"God Has Favoured Delta State" - Governor Uduaghan

"God Has Favoured Delta State" - Governor Uduaghan

•  27 August, 2013

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has attributed the successes of his administration to the faithfulness of God  just as he asked deltans to continue to pray for the peace and unity of the state.
Dr. Uduaghan who stated this yesterday (26-8-13) during the Annual Thanksgiving, Praise and Worship Programme tagged “DELTA YADAH 2013-An Evening of Thanksgiving” in Asaba explained that his administration has been able to achieve its present developmental strides because the power of God was at work and expressed gratitude to God for the unity of the state.

According to him “Delta State have gone through several phases since creation, there has been challenges, crisis and violence, but in the midst of all these troubles, God listened and intervened. All that we have achieved so far is by the grace of God.”

He continued “He is a God of peace; an unchanging God,  he brought peace to Delta State, he listens to us in times of trouble and have continued to bind the state together as an indivisible entity. I thank God for this and for all he has done for this administration to move the state forward.”

 Dr. Uduaghan commended  the Special Guest artiste, Mr. Lionel Peterson, an International Gospel Artiste from South Africa that performed during the show for his inspirational songs stressing that his songs has always motivated him  to be firm and steadfast in the lord.

He appreciated the founder of the Delta YADAH programme, Mrs. Patricia Uwaje-King for the success of the programme in the last four years and thanked all those that have assisted her to make the dream a reality assuring her that the annual event will continue in the state even after his tenure.

According to him “Next year will be the last of this annual thanksgiving programme in my tenure, l want to assure you that this programme will continue in the next administration because this state is anchored on God.”

Dr. Uduaghan also promised the audience that next year’s edition of “Delta YADAH” would be bigger and would feature four renowned international gospel artistes including Donnie McClurkin, Israel Houghton, Kirk Franklin and Cece Winans. He pleaded with Lionel Peterson to join them.
Dr. Uduaghan who dedicated the state’s 22nd anniversary celebration to prayers and thanksgiving said “God inhabits the praises of his people and the state has imbibed this attitude of gratitude at all times. We will celebrate this year’s anniversary  with prayers and thanksgiving to God for his mercies on the state”.

The 2013 Delta YADAH programme  which was an evening of thanksgiving and praise featured performance from a host of renowned  gospel artistes including Lara George, Nathaniel Bassey, Solomon Urete, Chioma Jesus, Doris Dumah, Vinchy and Midnight Crew.

Asaba International Airport To Airlift Pilgrims To Holy Land

•  27 August, 2013

THE Delta State government is to collaborate with the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) to airlift pilgrims from the Asaba International Airport to the holy lands overseas.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State said his administration would work with the NCPC to ensure that there were no hitches in the airlifting of the pilgrims, stating that neigbouring states should also, be allowed to make use of the airport to travel on pilgrimages.

Speaking at Warri when a team of the NCPC led by its Executive Secretary, Revd. John Kennedy Opara, paid him a courtesy visit, the Governor observed that the use of the Asaba International Airport to airlift pilgrims is a welcome development.

He said that it is on record that pilgrims from Delta State to the different holy lands do not abscond but use such trips for spiritual and moral reasons

He disclosed that his administration has also, mapped out programmes to ensure that pilgrims from the state do not only embark on the trips for spiritual and moral reasons, but also find time to study the agriculture programme of the places like Israel during pilgrimage.

 “We have introduced a system where Deltans are allowed to study the nature of agriculture of the people of Israel while on pilgrimage, so, it is not only for spiritual benefit”, he stated noting that Nigeria has more fertile land than Israel but the agriculture sector of that country was thriving more.

He used the occasion to challenge the NCPC to have a laid-down procedure for intending pilgrims who wished to sponsor themselves to do so with ease, assuring that the state government would meet up with its quota of sending 1, 500 pilgrims to the holy land this year.

“For us in Delta State, we take the issue of pilgrimage very serious and we commend your efforts in encouraging Nigerians to go on pilgrimage because, there is a lot of benefits in going on pilgrimage,” Dr Uduaghan.

Earlier, Revd. Opara who accompanied by Commissioners in the NCPC, lauded Governor Uduaghan for the massive development being witnessed in Delta State, observing that Governor Uduaghan has a great vision for the state adding, “I believe that you coming to Delta State as a Governor is divine.”

He disclosed that 1, 500 slots have been allocated to Delta State for the next pilgrimage, stating that plans were on for the pilgrims to be airlifted from the Asaba International Airport.

Revd. Opara stated that it was important for Nigerians to go on pilgrimage because of the spiritual and moral benefits of having such trips, adding that families were now encouraged to go on pilgrimage together because a lot of benefits are derivable when families pray together.

Gov Uduaghan, Pa Oritsejafor Predict Brighter Future For Delta State

•  27 August, 2013

DELTA State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and National CAN President, Papa Ayo Oritsejafor, yesterday in Warri, predicted brighter future for Delta State.

At an inter-denominational Thanksgiving Service held at the Living Faith Church Church, Warri to mark 22nd anniversary of the state creation, Governor Uduaghan stated that the challenging days of the state were over for good, adding that the future of the state was brighter in the years ahead.

According to Uduaghan, despite the challenges that the state has encountered, Deltans deserves to celebrate peace and development being witnessed in the state.

"A state that was synonymous with violence before now is now known for peace," the Governor said at the service attended by eminent Deltans and former Military Administrators of the state.

He said that the state was moving fast and that developmental projects were going on in different parts of the state, specifically saying that the transformation of the Eneheren junction would be replicated in other busy junctions in the state.

"I did promise and prayed to God that we are finishing strong and we will finish well and strong," the Governor stated and challenged the people of the state to use whatever position they are holding to work in the interest of the state and to the glory of God.

Also, he tasked all Deltans to work hard for the growth of the state, saying he alone cannot do it.

He said; "We have moved very fast in the last 22 years. Delta State is overcoming its challenges. The state is now the most peaceful in the country. We are moving on in terms of development. The image of Delta State is changing for good."

The Governor who had earlier taken the first reading from Psalm 138: 1-8 added that; "As a governor, I cannot do everything. If you have a responsibility, use it well for the good of Delta State. The future is brighter for the state than where we are coming from, but we all must work hard to achieve the greater dream for Delta State, created exactly 22 years ago."

Officiating at the Service, Pastor Oritejafor said; "We have come a long way. 22 years is not a joke; Deltans must be grateful to God. There is bright future for the state. There istomorrow  for Delta State. The governor alone cannot do everything. Are we all working? Government is paying you, but you have other business."

The National CAN President also said; "God will not forget Delta State because of our thanksgiving to Him; Delta state will not be consumed. Morning for Delta State has come and God is about to do some strange things in Delta State."

According to our correspondents, former military administrators of the state, including Bassey Asuquo, Yeri and Walter Feghabo who handed over power to Chief James Ibori in 1999 attended the thanksgiving service also graced by eminent Deltans and others from far and near.

Prayers were offered for Governor Uduaghan, his family and for Delta State.

Governor Uduaghan Charges The Media On The Sustenance Of The Nation's Democracy

•  25 August, 2013

The Delta State Governor, Dr. Emanuel Uduaghan has called on the media to use their position to strengthen  and sustain the country’s democracy and unity.

Dr  Uduaghan who made this call over the weekend at the 9th All Nigerian Editors’ Conference Investiture and Gala Nite in Asaba said that “the media has a onerous responsibility to protect and strengthen the nation’s unity and democracy as their reports have great impact on the nation and can either make or mar our democracy”.

According to him, “ journalists should be objective and balanced in their reports as whatever you write or did not write, whatever you do or did not do can either keep the nation together or break it up.”

He reminded them that “the sustenance of the nation’s democracy  is the duty of all nigerians especially the media and we all have to take this duty seriously”.
 While commending the Guild for their contributions to the development of the country, Dr. Uduaghan said the editors have a big role to play in the sustenance of the country’s democracy and called on them to use the conference to brainstorm on measures to be taken to achieve sustainable economic development in the country.

Governor Uduaghan reiterated the state government’s commitment to the diversification of the economy through the “Delta Beyond Oil” initiative adding that his administration has implemented various people-oriented programmes throughout the state for the benefit of all deltans.

He explained that the  state government’s human capital development initiatives like the healthcare programmes including the free maternal and child care, free and qualitative education and scholarship, affordable transportation system and empowerment programmes were dear to him as they impact more on the lives of the deltans  positively.
According to him “The developmental stride of this administration speaks for itself, l do not need to talk much on what l am doing in the state. You have gone round today on facility tour and l know you saw most of these projects.”

Dr. Uduaghan enjoined the Guild to take advantage of the rich tourism potentials of the state  for their conferences and meetings as the state was doing a lot to develop the tourism sector.
His words, “tourism is vital to the “Delta Beyond Oil” initiative and the state is doing a lot to develop this sector. In the last few days, you have seen part of our tourism potentials. I enjoin you to take advantage of it whenever you want to host your meetings and conferences.”

In a brief response, the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr. Femi Adesina, commended Governor Uduaghan for his commitment and presence at all the sessions of the conference  stating “ We have never seen this kind of commitment from a governor since the inception of the annual conference of the guild. This is very rare.”
 He thanked Delta state government for the hospitality throughout the conference stressing that the state has set an enviable standard for other states that would host them subsequently.

His words, “ Delta State has set an enviable standard in the hosting of the Guild’s annual conference. Any other state going to host us after today will have a hard task to beat the standard. The experience we had these past 4 days in Delta has been wonderful and we thank the state government for this hospitality.” 
He also commended the State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan for his foresight in initiating the “Delta Beyond Oil” initiative from where the theme of the conference was coined.

Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, Immediate Past President of the Guild, who responded on behalf of  fellows and new members inducted into the Guild promised that they would uphold the ethics of the profession in all they do and take the profession to greater heights.

Guild of Editors Comference Day 2

Day 2 of the conference of Nigerian Guild of Editors promises to be educative as issues pertaining the way forward on diversifying the Nigerian economy has been lined up with shakers and movers of industries ready to brainstorm on the topics to come up with a workable roadmap for the realization of the vision "NIGERIA BEYOND OIL". Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, MD/CEO of Access Bank will be presenting a paper on Financial Institutions In A Non-Oil Economy; Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Akinwunmi Adesina, is expected to present the second lecture on "Agriculture: The Value Chain Roadmap"; while the last paper for the day, "Oil Exhaustible, Tourism Inexhaustible", will be presented by Minister of Tourism, Edem Duke.

The day would be rounded up with an Executive Session, where the participants would have the opportunity to interact with invited Chief Executives of Various states.

Yesterday, Professor Sylvester Monye, Special Adviser to the President on Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, thrilled the audience with a beautiful and enlightened lecture on Opportunities in Non-Oil Nigeria. The session ended with a conclusion that, though investing will always come with some element of risk, "the growth rate of the non-oil sector in the last 5-7years indicates that there are significant opportunities in the sector". He further advised Nigerians to harness this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity now. — Day 2: 9th Conference of Nigerian Guild of Editors (5 photos)

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Tuesday Summit: Varsity degree not superior to HND – ASUP President

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Dr. Asomugha Chibuzor

[By Isah Idris]

Dr. Asomugha Chibuzor is the National President, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP). In this interview with Isah Idris, in Abuja, he spoke on the disparities between university and polytechnic education, the dangers in scrapping of NECO, UTME, and the need to strenghten basic primary education in the country and other issues. Excerpts

There has been effort to bridge the gap and the dichotomy between the products of polytechnics, colleges of education and that of universities. What is the latest development on the issue? 

We have actually been invited by the Minister of Education because there has been this agitation over the years. Actually the core of the problem is the relationship between polytechnics and universities and the mindset of the Nigerian public, even our policy makers on the worth of the certificates both systems awards.

You know, there have been some kind of discriminations in the labour market, such that even the Stephen Orosanye himself when he was head of service tried to effect some changes. It is part of what the former President Olusegun Obasanjo tried to do, to give the same status to both polytechnics, colleges of education and universities.

Orosanye when he was the head of civil service didn’t want the discrimination to be. And we are saying that, there has to be a bridging of the dichotomy so that graduates of polytechnics will also have the same esteem, and by this, the society and the polytechnic system would survive. We have discovered that because of this discrimination even in the work places, the diploma is made to appear substandard, so that people don’t want the situation any longer, where degree is rated above HND.

Lecturers get qualified in this system (Polytechnics and Colleges of Education) and they go away to other system where perhaps they get more recognition.  So, that was the idea behind the Dual Mode institution. In the polytechnics, if they are qualified in their areas of strength, they can actually award degrees.

However, I have always insisted that it is a matter of nomenclature and the character and as a matter of fact, it was the certification in both systems. There is nothing that says that, what we call degrees would not be applicable to technical education. There is nothing that says that but we are looking at it differently, people are building empires and egos are rising about this matter. It’s a question of nomenclature, its semantics

In other countries, it is not done that way. PHD is a PHD anywhere. If somebody made a PHD and is teaching in a Polytechnic, does the PHD become inferior because he is in a polytechnic? Certainly, not so, that is just the position. So, we believe in what the Minister of Education is doing, if the other grey areas are worked out properly, we should be able to progress on this front.

 What level have you reached with the Minister and what are the next steps forward?

It is not the question of agreement. Her mindset actually is that in some forms, we should start the process of awarding degrees but what we are pursuing is that there are larger issues to be reconciled, like the structures, like we have talked of the regulatory body. Who would regulate these programmes, are we going to have dual regulation under NUC or under NBTE or under NCCE so, these are some of the issues that have to be worked out.

And then, there are policies. There are laws that have to be amended, because there are so many things to be touched. Then, we are also talking of nomenclature of the teaching staffs in the College of Education and the Polytechnics. Not just the nomenclatures, where you don’t have professors, you don’t have readers in polytechnics and colleges of education. All you have is principal lecturers, chief lecturers, which do not exist anywhere globally. So, what we are saying is that, set the same standard for everybody, but let us have access to degree education as we know it. Let the same standard be set for all sectors in the tertiary institution, as a matter of fact, this level should apply initially as a starting point.

And we are also saying that, technical education if we are really serious should be given a peculiar character in the Nigerian context. And even if it means given it at a level that we call it first degree, let it come at that level also.

How many polytechnics will be affected in the proposed award of degrees status for now?

What they did initially and which we protested against was to choose Yaba College of Technology and Kaduna Polytechnic and they wanted to convert them to universities and we said, this conversion to universities is not the solution. And this is where the Dual Mode idea comes up, as an option to conversion issue.

[HND holders are better managers in  industries, says Chibuzor]

Because, if you want to convert, there are so many polytechnics that are qualified in a particular area and that is why we said, you may have a polytechnic that is better than other institutions in just one programme. Even if that programme is in the university, that polytechnic in her area of strength should be able to admit students since JAMB has so many student applicants. Why wouldn’t that Polytechnic admit students in B.TECH in that area and if not, how do you think the lecturers wouldn’t run away again. If actually those polytechnic can admit students in B.TECH degree programme, the students will be proud to be there, the esteem of the polytechnic will rise in the eyes of Nigerian public and the employers. This would be all round.

As the National President of Association of Staff Union of Polytechnic, what is your take on the ongoing discussion to scrap the two external examination bodies, the NECO and UMTE?

I have always said we would not comment on that particularly issue, we want to comment on the whole of Orosanya report. The issues that the Federal Government would want to address in the Orosanya report touch the lives of people, it touches the lives of Nigerians including; parents, students and the lives of pensioners.

In this issue, there are cost implications; there are generational repercussions for jobs that may be lost. What we are saying is that, it is not bad that the government wants improvement but the consideration for improvement must not always be a cut in cost of governance.  And if they want to do this, let there be stakeholders’ conference and consent for any of such matter, so that, government will hear from the people, who are to be affected by the policies. Because people can just sit on their stools and take decisions, you don’t know and you don’t mind how it affects the people and these actions would always results in policy summersault.

You want to scrap NECO but NECO was set up for a purpose. Has that purpose been taken care of? JAMB was set up for a purpose. Has that purpose been taken care of? For instance, if JAMB stops operating UMTE, what the implication means is that, we will return to chronic difficulties in getting admissions. Many students would now have to buy forms and take it to so many universities again and some parents will obviously not be able to afford this expenditure.

So, I think government should be wise enough to call people, stakeholders together, listen to them, take inputs from the streets, from the real people before they can now begin to release white paper and take proper decision. That is our own position.

Has this Dual Mode in the award of degrees in tertiary institutions, considered the issue of resource verifications in those institutions being considered for implementation?

Of course we are not saying you would just come and give every polytechnics degree awarding status, we shall set the standard. So, whatever the standards are, take them to the polytechnics, whatever the standards you want to set should not be beyond what you have set for the universities. Take them to the polytechnics, put them on the table, let the polytechnics bring their programmes, their personnel, their facilities. Anyone that meets it in their own area of discipline is granted opportunity to run degree courses. How would that be different? That is what we are saying.

Recently I took on some teachers of Primary and Junior Secondary Schools in the FCT on continuous increase in failure among Senior Secondary Students in NECO, WAEC and JAMB and majority felt, they are not contented with the ongoing 9-3-4 curriculum. They insisted, there is no room for serious assessment of pupils and students unlike under the 6-3-3-4 curriculum. What is your view as a principal stakeholder in the education sector?

The major problem we have with Nigeria is not just with education sector but what we call policy tochy-toffy. We just summersault policies as we like. A person would just come, a consultant would bring in one suggestion, one proposal and immediately it is implemented without checking what has happened to the last one. Eventually, we will come back to the previous ones. You see, at a time they scrapped Unity Schools of JSS and said there is only SSS but now, they have come back again to JSS in Unity Schools. So, what I think people in government should actually do is, first of all, let there be sincerity at that level of governance and policy making. It is a question of whose interest are we working for? If it is personal interest we are working for, then we will continue to have these kinds of problems.

Let us work for the interest of Nigerians and the interest of Nigerian child, because, the repercussions are there with us every day. You see, building more universities is not the issue, building more polytechnics is not the issue.

The point is from the primary school level that is where the attention of the government must now return to. Who teaches in the primary schools? Where are they produced? What is the quality of environments where our teachers are produced? If you look at the syllabus, the course contents of programmes in the primary schools now, they are ahead of what they used to be. But the point is that, why are the students not better now than they use to be in those days? It’s a big problem.

These same pupils, these same students, you push them to the polytechnic, you push them to colleges of education and universities and you create problems. Now, you create more universities, you create more polytechnics, you push them in, because we want more access to education. What manner of education?

These are the reasons we are insisting on education that would give competence, skills, relevance and the ability to survive in a changing world. And we think that education has to be technically and technologically tainted. That is just our opinion.

Today we can see a situation where common entrance is no more taken seriously in public schools as a way of assessing pupils before proceeding to junior secondary schools. What does it portend?

These are issues you cannot just say, go ahead or don’t go ahead. When there are common entrances, was anybody failing it, if you come to think of it, you know sometimes there are political and sectional considerations, and they will say move and everybody will move but in the long run, it’s terrible.

We have to restructure what we are doing. Everybody must not go to university. It doesn’t happen like that in developed society, everybody must not go to university.           

How would you differentiate the policy of upgrading the polytechnic to university and the Dual Mode institutions?

It should not be an upgrading; we don’t like upgrading because it makes it sound as if we are inferior. Let’s have dual mode degree because we are doing what we supposed to be doing and we need to do more by allowing polytechnics to award degrees in their areas of strength, because of the increasing demand by Nigerians for quality education.

Polytechnic education is for a purpose and if we can stand for that purpose, it is good for Nigerian economy. There is increasing demand for technical and quality education, because we don’t want to have people acquiring education and are not employable, those who cannot defend their certificate and are not employable. On the issue of discrimination between certificate from polytechnics and that of universities like we have said, is psychological. So, it is just in the mind of Nigerians as some feel degree is superior. Initially, because of this perception, degree holders used to be managers and HND holders used to do the real work. This development actually transformed to one of inferior-superior relationship but this perception cannot continue, because this country is progressing so, people are no more using that.

Even in developing countries outside Nigeria, that dichotomy is not applicable. For instance, when you go to Malaysia, you don’t see degree holders running their industries. It is HND holders with technical background that run the industries.