Education

Nigerians Need Mental Restructuring Before Any Other Restructuring- Catholic Bishop

Published

3 years ago

July 15, 2021

By Our Correspondent, Bauchi

Bishop Hilary Dachelem, the Catholic Bishop, Bauchi and Gombe Dioceses, on Wednesday, said that Nigerians needed a mental restructuring before any other restructuring in the country.

The Bishop made the comment in Bauchi shortly after the 2021 intra-school debate competition which took place at Immaculate Conception Secondary School, Bauchi with the motion: ‘This House believes that Nigeria should be Restructured’.

Dachelem, who was impressed by the debaters’ prowess of presentation of their motions throughout the debate, reiterated that restructuring of the minds should be the priority of all and sundry.

“The students are awesome, they were able to make presentations from different perspectives and each of them has a lot to contribute in that matter.

“The arguments are logical, rational and epistemically validated but the issue is that the first thing we need is the restructuring of our minds.

“I keep saying it, our mindsets first. That mental restructuring, re-orientation, redirection and reorganization of our minds. That’s what we need first.

“However, the question is, can we give what we don’t have? Who is to do it, where and how. That is the question now.

“Based on the arguments they presented, you can not use an analogue solution for a digital situation, you can’t use an archaic solution for a contemporary situation and that’s the point,” said the Bishop.

He further observed that, “We are trying to put a round peck in a square hole and it can not work. Something must happen that is done differently to get a different result.

“This is because what we are passing through is not exactly the same variables that occurred previously. The variables have changed, the indices have changed, the permutations have changed and the solution must also change,” he said.

Also speaking, Alhaji Nuru Kobi, the state Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), said that the debate gave him the courage and confidence that Nigeria could be better.

The students of Immaculate Conception Secondary School, Bauchi, during the debate

He explained that watching the debaters presenting their views and motions, he felt that the Nigeria’ standard of education was still on course.

Represented by Mrs Mary Mangaji, Assistant Director, NOA, Bauchi, the director also said that the debaters’ arguments could proffer possible solutions to what the country needed.

“My observation so far from this debate is that it gives me courage and confidence that Nigeria can still be better and by their arguments, both sides are bringing solutions to what Nigeria needs.

“One group is arguing that Nigeria should be restructured, the other is saying that it should be the way it is. In all of their arguments, Nigeria can get the solutions we need to make a change.

“The way the students are speaking, they give me courage that the standard of education in Nigeria is still on a good and acceptable side and by their arguments, they will have the knowledge that they also have to do something to bring a change about this country,” he said.

The group supporting the motion ‘This House believes that Nigeria should be Restructured’ won the debate with 232 points while the group against the motion garnered 223 points.

Other debate motions during the intra-school debate include ‘Religious Pilgrimage is not the responsibility of the Nigeria Government’ where the group supporting the motion scored 250 points while the opposition group got 235.

Also in ‘This House believes that the Federal Government of Nigeria should lower the voting Age from 18years to 16years’ where the opposition group garnered 254 points as against the group supporting the motion which got 253 points.

The Overall Best Speaker in the 4th intra-School Parliamentary Debate Competition of the Immaculate Conception Secondary School was given to Valentina Datau.

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Education

How To Check 2023 WAEC Result On Your Phone Via SMS

Published

9 months ago

August 7, 2023

Editor

The West African Examinations Council, WAEC, has released the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examinations, WASSCE, results.

The Council stated that it was able to surmount challenges of insecurity, and cash policy among others, via technological innovation that saw over 91 percent of candidates’ results released 44 days after the examination ended.

WAEC’s Head of Nigeria Office, Mr. Patrick Areghan, said this at a briefing on Monday, at the body’s national office, Yaba, Lagos.

For the students who will be checking results, here are steps to follow.

Step 1: Type: WAECExaminationnumberPIN*Examyear through your phone (there should not be a space in between).

Step 2: Send to 32327.

Step 3: You will receive a message instantly containing your WAEC statement of result.

It should be noted that only MTN, Glo and Airtel subscribers can actually check their WAEC results using this SMS method.

Students can repeat the step if they do not receive your WAEC result via SMS, kindly repeat this step again.

SMS charges will be applied when checking your WASSCE result using text messages.

You will need to have purchased the WAEC Direct Scratch card in order to check your result via text message. The scratch card pin is what is needed in the PIN section of the SMS you will send to 32327.

Candidates who registered for the May/June examination can do also access their results through the portal of WAEC.

Education

BREAKING: 8 States Owing WAEC Won’t Have Candidates 2023 WASSCE Results

Published

9 months ago

August 7, 2023

Editor

Eight states owing the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, for various services rendered, will not have their candidates’ 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE results, released.

This was stated at a press briefing on Monday at Press Briefing Hall, WAEC national office, Yaba, where the body lamented that the inability to pay for services rendered was posing a great challenge in the activities of the examination body.

Responding to a statement on the number of States owing WAEC, the National Office of the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, Mr. Patrick Areghan noted that: About eight States are owing WAEC. We won’t mention them all as some are going to pay.

“However, Zamfara and Niger states are the highest debtors. Again Zamfara did not present any candidate for this year’s WASSCE.” Areghan noted.

Education

NANS Tackles ASUU Over Call For FUTO VC’s Resignation

Published

9 months ago

August 6, 2023

Editor

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has cautioned Academic Staff Union of Universities ,ASUU, over its call to the Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology Owerri, FUTO, Prof. Nnenna Oti, to resign.

It warned the university lecturers’ organisation to rescind from such ugly move or face the wrath of students.

The students’ body which noted that the FUTO vice chancellor had not done anything wrong to deserve such call, accused ASUU of being responsible for instability in the nation’s universities.

Recall that members of ASUU, Owerri zone, had last Friday, demanded the immediate resignation of the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri, Prof. Nnenna Oti, over alleged corrupt practices and anti-union activities.

ASUU, through its Zonal Coordinator, Dennis Aribodor, at press conference in Awka, Anambra State capital,demanded immediate resignation of the FUTO Vice Chancellor.

The union is composed of members from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State University, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umuahia and Nnamdi Azikiwe University,Awka.

But reacting to ASUU demand while addressing the media, Sunday evening, in Abuja, NANS’ Vice President,Comrade Ezenagu Victor, while noting that ASUU had long deviated from its core mandate,called on the federal government to proscribe the union.

He said: “It has become expedient to address the unbecoming attitude of the leadership of Academic Staff Union of Universities. The latest of which is the provocative call by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU,zonal leaders for the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology,Owerri,to resign her position over alleged corruption.

“We feel concerned to react to the ASUU demand because the Vice Chancellor of FUTO, Prof. Nnena Oti, is a mentor to many of us, particularly, our female folks. We were shocked when we read about the ASUU demand in most national dailies about the woman who has personified integrity, honesty and transparency. Sequel to this, NANS has been able to carry out investigation by interacting with both students and staff of the institution”.

“Although we were not able to have any discussion with members of FUTO Management as they said part of the issue we wanted to inquire of was already in court. Our finding has shown that the allegations against the vice chancellor were not only unfounded, but also malicious and wicked. Testimonial evidences garnered by NANS points to the fact that the action of the ASUU leaders is a mere political vendetta.”

NANS claimed that the alleged attack on Prof. Nnenna was because of her gender, as well as transparency in the discharge of her duties as Vice Chancellor.

“Those who lost to her during the vice chancellorship contest as well as those who could not use her to achieve their ungodly aims during the national assignment have resulted to using ASUU to grind their axe with her, thus making the university ungovernable,” he alleged.

He spoke further: “We, the National Association of Nigerian Students, wish to draw the attention of ASUU in particular and the public in general, that those fighting the Vice Chancellor of FUTO by proxy are obviously threatening peace and tranquility in the university.

“We are already informed that the disturbance is aimed at causing industrial action at the university so as to bring her to disrepute at the expense of students’ learning. It should be well noted that all industrial disputes have major side effects on students who suffer untold hardship during and after such disputes.”

Some of the effects,he mentioned,include waste of students’ precious time, amounting to the students spending longer years in the university and waste of resources, as student end up paying more school fees.
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