The Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, has charged youth corps members to develop interest in agriculture to enable them become self-reliant.
He stated this at the inauguration of the 2021 Farming season by NYSC Youth Corps members on a 16-hectare farm land secured by the NYSC in Doma local government area of Nasarawa.
Ibrahim said since 2012, NYSC had introduced a number of programmes, including Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) Programme, aimed at teaching corp members skills they would need to be self-employed given the scarcity of white collar jobs.
He said one of the trainings offered by SAED is agriculture, a sector capable of lifting many from poverty and employing many young Nigerians.
Ibrahim thanked the Andoma of Doma, Aliyu Onawo, for offering the land to NYSC for agriculture demonstration to corps members, among other uses.
He said that the acquisition of the land and the practical use of it would go a long way to convince corps members to see agriculture as a viable alternative.
He urged other royal fathers and state governments to emulate the good gesture of the Andoma to avail lands to corps members to enable them showcase their talents and get experience in farming.
Also speaking, Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, Emmanuel Akabe, lauded the commitment of the NYSC in pushing the agriculture agenda of the Federal Government to youth corps members with a view to encouraging them to be self-reliant.
Akabe, represented by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Water Resources, Prof. Allalana Otaki, pledged Nasarawa state government’s support for the NYSC agriculture initiative.
In his remark, Coordinator of the NYSC in the state, Stephen Dewan, expressed excitement over farming season development.
He promised to ensure that corps members in the state are thoroughly trained and exposed to the numerous opportunities available in the agriculture sector.
Meanwhile, President, NYSC Nasarawa state Agro Allied Community Development Service (CDS) Group who is also a Corp member, Johnbenedict Tyoakosu, said the group would commence the farming season with planting of melon seeds.
He said melon seeds mature in three months and two weeks, adding that they would also plant beniseed.
He said the farm will be used for demonstration purposes for corps members interested in farming to learn the best agronomic practices of the crops that will be cultivated there, adding that it will enable them train the beneficiaries not just theoretically but practically.
Tyoakosu noted that the agricultural activities on the Demonstration Farm would contribute to the food security of Nasarawa State and Nigeria as a whole.
He further stated that practical work on Agro based SAED can also be done to equip the corp members with the skills which will make them self-employed and subsequently employers of labour.
National Youth Service Corps Members Charged To develop Interest In Agriculture
Nigeria Petroleum Development Company Scholarship Programmes Record 10,000 Beneficiaries Since 2000
The Nigeria Petroleum Development Company Ltd. (NPDC) says more than 10,000 indigent students from its host communities have benefited from its scholarship programmes since year 2000.
The Manager, Community Relations Department, NPDC, Dahiru Abubakar, made this known during the conduct of the year 2019/2020 scholarship examination in Warri, Delta.
Abubakar noted that about 379 students were invited for Saturday’s examination from all the NPDC host communities.
Represented by the team leader of the Warri examination centre, Noble Imabibo, Abubakar revealed the examination was being conducted simultaneously in three centres at Warri in Delta State, Egbema in Imo State and Port Harcourt, Rivers State
He said “We are here to basically conduct NPDC yearly scholarship examination. This exercise is for year 2019/2020 and the process is going on smoothly.
“Basically, this is a tertiary scholarship exams, what we do is to send invitation to our host communities asking them to nominate four candidates to compete for one slot per community.
“The Warri venue has about 179 candidates, while Egbema and Port Harcourt centres have 100 candidates each.
“In total, we have 379 candidates sitting for the exam out of which about 160 successful candidates would be awarded the scholarships.
“The NPDC Scholarship Programme started in the year 2000, and since then about 10,000 students have enjoyed and still enjoying the programme,”.
According to him, the effort is part of NPDC corporate social responsibilities to its host communities aimed at promoting human capital development.
Abubakar further stated that to ensure transparency in the process, NPDC engaged the management of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE) as consultant to conduct the examination.
He added that the whole idea is to make the examination highly competitive and transparent in line with the TAPE agenda of the NNPC administration.
Also speaking, Coordinator of the NPDC Scholarship Examination, (FUPRE), Professor Prekeyi Tawari-Fufeyin, thanked the NPDC for the privilege given to the students.
Tawari-Fufeyin urged other corporate organisations to emulate NPDC by coming up with people oriented programmes.
She advised the students to always prepare well for the examination, adding that performance in the past few years had reduced.
Western Cape Education Department Implements Plan for Unplaced Learners
The Western Cape Education Department says it is currently implementing a plan to place 2 550 learners that are currently registered as unplaced in the province.
According to Minister of Education, Debbie Schäfer, the plan includes the provision of 129 mobile classrooms to schools, as well as the addition of teaching posts.
The department acknowledged that while some schools already have extra classrooms available, others do require mobile classrooms, which take time to construct.
The Minister said schools that have received additional teaching posts have agreed to accommodate learners in alternative spaces, such as school halls or laboratories, until classrooms are constructed.
Schäfer said learners will be placed in schools, and ready to begin the second term.
She added that the department is well aware that these learners have missed a full term of work, and lesson packs for the first term will be made available at the schools where the learners will be placed.
District officials will also guide schools on how to support learners with a catch-up plan, and will monitor the learners’ assessment results for the second term to determine future support programmes.
Schäfer further stated that the plan would not be possible without additional funding and this has been the main challenge with regards to additional infrastructure and teachers.
The department have had to reprioritise existing funding for this, which means future budget allocations will be negatively affected, as well as current long-term plans.
Industrial Conflict: Ekiti State University Suspends Academic Activities, Proscribes Labour Unions
Ekiti State University proscribed all labour unions within the institution following continued protests that have disrupted academic and non-academic activities in recent time.
The institution, also, suspended all academic activities with immediate effect while all students were directed to return home until its management issued a directive asking them to resume.
These directives were contained in a statement the Head of EKSU Directorate of Information and Corporate Affairs, Bode Olofinmuagun issued in response to industrial conflict rocking the institution.
The unions in the institution had been protesting against the management for alleged non-payment of salaries and some specific allowances, among others.
Consequently, the protests triggered a total lockdown of the university, which paralysed academic, non-academic and commercial activities within the academic community.
The university proscribed all the four unions with immediate effect. The unions comprise Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
The statement reads: “This is as a result of the continuous disruption of lawful activities on campus which have endangered lives and property in the last one week.
“Consequently, to guarantee peace and orderliness on campus, all the four unions – ASUU, SSANU, NAAT and NASU – are hereby proscribed with immediate effect”.
The management directed all students to vacate the campus with immediate effect.
From Monday, the protesting lecturers and other non-academic staff had occupied the university causing a standstill of traffic and activities on campus for over two hours. They sang solidarity songs and vowed to increase the intensity of the protest daily.
The unions were aggrieved that the state government failed to meet their demands for payment of three months salary arrears dated 2018, six years of earned academic allowances and unremitted cooperative deductions among other demands.
The Chairman of ASUU, EKSU Chapter, Kayode Arogundade accused the state governor, Kayode Fayemi of shunning several appeals from the union and other intermediaries.
The unions vowed to go beyond the usual strike action as they have threatened to make the university and state ungovernable until their requests are granted.
On it’s part, the state government has blamed the situation on over-bloated recruitment done by the immediate past administration and the inability of EKSU to meet its own portion of subvention.
Special Adviser to the governor on Tertiary Education, Sikiru Eniola pleaded with the protesters to embrace dialogue and also find alternative funding channels in the face of dwindling revenue.
ASEAN Leaders Reach Consensus To End Crisis In Myanmar
Southeast Asian leaders on Saturday, after the leaders’ meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said they had agreed on a plan with Myanmar’s junta chief to end the crisis in the violence-hit nation.
ASEAN leaders wanted a commitment from Min Aung Hlaing to restrain his security forces, who have reportedly killed 745 people since a mass civil disobedience movement erupted to challenge his Feb. 1 coup.
According to a statement from group chair Brunei, a consensus was reached on five points – ending violence, a constructive dialogue among all parties, a special ASEAN envoy to facilitate the dialogue, acceptance of aid and a visit by the envoy to Myanmar.
There was no mention of releasing political prisoners in the statement.
However, head of the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights group Charles Santiago, said the release of political prisoners is a necessary requirement for the cessation of violence.
He added that ASEAN must now act swiftly and set a clear timeline for Min Aung Hlaing to deliver on ending the violence, or stand ready to hold him accountable.
The ASEAN gathering was the first coordinated international effort to ease the crisis in Myanmar, an impoverished country that neighbours China, India and Thailand, since the coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government.
Myanmar is part of the 10-nation ASEAN, which has a policy of consensus decision-making and non-interference in the affairs of its members.
Analysts say the process had a long way to go, because promising to cease violence and release political prisoners is one thing but to actually get it done is another.
Chadian Rebels Vow To Resume Advance After Deby Funeral
Rebels in northern Chad have vowed to advance on the capital N’Djamena, following the funeral of President Idriss Deby who died on the battlefield.
The rebels, known as the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), came over the border from northern neighbour Libya on April 11 in their thousands, according to analysts’ estimates.
Last week, they reached as close as 200-300 km from the capital, before a pushback from the army and pause to respect Deby’s funeral.
A Spokesman for the rebels, Kingabe Ogouzeimi de Tapol said they were preparing to advance having rejected the military transition, calling it a monarchy, and urged a return to democracy.
Battle-hardened from years of fighting for Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar, the rebels could face stiff resistance near N’Djamena, a base for roughly 5,100 French troops fighting jihadists in the region.
FACT, which does not have links to jihadists, said warplanes bombed their command centre on Wednesday, and that France supported the raid with aerial surveillance. However, theFrench army has denied this.
At the funeral on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron, also pledged to defend Chad and called for a transition to democracy.
Despite the semblance of calm, In N’Djamena on Saturday, opposition leaders, labour unions and civil society organisations have denounced the military takeover.
AU Calls For Restoration Of Civilian Rule In Chad
The African Union has called for the restoration of civilian rule in Chad, where General Mahamat Idriss Déby took power this week following the death of his father Idriss Déby Itno.
In a statement, the AU Peace and Security Council, expressed grave concern about the establishment of a military council headed by the son of the late president.
The AU Peace and Security Council met on Thursday but waited until after Friday’s funeral to issue its communiqué.
His funeral was held on Friday in N’Djamena, in the presence of a dozen heads of state, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who called on the new government to promote stability, inclusion, dialogue and democratic transition.
Idriss Déby Itno, who led the country for 30 years, died on Monday, according to the presidency, as a result of wounds sustained at the front, in the north of the country, against rebels.
The regime of Idriss Déby was considered by the West, especially France, the former colonial power, as an essential partner in the war against jihadists in the Sahel.
Mahamat Idriss Déby, who dissolved the national assembly and government, has full powers but has promised new institutions after elections in a year and a half.
Ethiopia Sets Up Higher Education Quality Council
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education says the establishment of the country’s higher education quality Council is instrumental in ensuring comprehensive human development and driving Ethiopian prosperity wheel.
Speaking at the occasion to officially set up the council, Science and Higher Education Minister Samuel Urkato (Ph.D) noted that the Council could add value to the nation’s human development efforts and pave the education programs in terms of policy in a more productive fashion.
He further stated that though Ethiopia has registered remarkable achievements in increasing access to education, quality, which has been requested for years by the community and other stakeholders, has not yet been met at all levels.
The Mknister has been working for quality education through devising various mechanisms in collaboration with pertinent stakeholders as it is the major inquiry of the country.
He said “Since the establishment of the Council is a major step, we have to invite expertise and potential professionals towards framing steps how human development can be ensured thereby fostering national prosperity and development. Hence, we should bring the culture of science to the communities and let them participate in developing it into practical aspects”.
According to him, as education is one of the fundamental factors for development, higher education institutions have to attach due emphasis to it to foster its contribution to the socio-economic development of the country.
According to Samuel, today, more than ever before in human history, the wealth or poverty of nations highly depends on the quality of higher education since no country could assure progress as per societal expectation or economic development, peace, serenity, democratic culture tolerance and mutual respect without a good training and research system.
He added that the Council should be free from any form of political affiliation, stating that he is ready to provide it with all the necessary support to make it productive in achieving the intended target.
He further noted that the government has revised the education policy so as to fit with the reality on ground; other modalities are also developed to make sure all stakeholders partake in the education system.
Advisor to the Prime Minster Prof, Hirut Woldemariam on her part stated that the establishment of the Council can play a fundamental role in shaping the education system of Ethiopia.
She said quality education could not be achieved without the active engagements of all stakeholders.
University of Calabar Seeks Stakeholders’ Intervention Over Windstorm Destruction of Infrastructure
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi, has called on stakeholders for intervention over the windstorm destruction of infrastructure at the institution.
She made the appeal to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Tertiary Education Trust Fund and the Niger Delta Development Commission while inspecting the damages in Calabar.
The Vice Chancellor said that properties worth millions of naira have been destroyed by the windstorm that occurred during the heavy downpour of Thursday.
The buildings affected include the Medical College, Post Graduate School, Faculty of Education, Printing Press, Senate Chambers, open pavilion and Department of Medical Laboratory.
Others are the Senator Godswill Akpabio Engineering Lecture Theatre, telecommunication mast, the Isolation Centre, electrical and solar installations, the Vice Chancellor’s office as well as the male and females hostels among others.
Obi said that the windstorm was coming at a time when the University has yet to recover from the destruction of its facilities by hoodlums who hijacked the #Endsars protest on October 24, 2020 in Calabar.
The Registrar of the University, Gabriel Egbe, who was also on the inspection tour, appealed to relevant government agencies to come in and assist the University in the area of projects intervention.
The Student Union President of the University, James Ugah, also appealed to the Federal Government and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to urgently intervene, especially in the hostel with a view to replace the damaged facilities.
Kaduna University Management Confirms Upward Review Of Tuition Fees
The Management of the Kaduna State University has confirmed the upward review of its tuition fees but said consultations are ongoing with stakeholders.
The management made the confirmation in a statement made available to journalists in Kaduna by the university’s Public Relation Officer, Adamu Bargo.
Bargo explained that the upward review was due to the present reality and efforts to improve the standard of learning adding that the decision was also to enhance development in the university.
The PRO said that available record showed that N400 million was being spent monthly and N4.8 billion annually by the Kaduna State Government on payment of the university’s staff salaries.
He said that N25 million was also being spent as overhead monthly, while the university generates only N765.9 million as internally generated revenue annually.
He further stated that in 2020, N10 billion was allocated to the university meant for the execution of capital projects, but N5 billion was spent on overhead and personnel cost.
Bargo explained that the upward review of the tuition fees was a difficult decision based on the reality of the present time and that the university hopes to improve the quality of teaching and research activities as well as create more conducive atmosphere of learning for staff and students.
In the meantime, students have rejected the increase.
A medical student, Abdulrazak Shuaibu, who spoke on behalf of the students, said the tuition fees were increased from N26,000 to N150,000 for students in Faculty of Arts, Management and Social Sciences.
Shuaibu who is a former President of Kaduna State Students Union, added that students in the Faculty of Medicine from the state would now pay N300,000 as against N24,000 while non-indigenes will pay N500,000.
