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Uwakmfon Unwana Jacob, a senior secondary school one (SSS1) student, is the most recent Nigerian child to cheer up Nigerians after photographs of his medals from math competitions around the world appeared on social media on Thursday.
His school, Graceland Secondary School in Port Harcourt, Rivers States, uploaded images of him on Facebook, and this attracted the attention of Nigerians, who showered him with compliments and congratulations.
The piece was labelled “The Chronicles of a Global Mathematics Champion” by the school.
Jacob is shown with a series of medals around his neck in the photo, having won various mathematics competitions in countries like the United States, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, and South Africa.
The Pan-African Mathematics Olympiad (PAMO), Gold Medal in 2019, Silver Medal in 2020, Silver Medal and 3rd in Nigeria (2021 Spring), and Gold Medal and 2nd in Nigeria (2021 Fall) under American Mathematics Competition are among the awards Jacob has received to become a mathematics champion (AMC).
In the South African Mathematics Olympiad, he also received a silver medal (International 2020), a gold medal (National 2020), and a gold medal (National 2021). He also bagged Silver Honor Award (2020), Silver Honor Award (2021) and National Award (Best in Nigeria 2021) for International Youth Maths Challenge, IYMC, (Europe).
Jacob also won the Most Inspired Science and Engineering Foundation (MISE), Ghana-MIT, USA, Overall Best Student Award (2022) and the Distinguished Honourable Mention Award (2022) at the Stamford Mathematics Tournament in the United States.
Amazed by Jacob’s feats, Nigerians have started sending accolades on social media. A couple of them from Facebook are shown below:
Congratulations, David Iyenyorochi Obi congratulated. Let’s honour Uwakmfon Unwana Jacob, a math guru. You might be asking why Master Uwakmfon Unwana Jacob has so many medals merely on his neck, but he has already established himself as an international mathematics champion in just two and a half years (JSS2-SSS1).
“Whenever I come across excellence, I celebrate it. Let’s honour Uwakmfon Unwana Jacob, a math prodigy, Perekeme Odon stated.
Ajogbeje Oke Meet Master Uwakmfon Unwana Jacob, a son of Akwa Ibom, shouted James. He won the America Mathematics Competition, the South African Mathematics Competition, the Canadian Mathematics Competition, the Pan African Mathematics Competition, the Ghana Mathematics Competition, MIT, the Indonesia Mathematics Competition, the Stanford Mathematics Competition, and other competitions in the span of two and a half years (JSS2-SSS1).
“Champion in IYMC, Intercontinental, and many other competitions that cannot be listed here because he won 20 medals in different mathematics competitions around the world.
He is currently travelling to Ghana for a research programme and was accepted into the World Science Scholars programme by Prof. Brainne Greene, a well-known expert in superstring theory. Congratulations and continuing reaching new heights, Uwakmfon Unwana.
Meet Uwakmfon Unwana Jacob, who just won numerous medals at international mathematics competitions, Anuka Ike Justice added.
The African Secretariat of the International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF), has set aside 10th day of June, 2022 to host two prominent writers, Onyekachi Peter Onuoha and Prince Nengi Josef Owei-ilagha. They will be speaking on the Role of Literature in Human Rights.
A statement issued by the Convener of the event, Wole Adedoyin said the event would take place via WhatsApp by 8:00PM.
According to the statement, “The work of literature has been instrumental since at least the early modern era in shaping the notions of human personhood, good life, moral responsibility etc.”
“The field of human rights and literature has expanded in the last five decades. The idea of human rights is not new. But the importance of taking rights seriously has never been more urgent. Literature has real power to further human rights education. Stories, memoirs and picture books are great resources to help personalize human rights that may otherwise seem abstract.”
“This Webinar will examine the role of Literature in Human Rights. It will also provide answers to how have human rights concerns shaped the literary marketplace and how can literature impact human rights concerns?”
PROFILES OF OUR GUEST SPEAKERS
ONYEKACHI PETER ONUOHA
Onyekachi Peter Onuoha is a writer and a critic. He teaches African Digital Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Calabar. He is a recipient of Volkswagen Foundation Scholarship on Digital Humanities, 2018. He presented the Keynote Address for Festival Poetry 2019 titled “Poets in the Digital Age: Bytes and Heights.” He has also won the award of “Special Recognition” by Street Priests for his literary contributions to street children in his book Earth Corners, 2020. He is a Fellow of IFRA-Nigeria & Ife Institute of Advanced Studies 2021 respectively. He was one of the top ten for the James Currey Prize for African Literature 2021. Winner of Academy Press Chap Book Contest 2021. He has contributed book chapters and scholarly articles to national and international journals. He is widely published with the following titles: Idara, Moonlight Lady (Kraftbooks, 2012), My Father Lied, The Scream of Ola (Kraftbooks, 2013), Ijeuwa (Authorhouse UK, 2015), Identity, The Fears of Mama (Kraftbooks 2015) The Heresy of Gossip, Aluta Struggles (Celbestbooks, 2011), Smell (AMABooks, 2017) Earth Corners (Kraftbooks, 2019), African Digital Prose (EbonyBooks 2020), Practical Approaches to Creative Writing (Celbestbooks, 2020), Women in Continue Punning Men-boys (Celbestbooks 2021), among others.
PRINCE NENGI JOSEF OWEI-ILAGHA
Prince Nengi Josef Owei-ilagha, fondly called Pope Pen The First, has worked as a journalist, broadcaster and public relations personnel. Born in Nembe, Bayelsa State, he read English & Literary Studies at the University of Port Harcourt.
A one-time editor of The Tide On Sunday in Port Harcourt, he was a Speech Writer and Special Adviser on Research & Documentation to the Governor of Bayelsa State. He served the governments of Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and Dr Goodluck Jonathan for seven consecutive years. He was also General Manager of the Bayelsa State Newspaper Corporation, publishers of New Waves.
Mantids, his first collection of poems, won the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, poetry prize in 1995. He was the pioneer Chairman of ANA, Bayelsa State chapter. He has published a number of books, including A Birthday Delight, short stories, and I Want To Be A Senator, a collection of essays on the state of the nation. His book of poems, January Gestures, the first of twelve books of poetry under construction, was among the nine contenders for the controversial 2009 NLNG-sponsored Nigeria Prize for Literature.
Pope Pen is also the author of Sand House & Bones, Royal Mail, Thirty Pieces of Sylva, The Militant Writes Back, Epistles To The President, Epistles To The Small Brave City-State, Big Daddy, Free At Last, Sermons From The Oxbow Lake, and The Last Days Of Gabriel Okara. He is also the author of the trilogy People, More People, and More & More People.
He is the publisher of Coastline News Network, a news magazine with a trained focus on the Niger Delta, and currently serves as Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Maritime University, Delta State.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Ife Book Club, a literary organization based in Ile Ile, Osun State has set aside May 25th, 2022 to host a certified digital marketer, Nwaokolo Stephen Awele and a creative writer, Iwu Jeff. They will be lecturing on Digital Book Marketing and germane issues bordering Nigerian Literature.
A statement issued by the Coordinator of the Club, Misturah Shittu said the event would take place via WhatsApp by 8:00 PM.
According to the statement, Ife Digital Book Marketing and Creative Writing Webinar is a day event designed for writers and freelance publishers who are new to Digital Book Marketing and to give intending participants a real digital book marketing experience.
The Webinar offers the opportunity to learn from a faculty of certified Digital Marketer and an award-winning author, and to meet fellow writers/publishers who share common interests.
PROFILES OF OUR GUEST INSTRUCTORS
*NWAOKOLO STEPHEN AWELE *
Nwaokolo Stephen Awele is a certified digital marketer and voice over artist. He has worked in the independent and commercial sectors of the audio industry.
IWU JEFF
Iwu Jeff is a creative writer who writes the three genres of literature and a teacher of English and Literature-in-English, with a Nigerian Certificate in Education and Bachelor of Arts Education (B.A Ed), both in English from Federal College of Education, Kontagora and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, respectively. He presently lives and writes from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he studies for a Master’s degree in the department of English and Literary studies. His works have been published in different local and international anthologies and magazines, and few have garnered awards.
He is the author of the critically acclaimed play, Verdict of the gods, and the novel, Files of the Heart (Winner of WRR Publishers Green Author Prize, 2017). His play, The Consignment, was published by The Shallow Tales Review.
In the June edition of The Year of the Poet Anthology 2019, he was featured as one of the global poets by Inner Child Press, USA and the same year appointed the editor-in-chief of The Ogene Magazine (a publication of Igbo Student’s Association, FCE, Kontagora, Niger state). He is also the fiction and non-fiction editor of Poemify online Magazine.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The decline in government funding of higher education, the economic downturn, the long decades of unforgivable neglect, along with rapidly rising costs of the different services and products that universities have to provide, have led to steady increases in student and parents outlays over the last two or three decades. There are no indications that costs will go down, neither are there signals that one day university education will be free – as called for by many segments of the society. All institutions should consider a number of factors to determine the students’ full cost of study. According to some studies, the major cost drivers are academic and administrative salaries, the rise in the costs of municipal services, including electricity, water, the cost of powering laboratories, libraries and other teaching and learning amenities, and maintenance of infrastructure. The impact of rising costs has also been felt from the naira-dollar exchange rates on the cost of library holdings, as a result of most books and materials for libraries being bought from dollar-denominated countries. In Nigeria and many other African countries, higher education is recognised as a public good and is therefore, expectedly and understandably highly subsidised by the state. However, increases in student fees have had adverse consequences on students’ ability to access higher education. While Nigerians find higher education in the country expensive, the cost of university education is comparatively low compared with international institutions. Viewed in dollar terms and the fallen Naira value, Nigeria’s degrees will be perceived as much cheaper in comparison. There is no doubt that universities are very expensive to run, especially in developing countries such as Nigeria. In most cases, close to 65% of costs are associated with highly qualified and experienced staff, while a further major cost is the provision and maintenance of the university’s domain. Costs also include a wide range of support services such as libraries, laboratories, transport, security, counselling and healthcare services, in addition to the cross-subsidisation of financially disadvantaged students, i.e. university-funded scholarships. I grew up in the 60s and 70s. I went to four secondary schools in the old Western Nigeria where the standard of education was so high, no matter where the location of the school, urban or rural. I ended up with a good School leaving certificate result that enabled me to, and got an opportunity to go to the University of Ibadan, through passing the entrance “Preliminary” examination, thereby bypassing the old Advanced Level certificate, where I got both an undergraduate degree, and many other unquantifiable skills, experience, abilities and most importantly, a very sophisticated outlook in life, dignity in labour and an expansive view of the world. On the way, I received students’ loans, grants and state bursaries, and now I can hardly say I was disenfranchised, but I used what freedom this great country gave me: an opportunity. Jon West, “If You Think Education is Expensive…”, This Day, 5th March 2016, write, “With the advent of the military regimes that( mis?)ruled Nigeria from 1966 – 1999, there was a great onslaught on education, knowledge and intellectualism in all facets of national life, due perhaps to the fact that, unlike in other parts of the world, African armies were recruited by the colonialists as internal oppressors of their own people, and what better oppressor is an illiterate or poorly educated person in command of the educated. Officers and other ranks were recruited from the pool of the illiterate and antagonistic ethnicities, in a divide and rule process that ensured the pacification of educated and nationalistic agitators for political and economic Independence. The most horrendous products of this colonial agenda were Idi Amin of Uganda and Jean-Bedel Bokassa of the short-lived Central African Empire”. We are still living victims of the above, and we seem to be still entrapped and unable to escape. In fact, Nigeria and some West Africans were a bit fortunate to be spared totally from Jon West’s account. This now brings me to my initial lines of thought. I have always been one of those who criticise the high fees charged by private universities in Nigeria, especially the ones owned by the Pentecostal and other religious organisations. But another look at this convinced me they are not entirely wrong. Most of the criticism directed at them had been that the members of the congregation, who actually funded the universities through tithes, contributions, Sunday collections, etc., are usually the ones who cannot afford to send their own children to these schools, supposedly owned by them. Another is that the heads of those churches are exploiting the congregation in the process, diverting funds to themselves. While I agree with the two evidences above, the fact remains that establishing and maintaining those universities were always not going to be cheap. When I attended university in Nigeria, there were only about six universities, all owned and 100% funded by the Federal Government (University of Ibadan; University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University; University of Lagos; Ahmadu Bello University; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; University of Benin; these were later joined by converting University of Ibadan, Jos campus to University of Jos; Universities of Ilorin, Port Harcourt, Maiduguri, Sokoto, and Calabar and Ado Bayero University). These universities were established and built when Nigeria was still “good”, most of them immediately after Independence and during the oil boom era; the people who established them were committed and sincere Nigerians; money was available and international cooperation and collaboration was easily sought and available; and Nigeria was not as corrupt and degenerate as we have now. – things were done at almost 90% altruism. Then with the creation of more states in Nigeria, come the proliferation of state-owned universities, which, because of our innate political immaturity, often fall victim of discontinuity of government, even during the military tenures. A new governor comes in, jealous of his predecessor, and refuses to continue funding of the state-owned universities and other institutions. So, when the Federal Government decided to liberalise the education sector (and with some entirely selfish reasons, because those in government who were supposed to facilitate our educational progress, were in fact the ones, who after looting the treasury, now started establishing their own private universities. What an irony!), the churches and other religious organisations started their own venture into the education, or rather, tertiary education sector. Ordinarily, this would have been greatly commendable. In fact, it is still commendable, as they are complementing the efforts of the federal and state governments in the education sector; but, being Nigerians, their motives have not been entirely holistic or altruistic. It has been full of hypocrisy and self-promotion. However, as I mentioned above, I have now tended to be a bit sympathetic to their situation. Establishing and maintaining an institution of higher learning (and in fact even primary and secondary schools – ask the mushrooming private operators who have capitalised on government indifference, neglect and lack of focus and vision) in Nigeria is not cheap, and is no mean task. Even the conditions they have to meet before they are granted the licence to establish are usually very daunting. This is evidenced by empty acquired lands going nowhere, university buildings that look more like secondary school classrooms, lack of teaching and library resources, infrastructural problems, lack of IT facilities, and inability to maintain standards for some of them, resulting in the Nigeria Universities Commission coming down hard on several of them and refusing to accredit courses, departments and faculties, thereby leaving many students in limbo. The Federal Government universities are still highly subsidised to the point that it is ridiculous, and with the downturn in the economy without recourse to oil income, the government might soon have to reconsider its level of subsidisation of tertiary university in Nigeria. The same goes for state universities and other tertiary institutions; these are even finding it difficult to pay staff salaries, so how do they want to equip classrooms, libraries, laboratories, and other services they are expected to provide as institutions of higher learning, which must be of world standard? So university education is not cheap, and these Pentecostal and other religious operators must be spared some criticism and flagellation. However, one would have suggested that the way out for them to avoid the scathing criticism that their own congregation are not able to afford sending their children to schools that were built with their money, is to give financial concessions to them in terms of reducing fees for members. But I shudder to think of the abuse that will follow, knowing my country-men and women. That is when pastors and imams will start making more money by falsely attesting that non-members are members; and people will start flooding the already-full churches just to get their children into these schools. A Catch-22 situation, if you ask me, but a solution, or at least, a compromise, must be found. Some of these private Pentecostal universities are of very high standard. High standard means a lot of investment and funding, and must always be maintained because of competition and world recognition. I personally will not send my child to a university that the world academic community does not recognise, as I would not send him/her to a university where they come out more illiterate than literate. The corruption in Nigeria is not helping either. With the examination bodies, e.g. WAEC, NECO, JAMB, UTME and whatever names they call themselves all ridden with corruption; the universities engaged in scams, e.g. selling 30,000 forms for only 3000 places, hence university lecturers and non-academic staff involved in all sorts of bribery; parents cutting corners by paying someone else to write exams for their children and offering bribes to get their children in by all means even if those children have not met the minimum or cut-off marks; thereby, all denying legitimate and more hard-working and successful candidates the opportunities that should rightly go to them first. Finally, like Jon West cited, “If you think education is expensive, why don’t you try ignorance”. For me and many other Nigerians, I know the value of good education. Both my parents were great educationists in Nigeria, and I know what they imparted to me and my siblings, and indeed, to thousands of students who passed under them. Those were those days, but I still cherish the legacy and I have passed them on to my children with the prayers and advice that they need to pass it on to their children too.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Lagos State, Mr. Cyril Akhanameh yesterday, said 45 corps members, who absconded during their service year will repeat the service.
He said: “45 corps members will repeat their service year due to physical absence from their places of primary assignments.”
According to him, ”’Many of the corps members left their places of primary assignments for over three months without permission, adding that when queried, they could not give any genuine reason for being absent.”
“The level of their punishments, he noted, will be determined by the level of their offences, stating that many of them will repeat, serve for three or four months in any part of the states that NYSC Authorities will choose.”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Stakeholders of the various Oil and Gas Industry Scholarship Schemes have been called upon to adopt the use of automated technology as a solution to the problem of awarding multiple Oil and Gas scholarships to a single beneficiary.
Managing Director, Dragnet Solutions Limited, Robert Ikazoboh gave the advice during the “One Awardee, One Award” roundtable discussion organized by the firm for the International Oil Companies (IOC) operating in Nigeria. The event which was recently held in Lagos had in attendance representatives from the various concerned IOCs such as Mobile, Chevron, NAOIC/AGIP, NLNG as well as NAPIMS.
In his keynote presentation titled “One Awardee, One Award”, Ikazoboh bemoaned the popular practice among students where an undergraduate is a beneficiary of multiple scholarships from either the same or similar IOCs scheme, an act which he condemned and described as a “theft of opportunities’. He also noted that if left unchecked, it could give rise to other forms of malpractices.
According to him, a multiple awardee of Oil and Gas Industry based scholarships deprives a countless number of indigent undergraduates who are in dire need of such sponsorship, an equal opportunity to be beneficiaries thus, defeating the intended purpose for the establishment of the scheme by the IOCs.
The Dragnet boss identified the inefficiency of the manual processing method deployed in the verification of candidates’ profiles, absence of a sensitization campaign and strict enforcement among others, as some of the factors responsible for the high prevalence of the act among awardees.
However, Dragnet Solutions-the leading Screening Solutions firm in Nigeria- in response to the need to find a lasting solution to the menace has taken the initiative and developed a centralized portal for scholarship and bursary management called Scholastisca.
The Scholastisca portal builds and stores the profiles of candidates applying to the various Oil and Gas Scholarship Schemes on a database through biometric technology thus ensuring that no candidate has multiple profiles. The hallmark of Scholastisca is that each candidate is given a unique Identification after thus ensuring that an awardee can only benefit from one Oil and Gas scholarship.
While acknowledging that the issue of multiple scholarship is a moral one, the various participants at the event who have at one time or the other been victims of the act, applauded Dragnet Solutions for its innovation which they believe would go a long way in tackling the issue and ensure that as many less privileged students benefit from their Corporate Social Responsibility activity for disadvantaged undergraduates. They however agreed that there is a need to work out the modalities of the proposed solution especially with NAPIMS.
In his closing remarks, Robert Ikazoboh thanked and appreciated the participants for their presence and support but hinted that the success of the initiative is dependent on the collaborative effort among the IOCs.
In a related development, Managing Director, Dragnet Solutions Ltd., Mr. Robert Ikazoboh has reiterated that national development can only be achieved through government’s investment in technology.
Speaking at a media parley recently held in Lagos, he commended the government for its effort so far expended in the deployment of technology towards the attainment of national development but noted that more still needs to be done in order to sustain the pace of development.
“First we must give kudos to the government of the day because the authorities seem to realize the importance of technology. For example, if we look at the National Identification Number (NIN) project being championed by the National Identification Management Commission (NIMC), it is largely technology driven because the process will rely on biometrics.
“And then we have the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board adopting the Computer Based Testing in the 2013 examination which is a first in its history. All of this is good but we believe that we can still do more because technology offers us so much,” he said.
Other areas, according to him, that the government needs to deploy technology for greater efficiency includes the education sector and the recruitment process of the public sector.
“Government should consider adopting E-recruitment especially in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). If we had deployed E-recruitment, we probably wouldn’t have had the recent controversies that trailed the recruitment process in MDAs. Dragnet Solutions has always maintained that the process is better, faster and most importantly, more credible than the manual mode of recruitment.” he said.
In the education sector, the Dragnet boss urged the government to adopt computer based testing in educational institutions across the country. “I’ve said it before that JAMB deserves commendation for adopting the CBT exams. But we shouldn’t just stop there. We are in the technology age and we must begin to familiarize our students with the concept of ICT. The best way to do this is to introduce CBT in our schools especially the secondary and tertiary institutions. Don’t forget that the process also has its advantages because it is more efficient and credible. With CBT, issues like mercenaries will be a thing of the past and it is going to reduce examination malpractice to the barest minimum,” he said.
Dragnet Solutions Limited is Nigeria’s leading people based screening and Computer Based Testing (CBT) solutions firm.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have threatened to stay off work over the Federal Government’s order to stop payment of salaries of teachers of University Demonstration Primary Schools (UDPS).
In registering their displeasure, hundreds of the union members, led by its National Vice-President, Eastern region, Leku Ador, staged a protest on Friday, June 26, at the University of Port Harcourt campus in Choba, Rivers State.
According to Ador, the union is reacting to a circular which directed Vice-Chancellors of federal universities to stop accommodating UDPS teachers in universities emolument structure.
“Recently, we received a circular from the Federal Ministry of Education with intent to disengage from the funding of UDPS in the country.
“National Salaries and Wages Commission together with the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) and the Ministry of Education were part of our negotiation in SSANU-Federal Government 2009 agreement.
“This agreement contained, among others, that government will continue to fund UDPS-Staff schools in our various federal universities,” he said.
He pointed that the result of the move will be a hike in school fees and sack of teachers as private operators of the schools might not retain them.
Ador added that university lecturers, other staff members and indigenes from host communities send their children and wards to the UDPS as its fees are affordable.
The lecturers queried why government would withdraw funding for the UDPS and not extend same to Command schools of the Navy, Army, Air Force and Unity Schools.
“Teachers in Demonstration Primary Schools have the same appointment letters like other staff in the university, and so, why would government single them out and leave others?
“Command schools which take far more funding from the Federal Government are not in that report which only points to marginalisation of our teachers.
“It will be wrong for government to reduce cost of governance by retrenching workers, especially when salary and allowance of one parliamentarian is equivalent to salaries of 100 teachers combined,” Ador said.
He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct Federal Ministry of Education to withdraw the circular as failure to do this will force the lecturers to go on indefinite strike.
“The industrial action which will be unprecedented, will not only affect students and the education sector, but will question President Buhari’s promise of creating employment for Nigerians,” the union VP said.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The Federal Government has constituted a committee to screen certificates obtained by Nigerian students who study abroad, says Professor Julius Okojie, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC).
Okojie made this known while fielding questions from journalists shortly after the presentation of licences to two new private universities on Thursday, May 7, in Abuja.
According to Okojie, the committee comprises members from the NUC and the Federal Ministry of Education.
"When they come for NYSC, they are referred to the Ministry of Education to look at the quality of their certificates.
"Recently, the ministry decided to set up a joint committee of NUC and the Federal Ministry of Education to look at the quality of those certificates; the committee has been set up but it has not been inaugurated.
"In Ukraine, where we have many of our students for instance, it is not that all the universities are bad; some are really good but it depends on which one.
"Some of our students who attended universities in Ukraine pass through the UK and get a second degree; in some countries, you can buy a certificate in the airport.’’
He said that mere knowing that a foreign university is approved is not enough, as the programme pursued by a student might not be approved.
The NUC boss had earlier expressed concern over the quality of universities Nigerian students attend in the West African sub-region, especially in Ghana.
The universities that got provisional licences are Edwin Clark University, Kaigbodo, Delta State, and Hezekiah University, Umudi, Imo State.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The graduating students, who were from the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, were for the 2013/2014 academic session.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Eno James, said at the occasion, that the 40 students were found worthy in character and learning over four years of study. He urged the graduands to be good ambassadors of the institution.
“As our pioneer graduands, who have been found worthy in character and learning, we expect you to exhibit exemplary virtue which will distinguish you from the larger society,” he said.
NAN reports that 25 male and 15 female students were the pioneer graduates from the institution.
“This maiden convocation consummates our yearning to own State University and places Akwa Ibom at par with its counterparts. This is just the beginning. I am proud to be the vice chancellor who is graduating the first set of students of Akwa Ibom State University,” James said.
He also said the National Universities Commission (NUC) had accredited 12 degree programmes in the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences in the institution.
“In the first outing in 2014, the university successfully secured 100 per cent full accreditation for all the 12 degree programmes as approved by NUC,” he said.
He, however, lamented that the institution lacks hostel accommodation for students. The vice chancellor commended Gov. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom for approving a capital grant of N2 billion for the university to upgrades its facilities.
According to him, N1.5 billion of this amount had already been released and work is on to complete ongoing projects. Earlier, the Chancellor of the university and Emir of Kazaure, Alhaji Najib Adamu, had stressed the importance of education.
He implored the university to deliver excellent and sustainable education to deserving youths in order to produce self employed graduands. The chancellor also thanked the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sunday Peters, for his tremendous contribution in nurturing the university. Also speaking, Mr A. S Udofia, Pro-Chancellor of the institution, said that the university was in partnership with the state government to achieve rapid growth targets. Udofia who is also the Chairman of the Governing Council , promised a holistic and conducive learning environment for the students.
“This target shall be vigorously pursued during the tenure of this council with the help and support of all our esteemed stakeholders,” he said. NAN reports that the university produced two First Class graduates. Ibekwe Emmanu who read Physics had a CGPA of 4.69 while Sandy Yellow who studied Genetics and Biotechnology had CGPA of 4.68.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Isidoros Karderinis comments on emigration in new novel – Dramatic events give rise to emigration in ‘The Damned’
ATHENS, Greece – The new dramatic novel from author Isidoros Karderinis, “The Damned” (published by AuthorHouse), depicts the life of an Afghan family forced by socio-economic circumstances to leave their native country and live out their days in Greece.
Ali Mohamedi is born and grows up in extreme poverty and misery, a reality that continues after his wedding. Readers are introduced to Ali while he is living with his wife, Zaira, and their four children in Kabul, Afghanistan. A series of dramatic events, starting with the illness of his youngest child, seals the damned family’s fate leading them to migrate to Greece.
“Emigration in our days has acquired enormous dimensions,” Karderinis says. “There is a continuous worldwide emigration phenomenon and my book describes the tragic conditions of lives of immigrants in our days.”
Karderinis hopes his book will help readers become aware of the poor, underprivileged and downtrodden people of different races, colors and religions living among them.
An excerpt from “The Damned”:
“Immediately the manager and Ali stood up and all together ran to the area where the accident happened. Many other workers had gathered there and they were trying to remove the bricks from the unlucky worker’s body. Ali, with the courage that characterized him, rushed directly to the battle for his rescue.
They had removed a big mass of bricks when they saw half of the body and the head of the unfortunate worker.”
“The Damned”
By Isidoros Karderinis
Softcover | 5 x 8 in | 362 pages | ISBN 9781496945914
E-Book | 362 pages | ISBN 9781496945907
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Isidoros Karderinis was born in Athens, Greece in 1967. He has a degree in economic science with postgraduate studies in tourist economy. His articles have been published in Greek economy magazines and he has published several books of poetry and two novels.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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