Monthly Archives: November 2013
Tragedy as Ondo Federal Lawmaker, Nomiye, slumps and dies
Another tragedy has hit the people of Ondo State, as the lawmaker representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Rafael Nomiye was yesterday night confirmed dead.
According to the source who spoke with DailyPost, the Ilaje man died at his residence in Abuja shortly after he arrived home from a function.
Nkwo Nelson: ASUP strike – the sheer neglect of Polytechnic education
It is a general knowledge that education is the bedrock of growth and development of any nation. Its role to overall national development cannot be overemphasized. In fact, it is a sinequanom for the achievement of sustainable cum significant magnitude of development in a country.
Technical education is a subsector of the educational sector which is designed to impart knowledge and necessary skills in order to provide competent and well-skilled manpower for industrial and technological development. It is structured to be technical, scientific, educational, practical, and research-oriented. Rapid increase in technological advancement around the globe has accentuated the indispensability of technical education. It is basically on this note that the then colonial masters established the polytechnics with the objective of training and provision of the manpower requirement for industrial and technological development and the execution of the nation’s development plan, goal and objectives.
Apparently, the managements of the polytechnics have been striving tirelessly for the achievement of the objective for the establishment of the institutions. Most federal and few other state polytechnics, through the infinitesimal amount they receive from the TETFund (Tertiary Education Trust Fund) as well as their IGR, has ensured the provision of the facilities and other equipments that will help to foster students’ practical knowledge and skills in order to inculcate the desired practical knowledge in them. In addition, most of these polytechnics drafted policies that will enable them maintain good academic standard, good examination conduct, effective lecture delivery pattern, setting up of monitoring group on both students and lecturers in order to combat corruption in the institutions. Their curriculum, as designed by the NBTE, is structured to impart appropriate and adequate knowledge to their students without being behind their university counterparts. This is made evident in the product of the polytechnics who find their way into the public service or the industries through exhibiting sui generis skills and contributing immensely to productivity.
Furthermore, significant comprehension of the dynamic realities of the labour markets prior to graduation is very pertinent as this will reduce wastages occurring as a result of incompetency and poor knowledge of the industry, increase efficiency of employee, make for easy adaptation and increase productivity. Therefore, the managements of the polytechnics incorporated in their scheme a compulsory twice Industrial Training (IT) programme for their students. A four-month IT after their ND1 and another one year IT at the conclusion of their national Diploma which will then serve as a mandatory prerequisite for their admission into Higher National Diploma (HND) programme. These IT programmes expose their students to a better understanding of the ever changing industrial environment (or the real world) as well as its intrinsic challenges and prepare them to fit into this world after their graduation.
Unfortunately, irrespective of the undisputable importance of this subsector of the educational sector to national development, polytechnic education has faced one major perennial challenge which has breed other challenges bedeviling its development. This major problem is the unmitigated neglect on the polytechnic education by both the government and private industries. This was made evident by government’s flippancy to developing the subsector as well as its inability to give attentions to issues affecting them (the polytechnics). It has concentrated its attention to the development of its only recognized institution in the country (the university) making polytechnics nothing but glorified secondary schools. This challenge has culminated to several other problems of which the interminable discrimination between HND holders (polytechnic graduates) and Bsc holders (university graduates) is the most disheartening. This issue has lingered since the inception of polytechnics in Nigeria. Myriads of articles have been written by concerned citizens to sensitize the government and the entire public on its adverse effect on economic development as well as the need to end it. Yet, nothing significant has been done to bring it to an end.
This appalling dichotomy is so open that it is exhibited by both public and private sector. In the public/civil service, career progression of HND holders is limited before they could get to the highest grade level even though they were found more competent than their Bsc counterparts. Specifically, promotion of HND holders stops at level 14 whereas Bsc holders continue to level 17. This makes it possible for a Bsc holder to be promoted above a HND holder who has spent 5 years or more before the Bsc holder was employed. So unfair! Other forms of discrimination meted against HND holders are in the areas of inequality in salary grade level and also in the security agencies where Bsc holders are commissioned whereas HND holders are non-commissioned.
As a result of this stigmatization against polytechnic graduates, polytechnics, therefore, do not give the psychological satisfaction of being a graduate or under-graduate. Consequently, hardly would you see a student seeking admission into high institution who applies to a polytechnic since he already have knowledge of the fact that he will be rated below his university counterparts. Admittedly tough, there are university graduates who are better than polytechnic graduates, yet, there are also polytechnic graduates who are far better than university graduates. Agreeably, then, polytechnic students are by no means academically or mentally inferior to their university counterparts. What then is the justification for the marginalization and disdainful treatment on polytechnic graduates and under-graduates?
In addition, polytechnic subsector has not gotten adequate funding from the government. According to Chibuzor Asomugha, ASUP National President, the government budgetary provision for the polytechnic sector are not only a deep reflection of the deep neglect of the sector but the embarrassing extent to which it has continued to misplace proprieties in the quest for technological development. In 2012 budget where over N400 billion was allocated to the entire education sector, Asomugha said that the government was biased in the allocation. According to him, federal polytechnics got N63.7 billion, representing 15.92 percent, while federal colleges of education got N42.5 billion which represented 10.62 percent. But federal universities got N188.4 billion representing 47.10 percent, an indication that the university sector alone received almost twice what was allocated to the polytechnics and colleges of education. What a shame!
Also, this flippancy and lack of commitment by the federal government on polytechnic education can be said to be the reason why ASUP strike has lingered. Recall that the Academic Staff Union of the Polytechnics (ASUP) embarked on an indefinite strike on the 29th of April, 2013 which lasted for 81days which paralyzed academic activities as well as disrupted academic calendar of the institutions. Interventions were made by the Joint Senate and House Committee on Education and several appeals were also made by other concerned bodies which lead to the suspension of the strike. The leaders of the union stated that the suspension was to enable the committee to liaise with relevant agencies and ministries with a view to tackling all issue contained in the unions demand within a time frame of one month. Unfortunately, FG and the committee did not fulfill their promise to the union after one month and they resumed their indefinite strike on the 4th of October, 2013. The demands of striking union, among others, are the need for the constitution of governing councils for the polytechnics, non-release of white paper on the visitation panels to federal government, commencement of NEEDS assessment of the polytechnic, continuous appointment of unqualified persons as rectors and provost by some state government, failure of government to implement the approved salary package(CONPCASS), 65-year retirement age for the members, the worrisome state of State owned polytechnics, the continued recognition of the National Board of Technical Education as the regulatory body of the Nigerian polytechnics as against the unions repeated call for the establishment of National Polytechnic Commission(NPC), the non commencement of the re-negotiation of the FGN/ASUP agreement as contained in the signed agreement, the snail speed on works on the amendment of the federal polytechnic Act/scheme of service and migration of the lower cadre to CONTISS salary scale. Every sagacious human being could believe that the agitations of this union is not based on selfishness but centered on the development of the polytechnic education. As a result of this strike action, students have been forced to stay at home jobless with their parents, frustrated and spend all their time gazing at the screen of their television and making their mobile phones their best companion. Some who cannot withstand the frustration fall victim to one social vice or the other.
At this juncture, I appeal to the federal and state government as well as other bodies concerned to bring this malignant disdainful treatment on polytechnic education to an end. Continuous stigmatization against polytechnic graduates will only under-develop the subsector and increase pressure on university admission process as no one would desire to attend polytechnics. Recognition, commitment and adequate funding of this subsector will foster its development. Also, taking into cognizance of the effect of this endless ASUP strike on the future of the students and the polytechnics, I therefore beseech federal government to fulfill their promise to the union in order for them to call of the strike so that students and lecturers could return to classes.
Finally, No meaningful national development could be achieved by any nation without sound and qualitative technical education as asserted by Patrick Ajunwa. The question now is, “how would our country develop and fit into the global trend of technological advancement when it has failed to develop the technical education?” I, therefore, implore federal government; develop our polytechnics to develop our nation.
Nkwo Nelson,
HND1, Federal Polytechnic Nekede,
Owerri, Imo State
ASUU strike: Suspend it in honour of Iyayi – UNIBEN Board chairman tells Union
As the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ NEC meeting gets underway, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Board of the University of Benin, Senator Bob Effiong, has appealed to the striking lecturers to go back to classrooms as a last respect to the late Professor Festus Iyayi who lost his life while struggling for the course of the Union.
Iyayi, a former Head of Business Administration Department of the University of Benin and former National President of ASUU was killed in an auto crash while on his way to attend ASUU National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Kano.
Effiong had expressed that the death of Iyayi was painful as he was unable to see to the end of what he was struggling to resolve; a strike he said had lasted for more than four months.
The Chairman had equally, in a condolence visit to Iyayi’s family yesterday called on the Union to institute an academic foundation in honour of Iyayi for his immeasurable contribution to the nation’s education sector.
“…it is expedient at this point for both the federal government and ASUU to come to an understanding in honour of this great patriot,” Effiong said .
The condolence message reads thus: “When we take into cognizance his immense contributions to ASUU in its quest to reposition Nigerian universities in the world and his role as a teacher and scholar, we know that the academia has lost a rare gem that would be difficult to replace.
“However, we want to console you to bear the loss with fortitude, resting in the knowledge that Professor Iyayi gave his life in the struggle to ensure a better and brighter future for the Nigerian child in terms of sound education.”
Labour Party postpones convention
The National Executive Council(NEC) of the Labour Party(LP) has postponed its Third National Convention which was formerly due to hold on December 19.
The party in a communiqué jointly signed by its National Chairman, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu and National Secretary, Alhaji Abdulkadir Salam, at the end of its 17th NEC session held in Akure, the Ondo state capital said “the NEC-in-session noted that it would be apt for the date of the National Convention to be extended by not more than nine months from December 19, when the third Convention would have been due.
This is based on the need to build a stronger and more virile Labour Party at all levels of its organisation.”
Kidnapped Sokoto businessman dies 11 days after release
Alhaji Abu Dankure, the Sokoto-based businessman who was kidnapped and released 11 days ago, is dead.
Dankure, aged 68, died at the Uthmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto at about 3 a.m. on Friday.
His elder brother, Alhaji Mamman Dangaladima told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the deceased was taken to the hospital at about 2 a.m after complaining of a heartache and died about an hour later.
Ballon d’Or: “I like Ronaldo, but I have my favourite” – Blatter
FIFA president Sepp Blatter, has once again stated that he admires Real Madrid forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, but prefers Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.
Blatter, 77, has been criticized in several quarters, for openly declaring his preference for Messi and mocked Ronaldo who “spends more time at the hairdresser”.
He apologised for his comments and praised Ronaldo’s talent, but he still made it clear that he prefers the Argentine.
“To me, he [Ronaldo] is still an outstanding player and an outstanding commander in the field,” he said. “But obviously each of us, in our heart, has our favourite.”
Dating Empress Njamah affected my life negatively —Timaya
Contorversial singer, Timaya has disclosed that his relationship with controversial actress, Empress Njamah had a negative effect on his life, Nigeriafilms reports.
You will recall that in 2009, the lovers broke up in a very bitter way.
In a recnt interview with Punch, Timaya said “you should not date somebody who already has a negative record. In my own case, it affected me at that time. I feel that a relationship should be between two people and not exposed to the rest of the world. Only a smart man is able to keep his relationship private.”
9ice will be getting married to the mother of his twins soon
Shortly after his marriage to ex-wife Toni Payne packed up in 2010, 9ice welcomed a set of twin daughters with another lady Vicki Gordis.
Nigerian Men are not romantic, they are too full of ego”- Ronke Oshodi
Reacting to the successful premiere of UNFORGIVABLE – a movie produced by Dayo Amusa - yoruba movie star Ronke Ojo lamented that Nigerian men are not real.
“They are mad people because normal people would not act like that. I say to people on a daily basis that I pity African women. Our men, especially the Yorubas, see their wives as slaves. You have to go out of your way to do everything.
They want you to be 110 percent submissive. I can’t really understand. Most married people are dying of lack of emotion and care from their men. Every woman wants to be in her husband`s hands enjoying love and care.
Nigerian men are just not real; they are wicked. You have a wife and you don’t show her love or care, but you’re buying her clothes; is it all about money? It’s really sad that African men are not romantic. They are too full of ego.” she said
He’s the best’ – Tania Omotayo showers praises on her man, Wizkid
Contrary to the reports that Wizkid is single again, his boo, Tania Omotayo has just disclosed that they are still very much together.
Taniawho is currently in London, shared of a photo of hers hours ago and there she showed off the new Rolex she got from Wizkid.
Aww, how nice!
We just love these two.
