helped the commission to achieve success in many areas, including the welfare of the staffers and the approval for the promotion of 1,500 principals of secondary schools, who were on Grade Level 15 but did not get promoted because there were no vacancies for them to become principals of secondary schools.

Alamu stated: “Your Excellency, at the inauguration of this TESCOM board in October 2020, you gave us a mandate to make positive impact to improve the image of TESCOM, which was riddled with corruption and other vices. You made a promise to us that you would support us with all that we might need to achieve success in this assignment, and Your Excellency has not failed at any time to give us the greatest support.”

He revealed that the governor had approved: training for principals and vice principals of secondary schools in the state; creation of four additional TESCOM zones, bringing the zones in the state to 10 and the appointment of 5,000 teachers, which resulted in the induction and training programme.

“They have been posted to all schools in all local governments interest state and we have been monitoring them; most of them are youths and still fresh from higher institutions and they are performing wonderfully well. So, we believe that they will not disappoint us,” Alamu said.

The governor performed the symbolic presentation of certificates of attendance to some of the inductees after the Permanent Secretary of TESCOM, Grace Oderinde, administered the oath on the inductees.