Connect with us

News

Education To Gulp 30% Of 2024 Enugu Budget

Published

on

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has said his administration will spend 30 per cent of the 2024 state budget on educational sector.

Mba, who stated this on Saturday, in a keynote address at the 19th convocation ceremony of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Agbani, disclosed that education remains the state’s greatest weapon against poverty.

Advertisement

According to him, his administration is determined to ensure that the poorest child in the remotest parts of the State receives world-class education using tools of the 21st century.

Mbah, who is also a visitor to the university, said the most radical changes in education under his administration would take place in the area of basic education.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Enugu Governor, Mbah Wins In NYSC Certificate Forgery Case

Advertisement

He said, “In my view, education is probably our greatest weapon in our war against poverty in the medium to long run.

“It is for this reason that education is at the core of the strategy, which we envisage will see us boost our GDP from the current levels of about $4.4 billion to at least $30 billion by the end of 2031.

“This is why we have designed and are implementing a most revolutionary strategy to revamp the current educational system. This revamp will be extensive and exhaustive, ranging from the basic schools through secondary to tertiary institutions like ESUT.

Advertisement

“There will be changes not only in the curricula, but also in the models for delivering knowledge in our educational institutions. The most radical change will take place in our basic schools where our children spend the first nine years schooling.

READ ALSO: Gunmen Kidnap 9 Enugu-bound Passengers, Kill 2, Rob Others

“Therefore, in 2024, we will be spending close to 30 per cent of our state budget on education, well above the recommended international benchmark.”

Advertisement

The governor said his administration had completed the construction of one smart school, awarded contract for the construction of another nine, while 250 more would be constructed in less than 14 months to cover the entire 260 wards, adding that teachers for the pilot model school were already undergoing training by global experts.

“These smart schools will each be equipped with internet access, solar power, a centre for robotics and artificial intelligence, a modern ICT centre, two well-equipped laboratories for primary school and junior secondary school, a studio for creative production, 25 inclusive classrooms, with interactive digital whiteboard, android tablets for pupils’ use, among others”, he explained.

He commended the ESUT management for some steps already being taken to align with the government’s vision for tertiary education in the state.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: [BREAKING] Enugu Guber: Appeal Court Upholds Peter Mbah’s Election

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Alloysius-Michaels Okolie, commended Mbah for the laudable vision for education in the state and great support to ESUT since the governor’s assumption of office.

He said ESUT management was repositioning the institution in line with the governor’s educational vision and policies.

Advertisement

The convocation also saw the conferment of honorary doctorate degrees on some distinguished Nigerians, including the

Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Osagie Okunbor, Group Managing Director of Afrivest West Africa Ltd, Ike Chioke, the foremost estate developer, Surv Ugochukwu Chime, and recognitions and cash awards to outstanding student-led by the best-graduating student, Miss Barbara Ijeoma Ikeonyia.

Advertisement

News

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

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

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.

READ ALSO:Adeleke Flies To US For Davido’s Wedding

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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

READ ALSO:Tinubu Hosts Gov Adeleke, Deji Adeleke, Davido In Lagos

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.

Advertisement

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.”

READ ALSO:It’s Like He Came Back – Davido Discloses Son’s Resemblance To Late Ifeanyi Adeleke

Advertisement

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)

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Katsina Govt Revokes Licenses Of All Private, Community Schools

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

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

READ ALSO:JUST IN: Kastina Commissioner Assassinated

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

Advertisement

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.

READ ALSO:Katsina, UNDP To Return 270,000 IDPs To Ancestral Homes

Advertisement

“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.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

News

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

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

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.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Former Customs Comptroller-General, Ahmed Aliyu Mustapha, Is Dead

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Viral TV Judge Frank Caprio Is Dead

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending