Education
Obono-Obla summoned by Reps panel over forgery scandal
A House of Representatives ad hoc panel have insisted on inviting the Special Assistant to the President on Anti-Corruption and Chairman, Special Presidential Investigative Panel on the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Mr Okoi Obono-Obla, over allegations of forgery of his O’level certificate and letter-head of the SPIP.
Also to appear before the panel alongside Mr Obono-Obla on June 5, 2018, are the managements of the University of Jos and West African Examinations Council (WAEC) according to the chairman of the panel “investigating the legality and otherwise of SPIP,” Aliyu Pategi (APC, Kwara).
Pategi said facts before the panel revealed that Obono-Obla not only used a doctored WAEC result to gain admission into the law faculty of the University of Jos, but also had been using different letter-head papers to write to various countries of the world on behalf of SPIP, thereby making mockery of Nigeria and the anti-corruption stance of the Buhari administration.
He said such a character was not fit to hold any public office, especially that of fighting corruption.
“This is the fourth time this man has refused to appear before this panel under flimsy excuses. We are giving him the last chance to appear before this panel on June 5, failure of which a bench warrant would be issued against him,” Pategi said.
Two copies of letter-head papers allegedly used by Obono-Obla in his correspondence with the panel and other agencies, which was also sighted by our reporter, showed that one bears “Special Presidential Investigative Panel” while the other bears “Presidency: Special Presidential Investigative Panel.”
However, SPIP Secretary, Mr Akingbolahan Adeniran, told the panel that the authentic letter-head of the panel was the one with “Special Presidential Investigative Panel.”
Also shown to reporters by the ad hoc panel was a copy of WAEC result, issued in 1982, which bears the name, Ofem Okoi Ofem, instead of Okoi Obono-Obla, with four credits, three F9s and absent in English Literature.
In reply to a letter from the ad hoc panel, dated April 5, 2018, with reference number, NASS/8HR/DCD/016/180/009, WAEC also confirmed the said statement of result with Examination number: 09403/247 for Ofem Okoi Ofem, not Okoi Obono-Obla.
The letter reads: “Please, find attached a confirmation copy of the statement of result in respect of Ofem Okoi Ofem 09403/247 at the May/June 1982 GCE Ordinary Level.”
“You may wish to note the disparity in the result, in respect of English Literature, where the candidate under reference was absent,” the letter said.
The Federal Government says plans are underway to launch a school-to-work scheme to enable youths to become productive and self-employed.
The Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi disclosed this in Abuja during a meeting with Commissioners of Education, Executive State and FCT Universal Basic Chairmen, Education Boards and UBEC on the School-to-Work Scheme.
Bobboyi in his keynote address, disclosed that the target group for the scheme are learners in the junior secondary schools. He added that it will provide them the opportunity to detect early in life where their talents and potential lie, between academic pursuit and vocational skills development.
Explaining how the Scheme will run, the UBEC Boss stated that it is structured to provide at least six months training, broken into two months per year of study in the junior secondary school.
Also speaking, the Director Basic Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Folake Davies, stated that the Scheme which is inline with the road map policy of the ministry, is designed to provide youths with the requisite experience necessary to excel whenever they find themselves in the working environment.
The Director, who was represented by Rose Onoja stated that only collaborative effort from the Federal, State, and Local Government levels and active involvement from the private sector will make the implementation of the program successful. Liberate actions to mitigate the living conditions of their constituents.
Education
Fake University Degree Holders Soon To Be Fished Out And Arrested – Minister Of Education Announces
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, on Tuesday, said security agencies will go after individuals with fake university certificates in the country.
According to the minister, the individuals will be tracked after the committee set up by the Federal Government to investigate the activities of university certificate racketeers in the country submits its report.
The Federal Government had set up an Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling to probe the activities of certificate racketeers following an investigative report published by Daily Nigerian which exposed the activities of degree mills in the Benin Republic.
The investigative report, which exposed the illegalities perpetrated by some tertiary institutions in the West African countries, led to the Nigerian government placing a ban on the accreditation and evaluation of degrees from Benin Republic and Togo.
The committee set up by the Federal Government was also tasked with investigating Nigerian private universities established in the last 15 years. Recently, the committee invited memoranda from the public. Selected members of the committee also visited institutions in the Benin Republic.
While speaking at the first quarterly citizens engagement in Abuja on Tuesday, the education minister, Mamman, said;
“On the issue of the fake degrees, we set up a committee and we expect them to submit their reports soon. Once the report is submitted, I can assure you that individuals with fake certificates will be apprehended. They will be tracked by security agencies.”
Also speaking at the engagement, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tanko Sununu, noted that the quarterly citizenship engagement was aimed at creating awareness of the activities of the ministry.
He noted that the engagement would “ also promote mutual understanding with stakeholders and citizens, build and sustain public trust, and improve transparency and accountability in the sector.”
“Worthy of mention is that this engagement also aims to improve efficiency and streamline government operations by identifying and addressing bottlenecks,” Sununu said.
Stakeholders in the education circle are warming up for the maiden edition of Southeast Educators’ Conference 2024(SEEC’24).
The two-day SEEC’24 scheduled to hold 18th & 19th, April 2024 at Nike Lake Resort, Enugu under theme: Future-‘Focused Learning – Igniting the Competitive Edge’
Promises to host key players in the education sector with a potential attendance of over 500 delegates.
The conference will feature a diverse lineup of speakers, covering topics ranging from holistic learning approaches to cutting-edge technology integration.
Speaking ahead of the conference, Mrs Doris Chinedu-Okoro,CEO, Evergreen Group, said SEEC’24 is the first of its kind in the Southeast region, presenting a historic opportunity for stakeholders to pioneer positive change in the local education sector.
“It brings together diverse perspectives and innovative ideas,fostering collaboration and networking among educators and stakeholders.
Hundreds of delegates will be in attendance.
“SEEC’24 is dedicated to exploring transformative practices, emphasising holistic learning, technology integration, globalcitizenship, life-long learning, and community engagement”, she said.
Mr. Osita Chidioka, the former Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, who recently launched an online mentorship and leadership programme for Nigerian youths named Mekaria Mentorship Programme (MMP) Foundation Course, will deliver the keynote at SEEC’24.
Prof. Pieter Verdegem; Dr. Joy Isa, Mrs. Bukola Adewuiyi, Lady Uju Dike, Fr. John Njorteah, Alex Onyia, Rotimi Eyitayo, Rhoda Odigboh, Elfrida Diete-Spiff Omole, Dr. ChibuezeLawrence Ofobuike, Ify Obidi-Essien, Dr. Abimbola Ogundere, Angelina Ikeako, Odetola Ebenezer Israel and OgochukwuOnyia, are some of the speakers lined up for the event.
The Evergreen Group CEO added that the conference thrives on a vision to create a dynamic platform that equips educators with the tools and knowledge needed to make a lasting impact on the educational landscape of South-Eastern Nigeria.
SEEC’24 is open to School Owners, Heads of Schools (Public and Private), Educational Stakeholders, Counselors, Teachers, Parents, Investors, Startups, and others in the education ecosystem.
“Participants will have the opportunity to engage in two full days of conference sessions, diving deep into the future of Education.
“There will be ample networking opportunities with school leaders from across the geopolitical zone and beyond.
“The evening Gala Night promises a delightful atmosphere for dancing, dining, wining, and fostering deeper connections in a relaxed setting”, she further explained.
Registration is N100,000 via: https://bit.ly/3uTcv9e
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