Day: April 13, 2024

Two people were reported dead while 13 others sustained injuries in an accident at Ajede, after J4, on the Sagamu-Ijebu Ode expressway on Saturday.

Mrs Florence Okpe, the Spokesperson, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Abeokuta.

Okpe explained that the accident occurred at about 12:10 pm and it involved a Toyota Hiace bus marked GUE 59 ZY and a truck with registration number BGT 94 LG.

The FRSC spokesperson explained further that the accident was caused by excessive speeding which made the bus driver to ram into a stationary truck parked by the roadside.

‘Fifteen people were involved in the crash – 10 men and five women and a total of 13 people sustained injuries while two persons died,’ she said.

Okpe added that the injured victims were taken to Hope Hospital at J4 while the deceased were deposited at the Ijebu-Ode General Hospital Morgue.

Mr Anthony Uga, the Sector Commander, cautioned motorists against wrong parking of vehicles on the highway.

Uga further
cautioned motorists against over speeding and advised them to always drive carefully.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Akhere Aghedo-Akran, Educational Manager, St. Agatha’s Inclusive Learning Centre, Satellite Town, has solicited for the employment of more special education teachers in schools.

Aghedo-Akran told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos that this would encourage mainstream settings in the country.

She added that it would also promote lifelong learning opportunities for all and aid implementation of the Salamanca Statement.

She said that the presence of trained special education teachers in mainstream classrooms would assist other teachers who may not have the training.

The educational manager stressed that these different sets of teachers could work hand-in-hand, adding, ‘team work makes the dream work.’

According to her, the presence of graduates with special education certificates will do more good in regular schools as they will be able to successfully integrate and adequately educate children living with disabilities.

‘I will like to relate to the Salamanca Statement, which was adopted an
d widely endorsed at the world conference organised by UNESCO and the Ministry of Education and Science of Spain in 1994.

‘It established the fundamental principles of inclusion at schools – ‘All children should learn together wherever possible, regardless of any difficulties or differences they may have’.

‘It is therefore fundamental to have more graduates with special education certificates in teaching profession, in fact all teachers must have basic knowledge and understanding of diversities of children.

‘Not all disabilities are visible, it is therefore important to note that every child must be treated with equity and have access to a conducive and enabling environment where he or she can survive under inclusive education.

‘Inclusive education basically aims to provide equal learning opportunities for special children, those who have been disenfranchised from access to education or excluded from mainstream ‘regular class’ alongside their peers.

‘It will also enhance social integration, they will be
inspired to embrace skills being carried along with their peers, by these measures, there is a synergy with behavioural learning,’ she added.

The diversity and inclusion advocate identified lack of technical know-how and inadequate resources as challenges that came with inclusive education.

She said that the aforementioned needed to be addressed to enable educators successfully deliver accordingly and equitably teach the special children in mainstream classrooms with neuro-topical children.

On assessment, Aghedo-Akran said it was key to understand exactly the diagnosis and prognosis of children and to seek to understand their levels of achievement or attainment.

‘It’s fundamental to have teachers trained specially for that purpose, because not all teachers are trained to handle or teach children living with disabilities.

‘There is need for continuous training and re-training of teachers, no teacher should be eliminated from this vital training.

‘We also understand that there are different and several le
vels of teachers who might have challenges with their receptivity to this training.

‘This is because some of them might have experience where the norm has always been to teach neuro-topical children or those who do not have any disability that might tamper with their behaviour.

‘So when you bring the idea that they should be trained on these issues, it becomes a problem because some of them fall in the laggard set, where they will refuse information or refuse innovation except there is a consequence or a reward,’ she added.

Aghedo-Akran appealed to organisations and philanthropists to support inclusive education by donations of technological gadgets that could aid learning in schools.

She also urged for funding to employ teachers who would need these gadgets to teach.

She said, ‘we must be ready to improvise, collaborate and source for funding from organisations willing to commit meaningfully to the education of these children.’

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, says that President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda is a reality.

Wike stated this when he visited the ongoing construction of the Vice President’s residence, a project that is being executed by Julius Berger, in Abuja on Saturday.

The minister said that the FCT was wearing a new look in terms of infrastructural development in line with Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.

He said that several projects in FCT would be inaugurated to celebrate Tinubu’s one year in office and in fulfilment of the President’s agenda to renew the lost hope of Nigerians.

He added that key completed projects would be inaugurated to demonstrate the reality of President Tinubu’s promise of renewed hope to the people.

This, according to him, will further strengthen citizen’s trust on the government.

‘Let the residents know that the renewed hope agenda is a reality, because if you don’t tell people this has been done, nobody will know that things have been done.

‘
Let people know that yes, this is the promise we made, and within one year in office, this is what we have been able to achieve, as far as FCT is concerned.

‘Not just the infrastructure, changing the structure of FCT is another achievement,’ the minister said.

On the location of the VP residence, Wike said that the Federal Government decided where the residence should be sited, adding that everything was taken into consideration.

He said that the FCT Administration invited the Office of the National Security Adviser for its advice, adding that the office had looked at the location and made inputs.

On the possibility of traffic congestion, the minister said that the Federal Capital Development Authority and Julius Berger were making the needed amendments where necessary.

‘So, on the issue of traffic, I don’t think it is a problem,’ he added.

He explained that the visit was to see whether the residence would be ready for inauguration in May, and to ensure that security features and other concerns were ade
quately taken care of.

He assured Nigerians that work was ongoing and everything was being put together to make the residence the best in terms of quality, security and accessibility.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that his administration will continue to promote the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) to improve access to higher education in the country.

Tinubu gave the assurance at the 13th Convocation and Investiture of the third Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin, on Saturday in Abuja.

‘We will continue to do this in order to improve quality, access and affordability,’ he said.

Tinubu was represented at the event by Dr Biodun Saliu, the Deputy Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC).

He said the deployment of ODL approach in tertiary education was the major link to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

‘Government is, therefore, committed through the Federal Ministry of Education and the NUC to provide the enabling environment to ensure a good delivery of this mode of education in Nigeria,’ he said.

The Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Olufemi Peters, said the university had maintained
its leadership role in promoting ODL across the African continent.

This, Peters said, necessitated the re-election of the institution as the 1st Vice-President on the Board of the African Council for Distance Education (ACDE) during the seventh Triennial Conference and General Assembly held in Kenya.

‘The university continues to contribute significantly to Open and Distance e-Learning (ODeL) initiatives. The ACDE is a continental and leading organisation of African universities in ODeL and other higher educational institutions.

‘We take pride in offering education that is both flexible and qualitative, yet affordable and accessible.

‘We prioritise equity and equal opportunities in education at the university level, striving to widen access and promote lifelong learning.

‘Since inception, NOUN has provided scholarships to about 83 inmates in correctional centres, exemplified by a current PHD student in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution.

‘From a very humble beginning, the university has grown in leaps
and bounds. We have brought smiles to many people who had thought university education was beyond them. Our student enrolment figures have increased.

‘Our programme offerings have also increased. From about 1,230 students in 2003, the student population has now grown to about 170,000 active students in 2024 and over 100,000 alumni, straddling important sectors of our economy.

‘We have grown from relative obscurity, where many in the tertiary education sector and employers within the Nigerian labour market tried to question the quality of our products, to a pre-eminent position as the undisputed leader in Open and Distance Learning in sub-Saharan Africa,’ Peters said.

He noted that the 2024 convocation was unique because of the investiture of the institution’s third Chancellor, the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II.

‘The convocation is also unique because of the award of honorary degrees on Dr Innocent Chukwuma, founder, Innoson Motors and Hajiya Hafsatu Ahmed, the first female Hausa novelist from Northern Nigeria,’
he said.

He said the choice of the awardees reflected the core values at NOUN which centred on entrepreneurial ingenuity and knowledge based content creativity.

‘Indeed, as a mark of the profound admiration of Chukwuma’s entrepreneurial sagacity, the NOUN under my management, has decided henceforth, to acquire only Innoson vehicular products as our operational vehicles,’ Peters added.

The Chancellor, the Oba of Benin, who spoke after his investiture, said he was aware of the responsibility accompanying his position.

‘My vision for the National Open University of Nigeria is one of excellence, innovation, and inclusivity.

‘It is my fervent aspiration to leverage my position as a traditional ruler to enhance the fortunes of this esteemed institution.

‘Without any gainsaying, NOUN holds a unique position as a beacon of hope and opportunity in the realm of Open and Distance e-learning mode of instructional delivery.

‘We will do our best to ensure that this university remains not only a pioneer in Nigeria bu
t also a shining example across the entirety of the sub-Saharan Africa.

‘As we all know, education knows no boundaries, and I am committed to an environment where knowledge transcends borders and transforms lives.

‘Together, we will embark on a journey of advancement and progress, guided by principles of integrity, scholarship and service.

‘I challenge us all to let us work tirelessly to uphold the values upon which this university was founded, and to chart a course towards an even brighter future,’ the chancellor said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 22,175 students in various disciplines participated in the convocation from NOUN 120 study centres nationwide.

While 15,768 are undergraduate degrees, 6,407 earned postgraduate degrees, with the Faculty of Social Sciences producing the highest number.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Edo Government has flagged-off the distribution of inputs to small-holder farmers in Edo Central Senatorial District ahead of the 2024 farming season.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a total number of 471 farmers across the five local government areas (LGAs) in Edo central senatorial district benefited from the input distribution.

The flag-off which took place at Irrua, the administrative headquarters of Esan LGA had farmers from Esan North-East, Esan South-East, Esan West and Igueben LGAs in attendance.

NAN also reports that agricultural inputs and Assets were distributed under Edo FADAMA CARES Result Area two programme.

Inputs distributed included 9,900 bundles of cassava stem cuttings, 2,115kg of maize seeds, 1,506 litres of pre- and post-emergence herbicides, 801 bags of NPK fertilizers, 141 bags of urea, 25 multipurpose grinding machines and two tricycle carts.

Gov. Godwin Obaseki, while flagging off the exercise, said the state agricultural policies have impacted positively on farmers
in Edo .

Represented by the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Stephen Idehenre, Obaseki noted that the initiative was aimed at supporting over 12,000 small-holder farmers across the state.

He noted that farmers in the state have been empowered with inputs, essential farm kits, vaccines and poultry feeds to weather the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘In this programme, our target is to empower 4,179 farmers with farm inputs and services such as crops seeds, cassava cuttings, fertilizers, agro chemicals, fingerlings, day-old chicks, among others.

‘Another 3,441 farmers are to be empowered with irrigation facilities to enhance all-year-round farming and rehabilitation of feeder roads for easy access to the farms.

‘The programme is also targeting 4,875 farmers to benefit from cassava and rice milling machines, motorized sprayers, cold rooms multipurpose grinding machines, de-feathering machines and tricycles,’ Obaseki said.

The governor added that the programme has built over
10 markets and provided water reticulation points, toilets and boreholes in the markets.

According the him, EDO FADAMA CARES programme has implemented over 75 per cent of its targets across the 18 local government areas.

‘Today, as a follow up, the state government is empowering 471 small-holder farmers in Edo Central senatorial district with all this inputs and Assets you are seeing here.

‘As a government, we will continue to ensure that we provide all the farm inputs needed to make 2024 farming season a success,’ he added.

In his welcome address, the State Project Coordinator, Edward Izevbigie, said the inputs and Assets were hybrid varieties that would guarantee high yields for the farmers.

He disclosed that 160 bags of fertilizers, 1,981 bundles of cassava cuttings, 48 bags of Urea, 300 litres of herbicides and 400kg of maize seeds have been allocated to each of the five LGAs.

He also explained that 15 grinding machines and one tricycle was allocated to Igueben local government, Esan West was alloca
ted 10 grinding machines while Esan central got one tricycle in addition to other inputs distributed.

In his remarks, the chairman of Esan Central local government, Mr John Iyoha, who thanked the governor on behalf of the farmers, promised to set up a monitoring team to ensure that the inputs were well utilized.

According to him, this is the first time the whole of Esan land is witnessing this kind of large-scale inputs distribution. It has never happened.

‘We thank Gov. Godwin Obaseki for fulfilling his promises to Esan people,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The police in the Oshana Region are investigating a culpable homicide case after a 33-year-old man reportedly died in a car accident in Indangungu area of Ondangwa on Friday.

According to the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) Oshana Regional Commander Commissioner Naftali Lungameni Sakaria on Saturday, the accident occurred around 11:30 when the driver of a white Polo Vivo with an Ondangwa registration number lost control over the vehicle at Indangungu curve, causing it to overturn.

The deceased was identified as Ndjoba Henry Nghidipohamba, a resident of Omwandi in Ondangwa and a member of the Namibian Defence Force.

‘Three other occupants, Jafet Kashanu, (30), Jonas Kashipi Shipingana (31) and Natalia Namindi (31) all sustained injuries, with one of them, transferred to Oshakati hospital in a serious condition,’ Sakaria said.

Police investigations continue.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency