‘Ghana commits 31% of budget to education as against Nigeria’s 8%’

  

Abuja – The Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities has recommended necessary policy interventions to address the challenges of universities and other higher institutions in the country.

Prof. Michael Faborode, Secretary-General of the committee, said that the policy was necessary due to the challenges of weak governance structure and process in the Nigerian higher education sector.

“This has contributed to disruption of academic calendar owing to the constant bickering between the academic staff union, other staff unions, university management and government.

“This has also stunted the culture of robust debate and collaborative engagement and staff for a common vision, progress and among others,” he said.

Faborode said that the recommended policy was at a two-day meeting on Consultative Policy Dialogue on the Future and Relevance of Nigeria universities and other tertiary institutions entitled “Towards Higher Education Transformation”.

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ALL WE NEED IS JUSTICE: aggrieved UNIUYO students cry out

All we are saying, give us justice! This song has continued to resonate at the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) after the June 12 students’ protest turned bloody. It is no longer news that the university was shut down after protest that claimed the lives of three students.





Key offices in the varsity were razed by irate students, including the offices of the Vice Chancellor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), the Registrar, Finance and Accounts units, Exams and Records units, the destruction of some hard discs containing vital information in the Records Department and some vehicles belonging to the varsity.

Trouble started in the university following a peaceful protest by students to draw the attention of the Vice Chancellor, Prof Comfort Ekpo, on a new fare regime for Engineering and Science faculties students who shuttle from the Town Campus to the Main Campus of the university.

Unfortunately, the security aides on campus were instructed to call in the police and other security operatives to intervene to avoid breakdown of law and order. Some of the students told Campus Square that there was no provocation whatsoever that warranted the invitation of armed security men to the university.

According to them, since the protest was peaceful, the use of firearm was uncalled for. Students expressed shock that in virtually all universities in the country where protests took place, the police who are saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and property, ended up killing innocent civilians.

According to them, nothing would have prompted the burning down of the school buildings if three of the students had not been killed by the policemen in the process. Not long after the protest, anti-riot policemen were seen hounding students and civilians they could get hold of into their Hilux vans.

To fester the wounds, a reliable source at the Opps Department of the Police Headquaters, Uyo, told our reporter that some students had been charged to court and remanded in prison on charges of murder and arson. Those that were killed in the process were a secondary school boy who was returning from school and hit by a stray bullet, an asthmatic patient who was in her hostel and got affected by the tear-gas (she was the first to die) and lastly, Kingsley Udoette, a 200 level student of the Department of Zoology of the university.

Although details of the victims were unavailable, some students accused the police of raising false charges against the arraigned students, whom they charged for cultism. Another aggrieved student, who gave his name as Jonah, said,“We will not allow anybody to play with our lives.

They killed people at Mokola in the city of Ibadan, Oyo State, Benin, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Lagos and now Uyo through extra-judicial killings. The police need training and further enlightenment. How can you shoot in a populated university campus?

We shall resist any temptation to sweep the case under the carpet. We want justice.” “We the Nigerian students say enough is enough and we are bringing an end to this menace and incessant killing of our colleagues.” Recall that the crisis also led to the untimely death of five National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) leaders in an auto crash.

They were on their way to Uyo to mediate in the crisis when they met their tragic end. It is on record that the issues that precipitated the protest of June 12, 2013 in University of Uyo started long before the violence of that fateful day.

These issues include: Science students who were allocated to the permanent site of the university were directed to pay N200 daily while Engineering students pay N1000 per semester as transport fare (sheer injustice, bribery and corruption); increase of GST fees from N500 to N2000; proscription of summer programmes; payment of additional N2000 on the school fees after two weeks of resumption and taming of the union activities ranging from departments through faculties and the Students’ Union Government (SUG).

Other student groups told Campus Square that there would be no peace on campus until the university accedes to their demands. In a statement, they said, “Our stand is that not until justice is done and 45 of our mates who are now in prison custody are released, peace will not return to the University of Uyo.

In view of the on-going, we join the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), Akwa Ibom State branch to demand the following from the authorities: a full inquest into the entire saga; unconditional release of the 45 students and addressing our demands that led to the crisis. Without these, peace shall not return to the University of Uyo.” Etim is a 300 level student of University of Uyo.

Written by Etim David, University of Uyo. 

#childNotBride# SENATORS ARE OLODO'S , MUMU'S AND FOOLS- TONTO DIKEH SAYS

Following the controversies with regards to the underage marriage bill passed by the senate, alot of celebrities have come out to air their views.

First was actress Stella Damascus , who aired her views via a video which went viral, Monalisa Chinda who spoke via twitter and now Tonto Dikeh is airing hers in support of Stella via Facebook.



FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE FANS OF TONTO DIKEH here is an extra for you......(photo gallery of dikehs')
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Kogi state polytechnic (KSP) set to Re-Open July 29, Exam Starts 30th

Following the Kogi state government's intervention in the polytechnic crisis, the committee selected to look into the matter has resolved that school re-open by July 29th.

The meeting which was held around 2.40pm, July 23rd, declared that the first semester examination (which was about to hold before the crisis and subsequent shutdown of the school will kick-off on July 30th.

Students of the polytechnic are therefore hinted as to get ready for resumption soon. We will report any changes to the said date, if any. 

We won’t implement 2009 agreement with ASUU –FG , Minister

The hope of Nigerian students to go back to school following an early resolution of the issues that forced their teachers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to embark on strike may be forlorn after all.

This is because the Federal Government on Tuesday expressed reservations on the content of the agreement signed by government of late President Umaru Yar’Adua with the ASUU, saying it would not subscribe to its implementation without amending the contentious issues.

Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu, stated government’s position at a news briefing at the end of a meeting with members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja.

The Labour Minister insisted that it was wrong for anyone to blame the Jonathan administration for the impasse.

According to him, the agreements with ASUU “predate the present administration which has found it a bit challenging to succumb to the letters of the agreement forcing it to seek renegotiation.”
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UNIJOS post utme result out (details)

The 2013/2014 Post UTME screening of the University of Jos, which held at Unijos between the 15th and 20th of July 2013 have produced results. 

According to a message from the Corperate Information System (CIS) is a Department at Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Directorate University of Jos, the result is available for checking and at no cost.

How to check Unijos Post UTME Result
1. Visit http://mis.unijos.edu.ng/umescreening/.
2. Enter your JAMB registration number in the space provided, and click on "login".
3. Search your details and check your result.