EDUCATION
Finally, FG Confirms 110 Dapchi School Girls Unaccounted For
The federal government has confirmed that 110 students of Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, are yet to be accounted for, after insurgents believed to be from a faction of the terror group, Boko Haram, invaded the school last Monday.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, announced the figure after a meeting on Sunday, in Damaturu, the state capital, between a federal government delegation and representatives of key stakeholders, including the state government, the college, the parents, security agencies and Bursari Local Government, where Dapchi is situated.
Mohammed in a statement said based on the briefings from the Principal of the College, Hajia Adama Abdulkarim, and the state Commissioner for Education, Hon. Mohammed Lamin, 906 students – out of whom 110 have not been accounted for – were in the school on the day of the attack.
There had been confusion over what transpired at the school last Monday, as there were conflicting accounts on the fate of the school girls. While the federal government and the police command in the state could not as at Thursday confirm if there was any abduction by the terrorists group, unconfirmed reports put the number of missing girls at 111.
By the weekend, however, parents who had their wards in the school put the number of those who had not been found at 105.
Hoisting some clarity on the matter on Sunday, Mohammed rounded up the figures at 110 and announced that the federal government had directed the police and civil defence authorities to immediately deploy their personnel in all the schools in the state in order to ensure the security and safety of the students and their staff.
The minister disclosed that the federal government had stepped up efforts to rescue the girls and return them safely to their parents, adding that security agencies were working on many leads regarding the whereabouts of the girls.
He said: “This is the second time in four days that a federal government delegation would visit Yobe State since the unfortunate incident. This is a measure of the seriousness with which we are addressing the issue. The security forces are leaving no stone unturned in their search for the girls.
”We are back here in Yobe as part of efforts to provide some succour to the parents of the girls, to let them know that they are not alone and also to reassure them that we will not rest until we have found the girls. We will carry the parents along on the efforts we are making.”
The Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), who was also on the delegation, said the team embarked on the trip in order to get the facts right so that the approach to the solution would be correct.
“We must get back the girls and also ensure that this does not happen again,” he said.
The federal government delegation, comprising Mohammed and Dambazau, held an enlarged meeting that was attended by the state Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam; members of the state cabinet; the principal and vice-principal of the school; representatives of the parents of the missing girls; and security agencies, among others.
Gaidam Blames Military for Abduction
The blame for the attack and the eventual abduction of the girls have, however, been laid at the doorsteps of the military by the governor of the state, Gaidam.
Speaking during a solidarity visit by the Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kassim Shettima, on Sunday, in Damaturu, Gaidam said the withdrawal of soldiers guarding Dapchi barely a week before the attack made last Monday’s school incident easier for the terrorists.
“Let me be quoted anywhere, the military must take blame for the attack on Dapchi,” he said angrily, adding: “The same thing happened in 2013 when the military suddenly removed troops guarding the town and a week later Boko Haram went there to attack the town and the secondary school there, killing 29 students.”
According to the governor, “I blame the whole attack on Dapchi on the military and the defence headquarters who withdrew troops from Dapchi.
“The attack occurred barely a week after the military withdrew the soldiers from there.
“Before then, Dapchi has been peaceful, there was never such incident. But just a week after they withdrew the troops, Boko Haram came to attack the town.
“When I met the theatre commander on why the military were withdrawn, he said they had shortage of manpower. To me, it is not an excuse because the FG is duty bound to recruit and bridge the gap.”
He likened the incident to the Boko Haram attack on Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, also in Yobe, in 2014 during which some students were killed.
He said if the troops were on the ground, both attacks would not have occurred.
Borno Gov Warns against Boko Haram Resurgence
During his visit to Damaturu, Shettima warned the nation to learn from the Chibok experience and separate politics from issues of security, warning other northern states to be on guard as Boko Haram could come pouncing.
Saying the latest abduction reminded him of the kidnap of over 200 students in Chibok four years ago, he said politicians should have learnt a lesson on the need to separate politics from issues of security from the Chibok experience and ensure the same was not repeated now.
He told the Yobe State governor: “I have been in your shoes since 2014 when schoolgirls were abducted in Chibok. I know exactly how you feel. When our daughters were abducted in Chibok, only God understood how I felt and I can imagine how you also feel, and the trauma you are going through.
“The parents of these girls would always look up to you with hope in the midst of agony. I know you are pained but I also believe that insha Allah, these girls will be rescued very soon. It is unfortunate that we have faced yet another abduction but that only reminds us about the difficulties of fighting insurgency.
“Oftentimes, they strike where you least expect. Before Boko Haram attacked Chibok, that Chibok had the least threat of Boko Haram in the northeast. No one expected them to even think about Chibok because it is mostly Christian community where Boko Haram was hardly an issue there.
“If the parents thought Chibok wasn’t safe, I don’t think they would allow their children to be there. Of course, as Government we wouldn’t dare do so. In the same vein, I don’t think anyone ever expected an attack in Dapchi. This incident however, reminds all of us not only in Borno and Yobe but perhaps across northern Nigeria to be on guard.”
PDP Calls for Prompt, Decisive Action
In its reaction on Sunday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) asked the federal government to stop whining and take prompt and decisive action to find and rescue the missing girls.
The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, queried the Muhammadu Buhari administration, asking it to account for the incident, saying the security agencies were complicit in the attack.
It said: “The PDP and indeed all well-meaning Nigerians are appalled by the crocodile tears being shed by the incompetent and deceptive APC-federal government instead of scaling up actions on the matter.
“Nigerians have been in shock over revelations by the Yobe State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, that the abduction was preceded by withdrawal of troops around Dapchi, thereby rendering the area defenceless and paving the way for insurgents to attack and abduct our girls.
“We challenge the presidency to come out clean on issues surrounding this abduction. Who authorised the said withdrawal of troops from the area and for what purpose? What alternative security measures were put in place to protect the people after the troops were withdrawn? Who controls security intelligence gathering and consequential protection action and what action was taken to guarantee adequate security in the area?
“We charge the federal government to open up on who scripted and released the false rescue report, which frustrated prompt action that would have led to the recovery of our innocent girls? Why was that misleading report issued and whose interest did it serve?
“Indeed, from all indications, every right thinking Nigerian has deduced that there are more than meet the eyes in this ugly episode for which those in authority have a lot of questions to answer.
“We invite the world to note that after exposing the community to harm and frustrating prompt rescue, the incompetent APC-controlled federal government has not taken any concrete step to give the abductors the desired chase to recover our girls.
“Rather, they sent a delegation of persons with no knowledge of security to Dapchi on fact-funding missions.”
NAF Deploys Air Assets, Surveillance in Search and Rescue Mission
As part of the search and rescue plan of the federal government, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Sunday deployed air assets, surveillance and other air power infrastructure to locate the missing girls.
Speaking on the operation, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, said the deployment ranged from additional air assets, including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms, to the North-east in a renewed effort at locating the missing Dapchi girls.
He said: “Before now, following confirmation of reports that some of the girls were yet to be accounted for, the NAF had deployed some ISR platforms and helicopters to search for and possibly locate the missing girls as well as the rogue Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs).
“Although these search operations were conducted in a covert manner, for obvious reasons, the efforts did not yield the desired results.
“Accordingly, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, directed the immediate deployment of additional air assets and NAF personnel to the Northeast with the sole mission of conducting day and night searches for the missing girls.”
According to Adesanya, “It is noteworthy that the renewed efforts at locating the girls are being conducted in close liaison with other surface security forces.
“While the NAF will spare no efforts at possibly locating the girls via its air operations, it also seizes this opportunity to call on anyone, especially the locals, who might have any information that could lead to the location of the girls to bring such information forward to NAF authorities or other relevant security agencies.”
Thisday
EDUCATION
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EDUCATION
Admission: Age limit, university autonomy, Senate and discretionary powers of the universities (Part 2)
What we did at the meeting that we had with JAMB was to allow underage candidates this year and for it to serve as a kind of notice for parents. …JAMB will admit students who are below that age, but from next year, JAMB is going to insist that anybody applying to go to university in Nigeria meets the required age which is 18
By AARE AFE BABALOLA, OFR, CON, SAN, LL.D (Lond.)
NIGERIANS are in a state of uproar following the announcement by the Honourable Minister for Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman,that from 2025 the age for entering into tertiary institutions in Nigeria will be 18 years in accordance with the Nigerian Education Policy. This announcement was hinged on the 4-10-3-4 system of Nigeria Education Policy of 2013. Under the policy, it is true that application of the 4-10-3-4 system of education will put the age of entrance into tertiary institutions at 18 years. This system has been in existence for decades but was not enforced apparently because all previous governments were aware of the adverse effect on outstanding or gifted children.
To remedy its non-implementation of the education system over the years, the Honourable Minister of Education has announced that: “It is 18 (years). What we did at the meeting that we had with JAMB was to allow underage candidates this year and for it to serve as a kind of notice for parents. …JAMB will admit students who are below that age, but from next year, JAMB is going to insist that anybody applying to go to university in Nigeria meets the required age which is 18. We are not actually coming up with new policies contrary to what some people are saying. We are just reminding people of what is existing. In any case, NECO and WAEC, henceforth, will not be allowing under-age children to write their examinations”. IT’S NOT A MATTER OF AGE. It’s a matter of the years spent at each level of education”.
While the Honourable Minister stated that it is not a matter of age, his announcement admits the contrary.
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Implications of the sudden implementation of the education system
The Federal Ministry of Education is attempting to make up for its failure to implement the education system over the years. However, the proposed mode of implementation is ill-advised for the following reasons:
Psychological implication
There are millions of students in senior secondary schools who will finish the secondary school before they are age 18 years. Will these students be asked to wait one, two or three years just because the most important pre-qualification condition for writing the WAEC, NECO and JAMB is age? This policy will forcefully halt academic momentum leading to an irretrievable loss of valuable time. It will certainly affect the psychology of the students negatively leading to loss of interest in education.
Likewise, this policy disproportionately affects gifted students and those who earn accelerated promotions in elementary and secondary schools. The minister recognised these sets of students but communicated his unwillingness to concede special recognition for them. He has this to say on the matter: “At the moment, this is what we have. But it’s very legitimate to appeal and look at that window of how we care for our smart children. And this is a conversation for another day. Other countries do similar things. They have age specifications for each level of education. But again, they look at the possibilities of smart children. A lot of times in Nigeria, what sometimes is a widow eventually becomes a door.”
Admission into tertiary institution
Statistics reveal that 1,985,642 candidates registered for JAMB in 2024. Only 385,050 students were admitted to tertiary institutions in 2023. There is the likelihood that the admission rate will be less than 500,000 in 2024. The question therefore is: will all candidates who are 18 years old be granted admission on the year of first application from 2025? Nigeria has a peculiar situation that makes it unique and therefore discourages imitating what is obtainable in other climes. Admission is not automatic upon qualification because Nigeria is bereft of adequate tertiary institutions to fully admit deserving candidates. Also, the Federal Ministry of Education cannot guarantee that all qualified candidates will be admitted into tertiary institutions. Imposing other mechanisms to slow down promising youths is therefore needless, ill-timed and ill-advised in Nigeria
Education tourism
Education tourism is a culture in Nigeria. The speed at which Nigerian students migrate abroad in pursuit of foreign education has continually been on an exponential rise. • Between 2006 and 2016, over 10,000 Nigerian Students were enrolled in one university in Benin Republic, not counting several other universities along the coast of West Africa and the West. • The data from the British government education tourism to the UK reveal that there were 6,798 in 2019. This rose to 59,053 in 2022 which amounts to a 768.7 percent difference. In 2022, the number of Nigerian students who received a UK student visa was 65,929. • According to the data, 14,438 Nigerians enrolled for education in the US in 2022 as against 12,860 recorded in 2021. • In Malaysia, there are lots of Nigerians pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Reports have it that there are over 13000 Nigerian students in Malaysian universities. • The number of new study permits issued to Nigerians for study in Canada increased to 13,745 from 10,550 in 2020. • The United Arab Emirates has more than 1,755 Nigerian resident students • Hungary is gradually becoming a destination country for foreign education with over 700 Nigerian students studying there • Reports show that there are about 71,000 Nigerian students in Ghana paying about US$ 1 billion annually as tuition fees and their upkeeps. In 2022, over 78,000 Nigerian students were in universities across Ghana compared to 13,919 according to a UNESCO report in 2016, a whopping 560.38 percent. • Foreign education cost Nigeria $28.65billion from 2010 to 2020, with Personal Transport Allowance totalling $58.7billion.
These figures do not include countless Nigerian children enrolled in primary and secondary schools abroad.
Many experts and parents indicated that the shabby state of the Nigerian education system is basically fuelling the education tourism, especially as it concerns tertiary education.
This education tourism may be further amplified where parents are desirous to preserve the academic momentum of their wards who fully qualify for admission into tertiary institutions before they are age 18 years.
Brain drain
With over 90 million people under 18 years of age, Nigeria ranks as the world’s third-largest youth population, trailing only India and China. However, there are obviously not enough schools to provide tertiary education to all of them.
Most of the students who will qualify for admission into tertiary institutions before they are 18 years would have shown a high propensity for intelligence. What the current education policy does is that it encourages our young brilliant children to seek tertiary education elsewhere.
More often than not, graduates tend to stay in the country where they obtained their tertiary education for employment.
AARE AFE BABALOLA, OFR, CON, SAN, LL.D (Lond.)
EDUCATION
Expedite Actions Towards Alleviating The Sufferings Of Nigerians, End Extreme Hardship, CONUA Tasks Tinubu
Since the fuel subsidy removal and naira devaluation policies of the present administration, Nigerians have been going through excruciating pains and extreme hardship which needs government’s urgent intervention.
The Congress of University Academics, CONUA, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to expedite action towards pulling Nigerians out the cesspit of extreme hardship in the country created by various reforms of his administration.
CONUA is a splinter group from Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which was formed by university lecturers during the last prolonged strike organised by ASUU.
A statement issued by it’s President, Dr Niyi Sumonu on Saturday revealed that since the fuel subsidy removal and naira devaluation policies of the present administration, Nigerians have been going through excruciating pains and extreme hardship which needs government’s urgent intervention.
“The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has, again, reviewed the state of the nation and noted the excruciating pains Nigerians have been going through as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy since 29th May 2023 and the subsequent policy of floating the Naira.
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“The union further notes that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has assured the nation that a series of measures are being put in place to alleviate the suffering of the people. CONUA urges the President to expedite action on those measures, particularly the announcement of a commensurate minimum wage that will cushion the effect of this untold hardship being currently experienced by the citizens”, it stated.
Dr. Sumonu described as illegal the continuous withholding of its members three months salary occasioned by the strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, in 2022, denying the participation of Union’s members in the said industrial action.
In his words, “the Union wishes to once again call the attention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) to the continued withholding of the three and a half months salary due to the strike action embarked by a sister academic staff union in the Universities. CONUA, as a Union has consistently maintained that it never declared and was not part of the strike action.
“What the government had done was to lump together those who embarked on strike with those who did not! This is unjust, and is tantamount to punishing the innocent along with the guilty. The Federal Government’s action actually goes against the judgment delivered on 25th July, 2023 at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), which affirmed CONUA as an independent Union”.
“The President should note that withholding the three and a half months salaries of members of CONUA, who neither declared nor participated in any strike action, contravenes Section 43 (1b) of the Trade Disputes Act CAP. T8, which states that “where any employer locks out his workers, the workers shall be entitled to wages and any other applicable remunerations for the period of the lock-out and the period of the lock-out shall not prejudicially affect any rights of the workers being rights dependent on the continuity of period of employment”.
The Union further urged President Tinubu to pay attention to the remuneration of academics in the university which has been stagnant since 15 years ago, despite the steady rise in the cost of living and demanded an adjustment in the emoluments of lecturers to bring the best out of them.
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