Paradise News

Category: Education

  • You cannot do same thing over and over again and expect a different result

    By Princewill Odidi

    Attempting to use short term solutions to solve long term problems is largely responsible why good intentioned programs of government fail and does not gain the required sustainable momentum.

    From Operations feed the nation, Green Revolution, Directorate of foods roads and rural infrastructure, Family support Program, Family Economic advancement program, Poverty alleviation Program, Agricultural development program, National Directorate of Employment, among others.

    Today, the Buhari administration has launched Npower, school lunch and the new poverty program. While we applaud the new program designed to feed 5 million children and provide cash to cover one million very poor people ,it is our prayer that it succeeds, because we all want to see it succeed. It is the desire of the government to improve the peoples standard of living.

    However,  You do not improve the peoples standard of living by giving handouts to a few, rather it is better you improve  the structures that would aid increased productivity to benefit all. The little change you put in people’s account will finish within a week, but if you use that money to build rural clinics, fix schools, instead of benefiting a select few, it will benefit the masses.

    Another program that may fail is the small loan of five million naira to fresh graduates. example, instead of distribution of 5 million naira to fresh graduate to start a business, which we all know the money would be used to meet their immediate needs of wedding and renting apartment and buying a car, rather, bring 40 youths together, pull together all their individual loans amounting to 200 million, let them start a small company and build it as a cooperative.

    200 million can comfortably start a transportation line, a soft drink company, but giving each 5 million ends in futility. Cooperative funding funded recently in Rwanda worked perfectly, I just don’t understand why Nigeria insist on individual funding, even when we know previous attempts fail.

    The poverty level among Nigerians, coupled with institutional corruption and the lack of a systemic structure to execute poverty alleviation programs, make virtually every initiative a joke. The one million people that will benefit from the N5000 each, the process of selection of persons which was done manually without verifiable or measurable poverty indices makes the scheme mere speculation and guess work.

    Most of the social workers sent out to compile names in 5 selected states that will benefit in phase 1 merely made up that list with friends and colleagues, these funds I have warned, will end up in private pockets. If we must succeed we must learn to do things right.

    We are so used to use short term solutions to solve long term problems. No society develops this way.

    President Jonathan U-win program, with such huge disbursement, how many of those businesses survived after 2 years?

    You cannot do the same thing over and over again , doing it the same way, and expect a different result.

    Princewill Odidi is an Atlanta based development consultant. princewillodidi@yahoo.com

  • NIMASA gives Tourism Lectures to Young Folks on top of Obudu Cattle Ranch (Photos)

    The Chairman, Board of Directors of NIMASA, General Jonathan India Garba giving a lecture to Amarachi & Chinonso both from Anambra State but resident in Lagos.

    General Garba was delivering a flawless lecture on montane agriculture and biodiversity of the Obudu Mountain Resort & Cattle Ranch.

    As a Geographer, Environmentalist & a Lecturer of Environmental Biology, I was just speechless watching General Garba deliver his lecture on the features of montane climate, and its vegetation. General Garba is a world traveller, his experiences, and diverse knowledge is dazzling.

    General Jonathan India Garba would today be inaugurated as the Board Chairman of NIMASA.

    Congratulations to the NIMASA Board Chairman on your inauguration.

  • Recession: Non-UNICAL students embarks on a Rag day as the varsity celebrates Students Week

    It can be amazing what a harsh economy can cause people to do:

    Tuesday, September 20th was the University of Calabar (UNICAL) rag day for 2016, but it seemed more of Calabar rag day as Non students also took part in the activity. 

    Also, some CRUTECH students became malibites only for a day just to look for cash and even Ex-student were not left out as they were spotted doing their thing. 
    It was a shocker when malabites that graduated in 2014 and below were partaking in rag day. 
    The real malabites now had to leave home as early as 5:00am in order to catch the early workers. The guys complained that the female students would not let them get anything and others reported that their parents warned them not to return home without getting a particular amount.

    On a normal day, no malabite/malabress would trek to Bogobri and back, but the economy situations had to forced them to trek as far as Watt and Highway, under the guise of rag day.

    All hail the Great Malabites.. Una no dey carry last.

    By Fony Ekottex 

  • CRS Gender & Development Department to Organize a Three-Day Workshop for Gender Mainstreaming

    By Eval Asikong

    The Cross River State Gender and Development Office, headed by the S.A., Hon. Helen A. Isamoh, in partnership with a consortium of gender advancement institutions, is proposing a three (3) day high level training workshop for gender Desk Heads across the various Ministries, Departments & Agencies (MDAs) and Local Governments in Cross River State. The event is slated to hold in Calabar from 27th – 29th September, 2016.

    It is a train-the-trainer workshop, designed to equip participants with requisite technical expertise required to add value to their various job functions and anticipate future roles in the state (public) service. This will promote gender mainstreaming in all public and private policies and programs. The number of participants anticipated is targeted at fifty (50) from within and outside the state.

    Gender mainstreaming refers to a public policy concept of assessing the different implications for women and men of any planned policy action, including legislation and programs, in all areas and levels. Mainstreaming essentially offers a pluralistic approach that values the diversity among both men and women. It is on this note that His Excellency, Prof. Ben Ayade deemed it necessary to create the Department of Gender & Development, headed by the pioneer S.A., Hon. Helen A. Isamoh.

    This became imperative as most of the previously trained/experienced officers have either retired or left for other endeavors. To this end, new entrants into the service or those in higher positions are in dire need of high level capacity to function optimally.

    This event is put together in conjunction with a collegiate of gender advancement institutions made up of the African Union, Economic Commission for Africa, ECOWAS, the Australian High Commission, United Nations, and Partnership Initiative for Niger-Delta (PIND).

    Participants will be availed the opportunity of insights into administration’s initiatives with impacts on gender equity such as the Calabar Fabrics & Garment Factory, the Bakassi Deep Sea Port and the proposed specialized hospitals across the State.

  • Lagos State Government to Close down more than 10,000 Unregistered Private Schools

    It might sound stupid or uncalled for, but it’s the right decision mere looking at it and we wish Cross River State Government will do the same. 
    It’s not about the huge numbers of schools that makes the people more educated, it’s about the quality of the schools which government should put into considerations first. 
    All these new generation schools are nothing but a means to extort parent to enriched themselves. Mere looking at it, their children don’t even attend their schools. Government should be able to set a standard for a school to be approved by the ministry of Education. And all schools should be registered before embarking its operations. Because, most schools fold up and leave the children and parents in the dome, which is too bad. Some don’t even have good standard of teachers/lecturers. 

    Today, the Lagos State Government says it is set to shut down 10,444 unregistered private schools which littered the state.

    The government said it was shocked to discover that out of the 15,000 private schools operating in the state, only 4,556 were registered and vowed to take urgent action to remedy the situation.

    The Deputy Governor of the state, Dr. Oluranti Adebule disclosed this at the 3rd quarterly stakeholders’ forum of private schools owners held at the Secretariat, Alausa in Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Monday.


    “Government is not comfortable with our discovery that over 15,000 private schools are operating in the State and only just 4,556 are approved and registered; Let me state it clearly, henceforth, Lagos State Government will no longer allow private schools that are not duly registered by the Lagos State Ministry of Education to operate in the State, their operation becomes illegal henceforth in the State,” he warned.

    She added that the government would soon begin enumeration of all registered private schools operating in the State from 26 September, 2016.

    Therefore, we urge Cross River State Government under the administration of our digital Governor, Professor Ben Ayade to look into the educational sector just like what Lagos State Government did to eradicate all schools without standards to help reduce the state from Graduating illiterate graduates. 

  • History: Facts you don’t know about Herbert Macaulay, from 1920s til date

    Herbert Macaulay

    Herbert Macaulay

    During the 1920s, a period in Nigerian history associated with the beginning of political agitation for self-rule, Macaulay became a leading figure in the first generation of Nigerian Nationalists. 

    In 1921, Macaulay passionately led protests in Lagos over water rates, land issues, and mishandling of the railway finances. 
    In 1922, he helped a Lagos chief in his legal battle with the colonial government who had forcefully taken some of his land for government purposes. The highest court in England heard the case and returned the land to the chief. 
    This victory inspired Macaulay to establish in 1923 Nigeria’s first political party, the Nigerian National Democratic Party whose members were the first to sit in the Legislative Council.

    The Nigerian National Democratic Party dominated Nigerian politics throughout the 1920s until the late 1930s. 

    However in 1934, the NNDP lost its dominant position to newly organized student groups such as the Nigerian Youth Movement. In order to avoid the demise of the party, Macaulay’s NNDP joined forces with the Nigerian Youth Movement to form the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons, NCNC. 
    The NCNC led by Macaulay was not a political party, it was a nationalist organization designed to advocate for an independent Nigeria.
    Herbert Macaulay did not live to see the attainment of independence in 1960. He died in Lagos at the age of 81 on May 7, 1946.

  • Federal Government Approves Canadian International School for Obudu


    By Emmanuel Ulayi 


    The Government of Cross River State led by Senator Ben Ayade has been granted approval by the Federal Government of Nigeria to build a Canadian International School in Obudu local Government Area of the state.

    Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Barr. Stephen Odey who disclosed this in a press briefing at the conference hall of the Board along Murtala Mohammed Highway, Calabar, explained that the choice of Obudu as host to the proposed Canadian International School takes into consideration the proximity of the famous Obudu Mountain Resort, coupled with the fact that the Institution will attract patronage from across the country and outside Nigeria. 

    Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Barr. Stephen Odey 
    He explained that the school will have all the modern facilities including boarding for both teachers and students, standard recreational facilities, good network of roads, water, electricity, standard conveniences, among others in accordance with international standard and best practices.

    “Governor Ayade has charged us to ensure that we implement what is found in our Action Plan, and we have gotten approval to build a Canadian International School in Obudu and it has been by Abuja, and we want to take advantage of the proximity of the Obudu mountain Resort, and based on the fact that it is an International School it will attract patronage from across the country and outside Nigeria. Money for the project is already in our account.

    We are very set to go, set to transform our Basic Education sector. We also want to commence academic activities at the Model School that has been handed over to us at Abi Local Government Area, there is one in Yala, and after here I’m meeting with the commissioner for Education for us to perfect plans on how we are going to run the schools. You know, when you talk of basic education, our mandate end at the JSS level”, the SUBEB Chairman asserted.

    The Cross River State SUBEB Chairman who had earlier in the day held a meeting with staff of the Board to brief them on the progress done by the current Board and the activities soon to take place, also disclosed that money for the construction of the International School in Obudu has already6 been approved and captured in the Action Plan of the Board which has equally been approved by the Universal Basic Education Commission in Abuja.

    Odey further informed the newsmen that the governor of cross River, Senator Ben Ayade has given approval for the Board to recruit 1000 teachers to curb the dearth of qualified teachers in the system, explaining that over 520 cases of retirements and deaths have been recorded by the Board, stressing that this prompted the Board to write to the Governor for approval for the recruitment of more teachers which according to him has been graciously approved.

    He said that dateline for the submission of applications by applicants ended last Friday and the applicants would be required to go through rigorous aptitude test, oral interview and thorough certificate verification exercise to ensure that only the best and the very best are employed at the end of the day, taking into consideration the strategic position which basic education plans in the development of any nation, explain that it was based on this premise that the Board embarked on staff verification which many ghost workers were uncovered with 252 teachers found to possess fake certificates.

    The SUBEB Chairman said that he has warned staff of the Board against collecting any money from any applicant in the name of securing employment for them, stressing that the days of doing that including replacing names of death as well as retired staff without passing through the right channel/ due process were over and that only the best would be employed, adding that the 220 UBEC teachers who were not converted by the previous leadership now have the opportunity to apply and go through the aptitude test, interview and verification/ authentication of certificates as other to secure employment about the 1000 to be employed, as standard would not be compromised.

    Dr. Odey who commended the state governor, Senator Ben Ayade for realizing the sum of N3.8 Billion as counterpart funding to the Board to enable it access the UBEC marching funds from 2012-2015 staked away in the Central Bank of Nigeria, and that the Special education Fund which hitherto was not accessed has been accessed by his Board through the support of the Governor, and explained that as a result of the availability of funds, they have commenced procurement process and advertisement for more than 200 jobs and have emphasized due process, prudent, transparency and capability as basis to secure job by any contractor, just as contractors who have records of abandonment of projects need not to apply, while disclosing that a total sum of N7.5Billion is now in the Board account for the said projects.

    He said that procurement of some Hilux vehicles, computers, staff training programmes, vehicle for the Board Chairman, among others are part of the projects to be executed, among others and that it is only those projects that are captured in the Action Plan and verified and certified by UBEC that would be carried out and that the funds under the Board will be judiciously appropriated as provided in the Action Plan.

    The Cross River SUBEB Chairman equally disclosed that he has written a letter to EFCC, ICPC and the Attorney General of the Federation notifying them of the Board procurement of projects for 2012-2015, as he is aware that some over-zealous contractors would want to write spurious petitions.

    “I have written to the security agencies in charge of financial matters, such as the EFCC, the ICPC and the Attorney General of Nigeria, notifying them of our procurement of projects for 2012-2015 grant inviting them to send their officials if need be to come and audit the procurement process because we are aware that some over-zealous contractors may write spurious petitions”.

    Odey thanked the staff for keying into the Board agenda of new SUBEB and for the support given to his administration so far while assuring them that each staff would be given opportunity to go out for monitoring exercises. 

  • UNICAL VC, Prof Akpagu to Partner Fulbright Scholars in area of Critical Needs

    The Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University of Calabar, Professor Zana Akpagu has pledged to partner Fulbright Scholars in areas of critical needs in order to raise the standard of the Institution.

    Prof. Akpagu made the pledge in his office while receiving a Fulbright Scholar, Prof. Gina Marie Piane from National University, California.

    The Vice Chancellor assured the Scholar of the Institution’s unalloyed support believing that her invaluable contributions will benefit the Institution.

    Prof. Akpagu applauded the Scholar’s research topic, “Reducing Maternity Mortality in Nigeria“. describing it as apt, as Nigeria and Africa will benefit from the experience as Sub-Sahara Africa is still grappling to deal with the epidemic.

    The Head of Department, Public Health, Dr. Regina Ejemot– Nwadioro in her remark thanked the Scholar for being an advocate for women in Africa and Nigeria adding that her research will help in reducing Maternity Mortality in women and also promote academic excellence in Public Health.

    The Fulbright Scholar, Prof. Gina Marie Piane acknowledged the supportive role of the University Management towards her research while assuring that she was desirous to leave behind for the Institution more pragmatic result in the field of her study.

    She said the aim of her research study is to prevent women from dying in the course of child delivery High point of the visit was the presentation of souvenir bag from the Fulbright Scholar, Prof. Gina Marie Piane to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Zana Akpagu.

  • MDF Commence Second Batch Training of 30 Widows in Calabar

    By Prince Charles

    WIFE OF THE STATE GOVERNOR CHARGES WIDOWS TO MAKE GOOD USE OF THE OPPORTUNITY AND LIVE AN EXEMPLARY LIFE.

    In line with the 2030 sustainable development agenda for widows who are among the most marginalized and isolated people in the world. A pet organization, Mediatrix Development Foundation of Her Excellency Dr Mrs Linda Ayade, Wife of the Cross River State Governor recently trained 30 widows at CBN Entrepreneurial Development Center on business set up and management as part of the foundation program on widows tagged ” Economic Strengthening for poor widows in Cross River State.

    According to Her Excellency, Dr Linda Ayade, women in many countries experience great hardship after their husbands die. She noted that abuse of widows and sometimes, their children constitutes one of the most serious violations of human rights and obstacles to development today. Millions of the world’s widows endure extreme poverty, ostracism, violence, homelessness, ill health and discrimination in law and customs. She call on all beneficiaries to take advantage of the program and make good use of the opportunity by sustaining their skills through an exemplary lifestyle to their immediate communities.

    Speaking also the Executive Director of Mediatrix Development Foundation,  Mr Jeffrey Adamade made known that the programme is designed to increase the knowledge of widows across the state on entrepreneurship development, increase access to finance and microfinance for the women trained . He further stress that the program will enhance widow’s capacity to set up and successfully manage enterprises through mentoring and partnership opportunities.

    Finally Mr Adadame informed that the first batch have been successfully trained and empowered while the second batch trainees is about to begin lectures at the CBN Entrepreneurial Development Center.

  • NANS National Financial Secretary call on all Institutions without a Democratically Elected SUG to Conduct Elections

    By Prince Charles

    NANS NATIONAL FINANCIAL SECRETARY CALL ON ALL INSTITUTION WITHOUT A DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED SUG TO CONDUCT ELECTIONS OR FACE THE WRATH OF NIGERIAN STUDENTS.

    ASSURES NIGERIAN STUDENTS OF ACCOUNTABLE NANS……

    Newly elected Financial Secretary of NANS, Comr Godspower Ikechukwu Okorie aka. Aluta Worwor yesterday in Awka while addressing some online publishers call on school management across the country to reinstate suspended SUG bodies and immediately conduct elections as the new leadership of NANS under the stewardship of Comr Aruna Kadiri is ready to take appropriate measures that will consolidate the already created damages done so far by the respective school management.

    “We are ready to mobilize Nigerian Students all over the country to those affected institutions if our appeal is not heard. We specially call on University of Calabar and University of Lagos to immediately initiate a peace move that will ensure end to this lingering crisis.

    As a body controlling 40.1 million Nigerian students our aimed is to protect their interest and restore peace between management and students  in our learning citadel.

    For the NANS Factional crisis, Comr Okorie noted that he and Aruna Kadiri of UNIBEN were duly elected as Financial Secretary and President respectively at Old Parade Ground, Abuja at the expense of DSS operative who maintain peace and orderly during the convention process. We Promise to take back NANS to campus. We have no faction, intact the runners up Comr Sheriff Zadok Emeka Eboh of UNIZIK and 2nd runners up Comr Igwe Ude-umanta of EBSU had since congratulated the President elect and reaffirmed their support to one united NANS, said Okorie Santos.

    OKORIE IKECHUKWU
    NANS NATIONAL FINANCIAL SECRETARY