News

Edo Government Meets Head Teachers, To Stop Mass Promotion

Published

2 years ago

May 24, 2023

The Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) on Tuesday engaged principals, head-teachers and other stakeholders in the education sector where it cautioned against mass promotion of school children who did not qualify to move to their next class.

The chairman of SUBEB, Mrs Ozavize Salami stated this during the engagement session in Benin City where she said the mass distribution of books to schools have started and that similar engagements were recently held in Edo north and central senatorial districts which she said it was to brief school leaders on the data on attendance, lesson completion rate and to intimate them on the implication on learning outcomes among students and school Key Performance Indicators (KPI).

According to her, “For primary schools, distribution of books started today. Every primary school will have their books. So we can say that in the next one week every school will have their books. One of the things we are going to do in the next term is by stopping mass promotions . Teachers must do everything to teach the students so that they will learn and pass their exams very well, to avoid mass promotion. The students that did not pass we can retrain them and make them learn more about the subjects,” she added.

According to her, “There is a global drive now to eliminate foundational literacy and we have a lot of supports from our international partners such as the world bank or Bill and Melinda Gates foundation through the accelerator program,” she said adding that the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) has grown enrolment of children into basic primary school to 374,000 in the last one year.

She said “There shouldn’t be any child that is not in school. Over the last one year, we have grown the enrolment of children in our EdoBEST program to 374,000 children. So, we do not have an out-of-school problem.

“But we know that even around the world, focus is not only being drawn to schooling. Are they learning in school? Are we equipping them with the skills that they need to have better life options?

“We have done the foundation of the EdoBEST program and we need to check whether the children are actually learning. In the last five years, attention has been paid to Key Performance Indicators, such as school leaders’ attendance, teacher attendance and pupil attendance but more focus will now be given to the quality of teaching and learning in our classrooms,” she added.

On his part, Nosa Erhahon, Education Secretary of Egor council commended the board for organizing the event, assuring that they will work assiduously to improve learning outcomes of children.

News

Shock As Adeleke Employs Roadside puff-puff Hawker As Govt House Chef

Published

15 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday shocked a female puff-puff seller during a rally in Osogbo by buying all her snacks with ₦50,000 and offering her employment as a chef at the Government House.

This happened when Osun public servants trooped out in their thousands in what they called an appreciation solidarity rally in support of the governor for his support and care since he took over state governance.

It was observed that the governor, who sat in the bus, had sighted the woman who was among the crowd cheering him.

He immediately beckoned to the woman carrying a plastic container filled with puff-puff on her head and asked how much it would cost to buy all the snacks.

The female hawker, who was visibly surprised and star-struck at the level of her proximity to the governor, found it difficult to even tell the governor how much she sold the snacks.

Surprisingly, Adeleke handed her a bundle of ₦50,000 to the cheers of the crowd.

The lucky woman knelt down in appreciation of the governor’s generosity.

Excited onlookers quickly rushed to share the snacks in the plastic already purchased by the governor.

The governor invited the vendor inside the vehicle where one of his officials questioned her academic background, and she revealed that she holds a Nigerian Certificate in Education.

Adeleke further asked about the dishes she could prepare and instructed his aides to take her contact details for employment as a chef in the Government House.

Confirming the development, the Commissioner II at the Osun State Civil Service Commission, Olaniyan Taofeek, shared the video on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “The moment Gov. Adeleke turned the life of a puff-puff seller into a Government House chef.”

A Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Media, Oni Gbenga Lawrence, also corroborated the incident in a post on X, stating: “Moment Governor Ademola Adeleke turned the life of a puff-puff seller to Government Chef… not only ₦50k but he invited her into his car and employed her as chef in the Government House.”

The Guardian correspondent, who was at the scene of the welcome rally, made efforts to interview the lucky vendor, but they did not yield as she was not allowed to alight from the bus throughout the event.
(The Guardian)

News

Katsina Govt Revokes Licenses Of All Private, Community Schools

Published

16 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

The Katsina State Government has withdrawn the operating licenses of all private and community schools in the state, with effect from August 13, 2025.

The announcement came through a circular issued by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and signed by Commissioner Hajiya Zainab Musa-Musawa.

The ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Malam Sani Danjuma, released the document in Katsina on Saturday.

According to the circular, the move is part of the government’s effort to strengthen quality assurance and standardization within the education sector.

“The withdrawal of licenses is aimed at ensuring that schools operate in line with approved standards and provide quality education to students,” Danjuma said.

The circular also outlined a review of fees for license application, registration, and annual renewal.

“Owners of affected schools are required to obtain fresh licenses by submitting proof of payment to the ministry on or before September 30, 2025.”

The statement also added that school operators have been warned not to increase tuition or other charges without government approval.

The ministry further promised to issue additional guidelines soon, including categorization of schools and the revised fee structure.

News

JUST IN: Oldest Missionary To Nigeria, Ruth Elton, Is Dead

Published

17 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

British-born Nigerian missionary, Ruth Elton, reputed to be the oldest missionary has passed on at the age of 91.

Ruth Elton, born 7 September 1933, was a British-born Nigerian missionary whose lifelong dedication to faith, healing, and revival left an indelible mark on communities across western and central Nigeria.

It was learnt that Elton died on Saturday at Sharon compound, Alafia Bamin Quarters in Ilesa, Osun State.

She was the only daughter of Pa Elton and her remains have been deposited at the mortuary.

Ruth Elton, daughter of Sydney Granville Elton (Pa Elton), who is referred to as one of the founding fathers of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, had approached a Kaduna court and nationalised as a Nigerian.

At old age and despite the happenings in Nigeria, she still held in high esteem her father’s prophecies that although Nigeria could be known globally for corruption, it would only for a while as new dawn would beckon when the country would be known worldwide for righteousness and prosperity.

Elton moved to Nigeria in 1937 with her parents and served as a Christian missionary across Egbe, Okene, Koton Karfe, and other parts of Kogi, Ondo, Oyo, and Osun States.

A naturalised Nigerian, having renounced her British citizenship in the 1970s, she embraced the country completely and became fluent in Ebira and Yoruba.

Elton, who remained single, believed that she had made a true mark in the country and apart from her missionary work, she saw her efforts in taming infant mortality, especially in Okene, Kogi State as a generational impact.

Relating her experience on infant mortality in the country, Elton recently noted that many newborn babies had passed on due to lack of proper care and hygiene, adding that the practice of force-feeding babies contributed to the challenges, especially in the face of poor awareness.