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Education: What We Want Tinubu To Do – NUT, NANS, NAPTAN, ASUP, CONUA

Published

3 years ago

March 12, 2023

Editor

With the declaration of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as the winner of the recent presidential election, various stakeholders in the education sector have expressed their views on what they expect from him.

This is not unexpected given the prime place of education in the development of a nation and the various challenges besetting the sector.

It is no news that Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world. The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, put the figure at over 20 million, while the federal government is saying it is about 13 million.

The incessant industrial actions by university teachers, and non-teaching staff, the poor state of facilities in schools, poor funding of the sector, among others are matters of concern to the stakeholders.

University lecturers’ desires

The National President of the Congress of University Academics, CONUA, Dr Niyi Sunmonu, said he expects better welfare packages for lecturers among others.

“What we earn now is not enough to take anybody home. There should be an improvement on that. Also, there should be policies that will ensure uninterrupted academic calendar.

“A situation whereby lecturers and university workers are forced to go on strike and thereby disrupting the system is not good. It doesn’t allow for collaboration with foreign lecturers.

“There is no doubt that the sector should be made better to attract foreign students and lecturers like we used to have in those days. Nigeria is losing out in the global education market. We can earn foreign exchange by attracting foreign students. All over the world, foreign students pay higher than indigenes and universities and even governments make money from that.

“We can attract foreign students when our schools are well-equipped and the standard is high. We already have the required manpower, it is only the facilities that we need to improve on. The new leader must not pay lip service to education. He cannot afford to pretend that all is well,” he stated.

Polytechnic lecturers

The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, Comrade Anderson Ezeibe, told Vanguard that there should be a change of attitude towards education by the incoming administration.

“The outgoing administration has not shown any good attitude to education at all. It is very unfortunate. Over two years was lost to strike by tertiary institutions in the country.

“The level of funding was also poor. The attention given to education must improve. We don’t want any lip service paid to the sector. The issues are in the public domain and properly documented. The incoming administration must hit the ground running,” he said.

Parents’ expectation

Speaking for parents, the National President of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, opined that special focus must be placed on education.

“He should focus attention on education as it is the bedrock of the development of any country. Without quality education, other sectors such as health would suffer. We expect the new president to focus on education. The rot is too great to be ignored.

“We also expect a lasting solution to the issue of strikes by university teachers and workers. The issues involved must be resolved and no recurring of such again. Basic education must also not be neglected.

“It is the products from that level that go to tertiary institutions and once they are not good, there is little that can be done to remedy the situation at higher levels. Teachers must be motivated and infrastructure improved on.”

NUT’s position

The Secretary General of the Nigeria Union if Teachers, NUT, Dr Mike Ene, noted that any nation that hopes to be competitive globally should not toy with education and the welfare of teachers.

“If we want to move forward, we must take education serious. Budgetary allocations to the sector must be real and let there be massive recruitment of teachers . Teachers are the heart of the sector. Some states have not recruited teachers for about 10 years now. Public university workers must also be taken care of.

“We must guide against these recurring strikes by university workers and teachers. When they go on strike, like we had in the recent past, the negative effects of such strikes are felt many years after and they are not good for us as a nation.

“Also, every child must go to school. Education is a right of every citizen. It is the high illiteracy level in the country that makes some people to and kill without thinking twice.

“We also don’t expect the continuation of abduction and killing of teachers and students by miscreants. That is unknown to our society. Those behind that are people who want to discourage people from acquiring formal education,” NUT said.

NANS’ thought

The Southwest Coordinator of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Comrade Adejuwon Emmanuel Olatunji, expressed optimism that Tinubu would live up to expectations.

“Firstly, I would like to congratulate the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on his electoral victory. We want to say that he should prioritize the education sector as well as other sectors.

“We have seen and heard his antecedents and we believe he can do better than what we have now.

“It has always been a kind of anthem for politicians who are being elected into office to promise heaven on earth before election and later change once they attain power.

“But We believe in him and we want him to make a change in all sectors and the country as a whole.

“He should formulate policies that would make people comfortable, address unemployment and find ways whereby students graduating get jobs easily.

“He must also address the issue of strikes in schools.

“He should also make education affordable and reduce tuition fees in all institutions which will make our students to enjoy education the way people did in the olden days,” NANS added.

VANGUARD

News

Okpebholo Fires EDOGIS Managing Director

Published

2 hours ago

November 27, 2025

Editor

Managing Director of the Edo State Geographic Information Service (EDOGIS), Dr. Tony Ikpasajah has been sacked.

Ikpasajah was reportedly sacked over issues relating to revocation of a 13, 545 hectares of land belonging to Presco Plc in Ologbo, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of the state.

Government sources said the Governor was embarrassed that he was not properly briefed about the issues.

The source, who confirmed the sack, said Ikpasajah has been issued an official letter relieving him of his appointment.

On Wednesday, Edo State Government, in an advertorial invoked sections Sections 28 and 38 of the Constitution to revoke the Presco land.

Barely 24 hours later, Secretary to the Edo State Government, Musa Ikhilor, said Ikpasajah acted unilaterally, without authorisation, and in complete disregard for established procedures and the actual number of hectares intended for excision from PRESCO PLC’s total landholding.

The statement said a formal administrative review has been initiated to address the unauthorised actions of the former EDOGIS Managing Director and to strengthen internal controls to prevent future breaches.

News

Edo Govt, PDP Biker Over PRESCO’s Statutory Right Of Occupancy

Published

2 hours ago

November 27, 2025

Editor

The Edo State Government and the main opposition—Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday engaged in verbal war over PRESCO PLC’s Statutory Right of Occupancy, a parcel of land Governor Monday Okpebholo purported revoked and later reversed within 24 hours.

In an advertorial (public notice) published by two national dailies on Wednesday, 26th November, 2025, and signed by Governor Okpebholo with the titled: ‘Revocation of Statutory Rights of Occupancy Pursuant to Sections 28 and 38,’ the Edo State Government announced the revocation of a parcel of land belonging PRESCO PLC in Ologbo, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of the state.

But in a swift backtrack on Thursday, 27th November, 2025, the Edo State Government in another advertorial published by the same national dailies, and signed by Umar Ikhilor, Secretary to the State Government with the title: ‘Disclaimer on Public Notice Purportedly Revoking Statutory Rights of Occupancy of PRESCO PLC,’ the state government distanced itself from the public notice (advertorial).

Ikhilor, who said the publication did not “emanate from the Executive Governor of Edo State nor from any authorised organ of the state government, added: “The government has verified that the immediate past Managing Director of Edo State Geographic Information Service (EDOGIS), acted unilaterally, without authorisation, and in complete disregard for established procedures and the actual numbers of hectares intended for excision from PRESCO PLC’s landholding.” As at when the first public notice was published, The EDOGIS MD was still an appointee of Governor Okpebholo.

Reacting to the development in a statement, State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Daniel Osa-Ogbegie, described the revocation and counter-revocation, as shameful.

The State Publicity Secretary who said “Edo people are witnessing a government that does not know what it signs,” stressed “it does not understand what it announces, and cannot defend what it authorises.”

He added: “This, apparently, is not governance.It is a circus. A dangerous circus.”

Osa-Ogbegie, while noting that “PRESCO PLC is not just a company; it is the single largest agro-industrial investment in Edo State, a 34-year pillar employing thousands directly and indirectly,” said: “Edo people deserve honest answers. Instead, they got a contradictory drama that exposes the hollowness of this administration.”

Reacting to PDP’s statement, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, who described the PDP as crying than the bereaved.

Afegbua, while stating that “the release by the Secretary to the Edo State Government that captured the essential details of the Government’s position should suffice, especially the Constitutional dimensions,” however admitted that there was an initial mix-up.

He said: “There were initial mix-up on the issue under discourse, but the explanation by the Secretary to the State Governor, gave a constitutional rationale for the position taken by government concerning land in oil minerals areas and one had thought, that was self-explanatory to any reasonable and rational mind, but because comedians must always trivialise scenarios, the PDP will never disappoint in their vainglory.”

News

Edo: Foundation Puts Smile On Less Privileged Faces, Gives 100 Free Medical Surgery

Published

5 hours ago

November 27, 2025

Editor

Not less than a hundred less privileged patients on Wednesday in Benin benefited from a free medical surgery carried out by Dr. Paddy Emmanuel Foundation.

The surgical operations were carried out on ailments ranging from Fibroids, Hernia, Liponia breast lump and others.

Speaking, the founder and Edo State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Paddy Iyamu, said since the commencement of the free medical outreach in 2014, over 3000 persons have benefited in Edo and Delta.

Paddy, who said the programme was driven purely by compassion and not political motives, added: “Life is all about what you can give back to the people because you came with nothing and you go back with nothing. I have been giving back to society in the past 10 years to impact the people”, he said.

He stressed that many of the beneficiaries could not have afforded the cost of treatment on their own.

“This gesture is outside politics. We started as far back as 2014 and we have been doing it every year. Some persons who come for treatment tell you they have not had food to eat, not to talk of getting money, which sometimes runs into millions, to give to the doctor.

“The experience in the last 10 years has been fulfilling and impactful. I am happy to see burdens lifted off people.

“Life is vanity and when you are gone, you will be remembered for what you have done. I hope to continue till Jesus calls me.”

Director General of the foundation, Mr. Zion Oshiobugie, explained that while the first nine editions of the medical outreach were held in Delta State, the 10th edition marks the first time Edo residents were benefitting from the initiative.

Oshiobugie noted that the annual programme is fully funded by the founder, Dr. Paddy Iyamu, who dedicates his birthday every year to providing life-changing healthcare for indigent citizens.

According to him, “What he does is to mark his birthday on the 30th of November every year with the free surgeries which have benefitted 3,000 persons. He wants humanity to benefit from his birthday instead of just partying.

“So this programme, which takes place for one week every year, is borne out of love for humanity, which is in line with the motto of our foundation, ” Touching Lives”

“Every year, we partner with our surgeon, Dr. Benjamin Olowojebutu, who brings his team from Lagos. He has been one of our partners and he is a respected member of the Nigeria Medical Association.”

Partners and team lead of the medical personnel from Lagos, Dr. Benjamin Olowojebutu, expressed his commitment to the outreach, disclosing his personal calling to give back after surviving a ghastly motor accident years ago.

“I am here with 24 members of my team from Lagos. We perform fibroid surgeries which have allowed women to have their own children. We also perform hernia, lipoma, breast lump and other surgeries.

“Last week, we got a text that one of the women we operated on in 2020 now has three kids. That means this intervention is creating relief for our people.

“The focus is on the less privileged because when you do this, you give it to God. Each year we come back, people give testimonies of the good things that have happened to them.”

A 19-year-old Nelson Ehigie who benefited from the free medical operation, thanked the foundation for the free surgery.

“I’m very grateful to Dr. Paddy Foundation. My parents couldn’t afford the cost so we had to come here for the surgery. God bless Dr. Iyamu,” he said.