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Reps Fume As Polytechnic With 142 Students Spent Over N600m On Personnel, Overhead

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Reps Fume As Polytechnic With 142 Students Spent Over N600m On Personnel, Overhead

Ekwutosblog has gathered that the House of Representatives Committee on Polytechnics and other Higher Technical Education has fumed over the discovery that Federal Polytechnic Ugep, Cross Rivers State, spends over N600 million on personnel and overhead costs despite having only 142 students and 154 academic and non-academic staff.

The discovery was made after a submission on budget performance and other activities by the Rector of the Polytechnic, Professor Edward N.Okey, before the committee on Monday.

As part of its ongoing oversight function, the committee had invited Federal Polytechnics and some other technical institutions from the South-South to appear.

The Committee Chairman, Fouad Kayode Laguda, and members were angered that, Federal Polytechnic Ugep also spent N38million on local travel.

The rector of the Polytechnic had in his presentation, claimed that the management also spent N20 billion take-off grant to renovate the abandoned, dilapidated structure of Ugep Community Secondary School to use as a temporary campus and put up structures on the Institute of Technology Management (ITM) which he said they have eventually taken over as their permanent site.

“Our school was established in 2021. When we went to Ugep in 2021, we were to start the school at a temporary site in the state Polytechnic called Institute of Technology and Management (ITM). But, when we got there, we could not get the state polytechnic to start the school.

“So, the first challenge we had was to identify a temporary site to start the school to take off. That took us more than a year because Ugep is a village. It’s a big town, but it’s a local town. To get a school for us to start was not an easy task.

“When we started, we had 16 students, but this year, we have admitted 63 so far, so we have a total of 79. So, invariably, we have performed more than the school that started 12 years ago. Now, we we have a total of 132. We took over the students and staff of ITM”.

But, the chairman interjected and corrected the rector on the number of students, saying that when added, it is 142, not 132.

A member of the Committee, after an observation of the institution’s expenditure, described the spending as a waste and unsustainable.

He said, “It is high time we tell ourselves the truth. If you have 142 students, that’s like an elementary school. In my village, we have a primary school. The students there are more than 500.

“A Polytechnic, a federal Polytechnic for that matter having 142 students and your personnel is N496 million, almost N500 million, for a school that has 142 students. Your overhead is N159 million for a school that has 142 students. Your Capital is N25 million. What is the justification for all this spending?”.

Chairman of the Committee, Laguda, while addressing the rectors at the end of the sitting, expressed the disappointment of the Committee over the poor presentation by the institutions.

He said, “We called schools from South-South for an oversight and… Not one of the schools met the required requirements or did what was expected. Considering the fact that you had over a week of notification.

“But you’ve been aware over two months ago that your turn was going to come. Because we’ve been doing this oversight function for a while. Out of seven schools, one of the schools is not even here today”.

 

Education

UNIZIK Lecturer loses life during a tragic atta3k by U G M In Anambra

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A senior lecturer with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Dr. Osita Chinedu has been k+lled by a gang of g¥nmen.

Dr. Chinedu who hails from Nteje in Oyi local government area of Anambra State, according to an eyewitness, was sh+t dead around the High Tension area in Awka by h+odlums who trailed him to the area at about 8 pm on Monday, December 16, 2024.

The eyewitness stated that the lecturer was driving in his Toyota Corolla when the h+odlums, who were also driving in another Toyota Corolla blocked his car, jumped out of their car and went straight for him.

The source said that immediately the lecturer came out from his car to query the reason for the blockage, one of the assailants pulled out a g¥n, and fired twice, sh+ttering his head.

“Those thieves went into his car, ran the car over him before driving away with his Toyota Corolla and their own too,” the eyewitness narrated.

According to Leadership, while those people were putting the remains of the lecturer in the boot of their vehicle, a team of policemen from the Central Police Station (CPS), Awka, arrived.

The police insisted that the remains of the late lecturer be handed over to them, but his people appealed to the police to leave the body of the sl+in lecturer for them.

Spokesperson of the Anambra police command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga in a statement appealed to the management of the institution, eyewitnesses and any other member of the public who might have any information that could help to arrest the k+llers to assist with information.

“The murderers made away with his car, a Toyota Corolla 2006 model, Ash colour with an Enugu Plate number, UWN 158 AS.

 

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Education

Delta wins $400,000 Bill and Melinda Gates primary health award

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Delta State Government Thursday received $400,000 (four hundred thousand United States dollars) from the Primary Healthcare Leadership challenge organized by the Nigerian Governors forum in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for outstanding performance in primary health care management.

The award, which was organized by the Nigerian Governors Forum NGF, Federal Ministry of Health. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and UNICEF was in recognition of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s initiative in the health sector for the past one year in line with the MORE agenda of his administration.

Nigeria’s Vice President, Alhaji Kashim Shettima and chairman of the Governors Forum, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, who is also Governor of Kwara State, were present during the handover of the prize and money to Delta State officials.

Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme and Director General of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC), Dr Isaac Akpoveta were on ground to receive the award on behalf of Governor Oborevwori.

The award, started in 2019, was to shore up performance at the primary health care level so as to make health more accessible to people at the grassroots.

It is the first time since the inception of the awards that Delta will be considered for mention in any category of recognition. It has never won any prize money.

Speaking after collecting the award on behalf of Governor Oborevwori, Dr Onojaeme said that the award was proof that the administration’s MORE agenda was on course and yielding positive results.

He disclosed that Governor Oborevwori’s determination and commitment to revamp the health sector was not in doubt, adding that the recent approval for the renovation of over 150 primary health care centers (PHCs) must have been pivotal to receiving the award.

Delta State was considered for award after a visit of the technical committee set up to assess the state of PHCs in all 36 states and Abuja, the Federal Capital.

 


The committee comprised of representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, World Health Organisation (WHO), World Bank, United Nations Food Programme (UNFPA), among others.

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Education

NYSC DG Leads Search For Missing Corps Member

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Ekwutosblog has gathered that Director-General of National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brigadier General YD Ahmed, has called for collective efforts in the search for Yahaya Farouk, a corps member, who went missing in Ikuru Town, Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The NYSC chief, during his visit to the community, yesterday, urged residents, including youths and elders, to support security agencies in locating the missing corps member.

Ahmed also inspected the scene of the incident and emphasized the shared responsibility of host communities to ensure the safety and welfare of corps members serving in their domains.

He reiterated his administration’s dedication to advocate better security measures for all NYSC participants across the country.

He said: “The essence of my coming is to appeal to assist us in getting the corps member, who came for national service from another state.

“My administration will continue to appeal for adequate security and welfare of Corps members at all times. It is also the responsibility of residents of Corps members’ host communities to provide security and welfare package for corps members serving in their domain.”

At a meeting held during the visit, the Youth President, Etete Jerb Anthony, and the Ward Secretary, Paul Friday, disclosed that the community had made significant efforts to locate Farouk, who disappeared while at a Chinese mining company within the area.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continue search and rescue operations.

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