Reason for low standard of tertiary education in Nigeria -Chancellor, Gregory University, Uturu,

By: HENRY UMAHI

Date:  Tue, 06/19/2012 - 21:16

Gregory University, Uturu (GUU), in Isuikwuato Local Government Area, of Abia State is an institution with lofty ideals. It aims to be the best in terms of structures and infrastructural facilities as well as the production of employable and employment- generating graduates, who can hold their own on the global stage. According to the Chancellor, Dr. Gregory Iyke Ibe, the institution is designed to address Nigeria’s manpower needs, especially in the area of science. Dr. Ibe also spoke to Daily Sun on other issues such as the standard of education in Nigeria. Excerpts:
Tell us the story of Gregory University, Uturu. What informed the decision to establish the school? When I did a World Bank group project for revamping the labs of 20 federal universities, I discovered that procurement is done by about 30 manufacturers of equipment. And from those manufacturers, they will just sell the equipment to you depending on which lot you won.
You take delivery of these equipment and dump it in the institution because you are for money making, nobody teaches the technology at the university or teaches the professors on how to use them, and that was why you saw a lot of cartons and a lot of suit cases of lab equipment and instructional materials in many institutions of higher learning. This is an identified problem. What we did was to have a tripartite arrangement. If you want to revamp any system, you must have the capability or the capacity to provide instructor, teaching aids and also to train the people on how to use it. These three things we combined in our development.
We have trained over 400 engineers in Nigeria, brought the experience to higher levels to use these kits. We are equipping 51 polytechnics today so that the era of accreditation problems in all the labs have gone. So, now we are moving to the actual usage of these equipment; using it for production activity. What happens in effect is that having gone to the private, states and federal universities to lecture, I started seeing that there is a problem in the system. That was how this university, Gregory University came on board.
What are those departments that this university will take up? If you are starting new, the NUC, which the regulatory body, have to watch you, they have to nurture you, they have to see that you mean well. I am operating the American system; the collegiate system because what I am doing here, in the next couple of months the VC is coming from the US. We have recruited and our deans of science are wonderful people who are holding important positions. We are getting support from Peace University in the United States from Michigan, we are also getting from Iowa, from Wisconsin.
A lot of universities we have approached us and in earlier time, we have made presentations to the black caucus in Harvard and to the president that they need to think about Africa. And if they fail to develop the right skills for Nigeria, which is the most populous nation, it will be difficult to really touch Africa. When they come here, we have to be the centre for every activity. So, I met them and everybody gave me guideline for them to be part of this university. From day one, we worked like the American system.
We are not going to do medicine. We are going to do the American system; before you study medicine in this university, you must have had your Bsc in biology or chemistry. Even our law programme, whenever we start, we are going to ensure that you already graduated before we take you in. We want to do the American system so that the people that are granting us linkages will believe in our cause.
The Brooke University, Canada is also talking with us. They want our third year students to go abroad, come to their university and also study. So, they will also get certification in Canada and here and their own children will be coming here on exchange programme.
That’s why we cannot force the regulatory body; they allowed us humanities, natural and applied sciences and social management. But key to it is that they allowed me the science for which I am a stronger authority in. I want to build the first centre for analytical discussion and study and presentation to the people of the world about every aspect of science development in Nigeria.
Why did you choose the American system of education instead of the British? Today, I know that the formation of the British system is no more what it used to be because you cannot get 50 percent of their children wanting to go to their universities. The system makes it easy for you to stop at secondary school and your life is made. So, maybe 60 to 70 percent of people schooling in Britain today are foreigners.
Quality education is becoming increasingly expensive in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world. Who do you think qualifies to come here? The first is quality education. It is something that is paramount in my mind. Somehow, it is not the money. Let’s look at what is quality and let’s compare it by this analogy I am going to make. An average family in Nigeria today pays higher fees in nursery and kindergarten for the children than he pays for the university education.
Why should you be descending when your child is top on the ladder to keep on ascending you dropped paying N50, 000 when from nursery and primary school, you have been paying N50, 000 and N70, 000; private secondary school goes to N250, 000. Some pay N500, 000; some secondary schools pay N1m. And then only for your son to go to federal school and you will be paying N40, 000. What will the child come out with? You were moving your child on a good ladder to succeed and suddenly you drop on the ladder by N40, 000.
Why are you being cheap? Once you become cheap, what your child will pick will be cheap. People that have no value to come to the university have already aggregated there to school. So, once they hit that place, what they will go back with is vices, cultism; a lot of horrible things they will imbibe.
They no longer imbibe education. Imagine your daughter and your sons you have placed at that level bringing the person down to a place where their education is not important. The question will be: do I continue to give my son or daughter the best or do I lower the standard because I am hungry? That’s why it is not every child with the system that you find in the West ought to move to the university.
We aggregate ourselves and make sure that since there is no job, no creation of any activity to short-circuit children from going to the university and getting involved in the world of work. There is no technical education; your certificate in NABTEB is not recognised. There is nothing that will grant you job from secondary school. Since the only game is university, everybody rushes into the university and they end up being garbage in garbage out.
With that, it is difficult for you to make success out of a bad system. That’s why my foundation that set up this university is not looking out for money making; there must be a lot of sacrifice. There is no amount you are going to make for the investment you do here. This thing is meant to outlive the person that built it, which means that the profit could come. Ask everybody that own private university if they are making money.
Our university, maybe you don’t know, upon inception we have our university guest house, we have our fast food company, we have our printing press, we have our radio and FM station coming up now, we have our bakery, we have our farm; the Songhai farm which I represent. And then we have our Micro-finance bank, all these are made that before our students get to year three, they would have been working in those establishments so that as soon as they are leaving here, they are getting employment anywhere. We are doing the best to produce the best.
There is no shortcoming we will not overcome because we have set the path for success. For anybody doing chemical engineering when we start our engineering department, we have a paint factory; so instead of looking where to go, you will have your practical knowledge here.
The entrepreneurial centre is going to be producing a lot of things. We have the weaving technology; our girls have to work there. We have the tailoring outfit, they have to work there too; we have the soap production, they have to work there and also market the products. They have to teach their parents. Is it upon graduation that these students will get into these enterprises? They will start from year two.
Which means they will be doing part time? That’s why we gave them 21 credit hours to work in those places and those things can be converted to reduce the cost of school fees because if you are doing hotel and catering, you are meant to go to the university guest house assigned every week for you to work there, either in house keeping or front office. As soon as you finish that job, you will get job directly because you did practical training while studying. If you are doing communication- radio and script writing etc you practice and run the FM station while there so that when you are leaving, you going straight into employment as someone with experience.
We have a newspaper called The Nigerian Royal Mail. Our students will be working there, they will do their 21 credit hours in those companies so that when they are going, you will employ them before their year four because they would have showcased what they are. In catering and hotel management, our fast food is

Ambassador Segun Olusola is dead

By: Dotun Oladipo

Date:

Thu, 06/21/2012 - 22:43

The creator of the now rested but famous Village Headmaster series on the Nigeria Television Authority, Ambassador Segun Olusola, is dead.
Olusola, 78, was, until his death, the Chairman of African Refugees Foundation.
Olusola was born in Iperu-Remo, Ogun State on March 18, 1935.
He attended St. John's Catholic School and Wesley School, Iperu-Remo from 1941 to 1947. He did his secondary school education at Remo Secondary School, Sagamu between 1941 and 1947. He proceeded to the United States of America for his University Education - between 1948 and 1961 - where he attended Syracuse and Pittsburgh University respectively. After his university education, he returned to the country and worked with the Nigeria Broadcasting service (now FRCN), Ibadan as Broadcasting Officer, 1955-1959, Executive Producer, WNBC/WNTV Ibadan, 1959-1964.
Controller of Programmes NBC – TV, Lagos 1965 - 1974. Director of Programmes NTA Lagos , 1974 – 1976. General Manager 1976 – 1978. Director NTA Lagos 1978 – 1987.
In 1987, he was appointed Nigerian Ambassador to Ethiopia and the Organisation of Africa Unity.
He also served the Country in various and private capacities.
He was the founding Director of both the Players of Dawn 1958 -1964 and Theatre Express 1966 – 1969.
Chairman, National Festival Committee and the Nigeria Arts Council, 1970.
Director, Second All – Nigeria Festival of Arts and Culture 1971.
Vice Chairman, Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria Planning Committee for the Second All African Games - 1973.
He was a Lecturer, Institute of Journalism , 1973 – 1974.
Chairman, Programmes Committee Management Board, University of Lagos , Centre of Cultural Studies.
He was the creator and Producer of the popular Television Programme ‘The Village Headmaster', the longest Programme on the Nigerian Television.
He wrote the following books:
Telecape.
20 years of TV in Africa , 1979 and The Motorist Company.
He was the President, Remo Secondary School Old Students Association.
Vice President, Alumni Association of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, 1993.
Chairman, International Centre for Arts, Lagos .
Founding President, African Refugees Foundation and Ajibola Moniya Gallery.
Past President/Fellow, Society of Nigerian Broadcasters and member/trustee, International Institute of Communication since 1976.
Ambassador Sequn Olusola is the Jibulu of Iperu Remo.
His most passionate hobby is settling quarrels.
He was married with Children.

PDP crisis: NJC queries High Court judge

By: MOSHOOD ADEBAYO, Abeokuta

                                                  Date: Tue, 06/12/2012 - 00:16

Irked by crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, National Judicial Council(NJC) has queried the judge of Federal High Court in Lagos, Justice Charles Efanga Archibong. Archibong according to a document made available to Daily Sun was given a 30-day ultimatum to explain the role he allegedly played in the crisis rocking the PDP in the state.
It would be recalled that the PDP National Secretariat had through its counsel, Chief Ajana petitioned the NJC complaining that Justice Archibong serially abused the judicial process in the suit number: FHC/L/CS/1248/2011 involving Chief Dayo Soremi and 2 others against PDP and 6 others. The highest disciplinary judiciary committee in the country also requested Archibong to explain what he knew about the complaint levelled against him in the case involving former Managing Director of defunct Intercontinental Bank, Dr. Erastus Akingbola.
The Federal High Court was alleged to have inappropriately made some uncomplimentary remarks about five Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN). In the letter with reference number NJC/F.3/FHC.22/1/134 dated 17th May 2012 and signed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the NJC, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, Archibong was asked to explain within one month the allegation of abuse of judicial process leveled against him by the PDP through its counsel, Chief Olajide Ajana and others.
He was also accused of biase in the suit number FHC/L/CS/347/2012 involving Engineer Bayo Dayo and Semiu Sodipo against PDP and three others. According to Ajana, the two cases instituted by some aggrieved members of the embattled PDP related to the composition of executive committee members of the PDP in Ogun State.
“We have every reason to believe that the actions of my Lord, Justice Charles Archibong were motivated by factors other than the fair and equitable pursuit of justice in this case,” Ajana stated in the petition.
Ajana who prayed the NJCN to review all the cases involving Ogun State chapter of PDP which Justice Archibong had adjudicated also wants appropriate sanction against him.“It is therefore for the above reason that we earnestly pray my Lord to review these cases and where appropriate, mete out due and necessary sanction to serve as deterrent to other judicial officers who might want to use the exalted temple of justice to serve ignoble end”.

Azazi, defence minister sacked

By: JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE, Abuja

Date:

Sat, 06/23/2012 - 22:00

A few hours after he returned from Brazil, where he attended United Nations’ Earth Summit, RIO+20, President Goodluck Jonathan figuratively came out smoking hot, as he fired the National Security Adviser, General Andrew Azazi and Defence Minister, Dr. Haliru Bello.
The sack of the Azazi and Bello came after Jonathan met with security chief, who briefed him on the security situation in the country, at the security council meeting yesterday. Azazi has been replaced by Sambo Dasuki, a retired Colonel with the Nigerian Army and former ADC to Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida.
The former NSA has been criticised severally for the manner security situation has been handled, at a time bomb attacks by the extremist Islamist sect, Boko Haram escalated. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, confirmed in a telephone chat but did not give details.
Earlier, during a meeting President Jonathan told his security chiefs that they must do all within their powers to stop all the killings and bombings in the country. The meeting was called within two hours after Jonathan arrived the country from Brazil. A close source said the meeting was a heated one as Jonathan expressed anger on the security situation in the country and in the next three hours insisted on being brought up-to-date with the situation and why it was a Herculean task to arrest the embarrassing situation.
Fielding questions from State House correspondents, the Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Caleb Olubolade, after the meeting that ended late in the evening, said it was a usual security meeting between the President and his security chiefs.
Asked the mood of the meeting, said the president expressed his displeasure with the security situation in the country, adding: “He (Jonathan) particularly didn’t feel too well about the loss of lives. He said we need to do something proactively to stop it at all cost.”
On why the president summoned the meeting, the minister said: “It is a usual security meeting with the C-in-C to look at things in a comprehensive manner and see how the security agencies are faring. It was a useful discussion in certain areas, where we had problems, how to tackle them, how the security agencies can be more effective and the role the populace has to play in assisting in the war against terror.
“We had to reappraise the other measures we had been taking before now and look at how the populace can be carried along to get more information so that peace can return to the land. We do not really have to kill Nigerians to sustain peace. The C-in-C believes that we need to talk and do what is right to ensure that we calm the nerves and make sure that this incessant bombing are minimised. It is a source of worry to all.”
On the criticisms that trailed the president’s visit to Brazil, Olubolade said: “Nigerians will normally say what is on their minds. They have freedom of expression, but since we are all Nigerians, things should not be said to set the country aback. He (Jonathan) has a duty to perform with other nations.“He has confidence in his security apparatus and he is not unmindful of statements from opposition. But by and large, how Nigeria can be at peace is what is of utmost importance.”
Also speaking after the meeting Azazi said all the president did was to come back to the country and call his security chiefs to talk about security, even as he denied that it was an emergency meeting. On the listing of the Boko Haram leaders as terrorists, Azazi said: “That is a decision by America. It is not a decision by us. They (US) probably feel that those are the people who they need to classify as terrorists. I can’t begin to tell you what we discussed at the security meeting. But everything is under control.”

NORTH Vs JONATHAN

Ex-Generals, others plot against president• Meet in Abuja on how to unseat him in 2015

By: ADE ALADE, Abuja

Date: Sat, 06/23/2012 - 18:52

The scope of the plot to unseat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government headed by President Goodluck Jonathan in the next presidential election was on Monday night broadened in Abuja, where top northern leaders held a meeting with former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The meeting, which had in attendance former heads of state from the North as well as retired military officers, like ex-National Security Adviser (NSA), General Aliyu Gusau and former ministers, is coming on the heels of a similar one between Tinubu and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) presidential candidate in the last general election, General Mohammadu Buhari, in Lagos and Kaduna.

One of the northern leaders, who attended the Abuja meeting, told Saturday Sun: “The meeting was an informal one held to woo the former Lagos governor, Asiwaju Tinubu and discuss possibilities of extending the frontiers of cooperation and collaboration between the people of the North and the South West people ahead of the next election.

“The meeting was also called to broaden whatever discussion is ongoing between Asiwaju Tinubu and the CPC leader, General Buhari because the North cannot afford to gamble with the 2015 election chance, in the face of what the region is going through under the Jonathan administration. Our people have been ruined and as leaders, we are pained over what the present government is doing to the North.

“The only opportunity we have is a democratic change of the situation and that can be achieved through seeking partnership with a formidable opposition party leader, like Asiwaju Tinubu and the South West people who have a record of embracing progressive change.”

He said that the meeting was “held over dinner to underscore the convivial mood at the discussion.” It was further gathered that none of the leaders at the meeting spoke about any personal ambition, but rather, “they all emphasised the need for change, irrespective of which section of the country produces the next president.”

A northern leader, who attended the meeting told Saturday Sun: “For most of us at the meeting, we have put behind us our past ambitions of ruling the country, but we are all united and committed to a change of the present arrangement. And to buttress selflessness and sincerity of purpose on this matter, we made it clear that our desire for change is not out of desperation to have the North reclaim the presidency because we are ready to even support a better candidate from any other zone, including the South West.”

Though no names of likely candidates to support came up at the meeting, a former minister at the meeting disclosed that a repeat of the 1993 Social Democratic Party (SDP) arrangement is on the minds of most of those at the meeting.
“We didn’t discuss this, but it is obvious that the North wouldn’t mind to persuade the former Lagos governor to vie for the presidency, while we get someone, like the CBN governor to run as his deputy or vice versa. The Muslim-Muslim ticket wouldn’t be an issue once the candidates are sellable to the two sides of the divide. Nigerians are only interested in good governance and not religion. We have had a similar arrangement in the past with the Abiola and Kingibe ticket that swept the polls across the country. So, the same thing is still possible,” the former minister disclosed. 

The consideration of the CBN governor is hinged on the view that “he will be a good candidate that will appeal to the Buhari crowd and also blend with other interest groups from the North.” It will be recalled that Buhari and Tinubu had, after a political meeting in Kaduna about two weeks ago, flown in the same plane from Kaduna to Kano and drove in the same car from the Aminu Kano International Airport to the emir’s palace, where the CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, was being installed the Dan Majen Kano.