Governor Rochas: Declare State Of Emergency in State Public Schools

Owelle Rochas Okorocha, Governor of Imo State


Governor Rochas: Declare State Of Emergency in State Public Schools

~ By Nwaorgu Faustinus


Though the 2011general elections in Imo state have come and gone, with particular reference to the governorship polls where the people’s candidate, Rochas Okorocha defeated the incumbent governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim who did not leave any stone unturned in opening his frightful financial political muscle in order to perpetuate himself in office, which of course did fail. What is the trend now are the comments, analyses, advice, suggestions, opinions and articles against and for the legality behind the dissolution of the 27 LGAs by the new administration in Imo State.


Primary School Pupils. Photo Credit: Imo State Blog

Now that the parties involved (the state government and the dissolved Council LGAs) are locked in a legal battle over the dissolution of the Council Areas, which is the constitutional thing to do, one can not forget in a hurry the first casualties of Oweelle Rochas’s action as he assumed office which political analysts and observers say will ever remain indelible in the minds of many. The court having taken over the
case, there should be cessation of comments because a case or dispute as the above is not trashed out on pages of newspapers or internet based media sites but in a competent court of law.


The kernel of this piece is the challenges or Herculean tasks that stare the state government in the face with respect to the education sector, which are multifaceted given the lean resources at its prudent use. One major area Chief Rochas Okorocha must take proactive step to revolutionalize is the education sector among other sectors. The importance of education is so invaluable that any state, society country or nation cannot toy with it. Education without mincing words is enlightenment and avenue of advancement which ought to be sustained for generation as according to Sunday Atomode, “it is a legacy which when bestowed cannot be withdrawn on any account except perhaps through inhuman degradation of brainwashing or disease that cause memory lost”. Therefore, education remains the upholder of the expectation, hope and yearnings for the poorest of the poor of society.


Without doubt, it is the eternal bequest any society, government,
administration or nation can give its citizen or natives. It is
therefore a commendable first step taken by the governor when he
announced that his government will give free education to primary and
secondary school students as well as review downwards school fees paid
in higher institutions as part of his party’s campaign promise and
education policy.


To achieve its education policy, the security votes of the Governor,
Deputy Governor, the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, the Chief Judge and
House Members was cut from 6.5 billion naira to 2.5 billion naira.
Given the premium the governor attaches to education, unlike previous
administrations, he toured many several primary and secondary schools
to have first hand information about the state of affairs in the
educational institutions which are in great pathetic situation,
capable of making one sigh, sad and wonder why the schools are the way
they are.


Given the deplorable state of most public primary and secondary
schools in Imo State, one wonders if the free education policy of the
current administration is a way of declaring a state of emergency in
that sector. If it is not, a total war should be unleashed in the
sector bearing in mind the mammoth decay in our citadels of learning
across the various Local Government Areas. A visit to most schools
will reveal great decay in infrastructure such as school buildings,
libraries, classrooms, toilets, laboratories among others. Amala/Ntu
Secondary School in Ngor/Okpala LGA can be used as a good reference
point of a school that has witnessed infrastructural decay and neglect
by previous administration on one hand and vandalization at the other.
Apart from these, there is depopulation of staff and students’
population in many rural primary and secondary schools, inadequate
teaching materials and seats. In the time past, it was a tradition or
policy of the government to equip schools with seats but today most
students, if not all go to market to purchase seats they use in
school.


In addition to free education given to primary and secondary school
students, the present administration should as a matter of urgency
renovate and build new structures that will accommodate new students,
poor students who dropped out of school and students who will leave
private schools soon for public schools as a result of the
introduction of free education in the state. Similarly, old or non
functional principal and teachers quarters should be renovated and new
ones built to accommodate some categories of teachers. Furthermore,
the governor should put a programme of action in place with a view to
making it compulsory for teachers to live in the school environment in
order to monitor the behaviour of students apart from being available
to assist them solve academic problems that are related to subjects
they teach. Their salary should be paid as at when due and promotion
extended to deserving ones to encourage them put in their best.


On the issue of limited number of staff in some primary and secondary
schools, the state government should deploy more teachers to schools
where their services are needed as there are schools that lack
teachers who will teach certain subjects. Lateness to school should
not be tolerated as there should be mechanism put in place to monitor
teachers. In this regard, unscheduled visits should be paid to schools
where the culture of late coming has been established with a view to
punishing culprits to serve as a deterrent to others. If need be,
teachers who are perpetual late comers should be dismissed. Students
who come to school late should also be punished adequately to
discourage others from doing the same.



Security in and around state public schools especially primary and
secondary schools should be encouraged by way of providing security
guards for the schools to protect life and property. Apart from
security, the state government should equip libraries, introductory
technology workshops, science laboratories among others in state
public schools. It is now the trend to set up computer laboratories to
encourage the teaching of computer in primary and secondary schools.
The state government should key into this by establishing computer
laboratory in the schools.


There should be training and retraining of teachers so as to gain
effective means of imparting knowledge into the students. This will go
along way in making the students to compete favourably with their
counterparts abroad.

Finally, the state government if need be, should borrow a leaf from
the education policy of Rivers State government if the words of Mr.
Abdulwaheed Omar, President of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) is any
thing to go by. According to him, "As a professional teacher I can
testify that the new schools built by the administration are a
reflection of focused leadership. As a teacher I am highly impressed
with this kind of school facilities provided by the Rivers State
Government for its children."

It could be recalled that governor Amaechi declared state of emergency
in the education sector when he assumed the administration of Rivers
State. Today, he has given a facelift to the sector.


Nwao(r)gu, Faustinus Chilee writes from Igboetche, Port Harcourt,
Rivers State. Mobile: +2348035601312.
Email:ngorokpalaresearcher@yahoo.com

Movie of the Month: The First Grader

Media Roundtable Discussion with Justin Chadwick, Director of the Movie, The First Grader from George Wada on Vimeo.

Justin Chadwick's remarkable film The First Grader is our movie of the month and when you see it, you would be be thrilled to agree with our choice.



Read the synopsis for a start.

Kenya, 2003: A radio DJ announces that the Kenyan government is offering free primary school education to all. Maruge (OLIVER LITONDO), an 84 year-old villager, hears this and decides he wants to educate himself. Arriving at his local school, with a newspaper clipping about this change in policy, he meetsJane (NAOMIE HARRIS), the school’s principal, and expresses his desire to learn. Her colleague Alfred (ALFRED MUNYUA), in an effort to get rid of him, tells him all pupils need two pencils and an exercise book.



The next day, Maruge returns, telling Jane he wants to learn to read. He has a letter from the “Office of the President” that he wants to understand. Exasperated, she tells him the school already has too many pupils. Later that night, she tells her husband Charles (TONY KGOROGE) about Maruge. Cautious of his own position, working alongside the government in Nairobi, he advises her to fight the battles she can win.
After cutting his trousers and turning them into shorts, Maruge returns to the school again. While Jane tells the school inspector Mr. Kipruto (VUSI KUNENE)on the telephone that she currently has five children to a desk, when Maruge re-appears, she relents. Alfred is reluctant, yet Jane is defiant, claiming Kipruto is not the head of the school. Allowing Maruge into her class, she seats him near the front – after he admits his eyesight is not so good – and begins to teach him, and her other charges, how to write the alphabet.

Plagued by memories of his time in Kenya in 1953, when he fought with the Mau Mau against the British, it even impacts upon Maruge in class, when Alfred scolds him for not keeping his pencil sharp. Made to sharpen it, he breaks down as he recalls a time when the British tortured him – using a sharp pencil brutally thrust into his ear. Apologising to Jane, saying it won’t happen again, Maruge later educates his fellow pupils, patiently explains about the fight for land that he and other Mau Mau undertook and teaching them the word for ‘freedom’.



Resentment brews over Maruge’s education. At home, people shout that he should stay away from the school, while in the playground, covert photographs are taken of him. Soon enough, the story that an old man is going to school hits the radio airwaves. Kipruto arrives, furious that he has learnt in the press that Maruge is attending his school. Jane tells him that Maruge fought against the British. She later learns from Maruge that the same soldiers killed his family.

Desperate to keep Maruge in school, Jane calls Charles, but he advises her not to go over Kipruto’s head. She wilfully ignores him, visiting the head of the education board to plead Maruge’s case. Her protests fall on deaf ears and Maruge is made to attend an adult education centre, where he soon finds himself surrounded by people with no ambitions to learn. He goes to see Jane, telling her he must learn to read because he wants to be able to understand the letter he’s been sent. Refusing to go back to the adult education centre, Maruge nevertheless must say his goodbyes to the children. Yet Jane offers him a reprieve – as her teaching assistant.

As the story breaks, the press descends on the school, surrounding Jane and wanting to question Maruge. He tells the reporters that the power is in the pen.

Nevertheless, his presence in the school is beginning to cause anger amongst the parents of the young pupils. One mother confront Jane, accusing her of seeking fame and fortune from all the attention, while another father proclaims to Alfred that the school is spending too much time on Maruge. Again, Kipruto arrives with the school in chaos, telling Jane that her special pupil cannot stay and that plans are afoot for the government to compensate the Mau Mau.

Resolute, Jane decides to teach Maruge to read after school has finished – despite receiving threatening phone calls. A delegation of politicians arrive at the school, keen to cash in on the free publicity surrounding Maruge, while secretly demanding that Jane cut them in on any money she has received. Events begin to spiral - people attack the school with sticks while Charles receives an anonymous telephone call, noting his wife is now out of control. Jane soon receives a letter that she is to be transferred to a school 300 miles away. Charles tells her that events surrounding Maruge are tearing them apart, explaining that he’s received calls claiming she has been unfaithful.

Jane explains to Maruge that she is being transferred, and then undertakes an emotional goodbye to the children, who all bring her gifts. Meanwhile, Kipruto introduces the class’ new teacher. Enraged, the children padlock the school gate and throw missiles at her and Kipruto. Meanwhile, Maruge travels to Nairobi, heading to the Ministry of Education, where he confronts the board on behalf of Jane, showing them the scars he sustained as a young man tortured by the British.

Jane returns to the school, where Maruge is there to welcome her back. He wants her to read to him his letter, which explains he will be compensated for his time in the prison camps. As the film draws to a close, the radio DJ announces that Maruge – the Guinness Book of Records holder for the oldest person to go to primary school – will speak at the United Nations.

2011 Online MBA Apps

Via: Online MBA

President Goodluck Jonathan and the Diaspora Vice Chancellors

President Jonathan, the New Style of Academic Leadership by Aluko, Okogbaa and Farouk needs Bold, Full and Open Autonomy to control change.

Sir, the soon to come Academic Leadership approach to the new federal universities will enormously gain from an Executive order-type autonomy in order for it to fully evidence excellent practices, sustained outcomes and well defined changes in university educational system in Nigeria.

Sir, as an academic yourself, you have seen firsthand the lamentable nature of Nigerian higher institutions in spite of millions of money that have been poured into the system.

Sir, you will agree that in the last fifteen years the existing academic leadership in many of these higher institutions have had very little impact on the overall health of our universities, and this is partly because of some members of the leadership being all about self-interest rather focusing on matters of national interest.

Mr. President, as you rightly know, every great development started as an idea, as such to adequately tackle the many human and capital challenges the country currently face, you have looked beyond the old ways of ‘doing things’ in Nigeria. A great move indeed!

Sir, you have done this by taking a very bold and unpopular step which in the words of Mohammed farouk, the new Vice Chancellor of the federal University in Kashere, Gombe, include bringing in those who “will apply their knowledge, skills, expertise, and experiences” to better the nation.

Sir, I can assure you that compared to what exist currently, Bolaji Aluko of Howard University in Washington Dc; O. Geoffrey Okogbaa of the University of South Florida, and Mohammed K. Farouk of the Florida International University will come in with a collective culture in academic leadership and embark on your vision in a way that is marked with aggressive drive and a spirit of mobilization.

But the question Sir, is under what platform and mantle of leadership will they do their respective work? Because for them to bring in meaningful, fundamental and important progressive changes to higher education, they must be protected against the expectations and attitudes of the outmoded mindset that are pervasive within the Nigerian University education system.

There is no attempt here to disparage the work of the officials of the National Universities Commission as they try to function within the present institutional environment that surrounds them in a taxing society like Nigeria.

Mr. President, if you want these new appointees to turn around higher institutional learning in our society; beginning with the ones they will be leading, the long standing academic machinery will need to be ready for fresh, state of the art and cutting-edge approach to university management.Sir, you will agree with me that there could be both overt and covert resistance from the systems currently in place, and this is expected being the way life is.

Sir, I can assure you these Diaspora appointees will strategically, stubbornly, drastically and professionally push against unstable academic environments, unhealthy facilities, and non-functional library system. But again they will need your direct help!

Sir, through a special executive order your new appointees will have more freedom to erect and implement the type of higher learning in your shared vision with them.

The special autonomy which could come in form of writing and full understanding by all stakeholders will in no way diminish the powers, and functions already being exercised by those in charge of academic systems.

It is important that many of us in academic and administrative leadership in the Diaspora salute the Executive Secretary of NUC, Professor Julius Okojie who has continuously worked to raise the academic standards of universities in spite of the societal challenges in Nigeria. Many of us applaud him for his ongoing collaborative and cooperative spirit with the new VCs as they embark on their respective works.

With a greater level of independence, the new VCs will have the chance and control to assist in erecting new machinery in academic leadership that is at par with the 21st century educational system.

If given a special protection from how things are done currently, it is very likely that the learning and teaching environment in their respective pioneering institutions will by every reasonable way shut out and shut down many Nigerian university education problems.

These new appointees will set a far reaching criteria that will steadily enhance faculty/staff quality and development in various areas not limited to mandated completion of trainings in the areas of Sexual Harassment prevention, employment discrimination prevention and student education privacy.

The new Diasporan VCs, using their experiences and highly integrated perspectives will amplify an environment for collaboration with faculty and staff, thereby reducing any room for outdated equipment/laboratories and the almost lifeless infrastructures that currently exist.

They will fully ensure that quality delivery systems and benchmarks for teaching and working are current throughout in their respective universities as that is the only way to enhance a stable learning environment.

They will respectively exert efforts and time on showcasing the new federal universities by providing leadership and a well-defined path to corporate funding, applied research, laboratory development, equitable equipment, modern libraries, and they will promote learner-centered education.

They will aggressively create learning and teaching environments and see to the faculty/staff welfare, and they will create institutional environment that could be unattractive to the never-ending strikes, and the problems of cultism.

They will provide leadership in regards to making sure that each of the new universities has active and workable websites. They will bring in cutting-edge research that focus on solving our local and other home-grown problems.

They will attract lectures of international standards and proactively provide competent instructional technologies, thereby helping to achieve online, blended, and hybrid education which will connect well with face-to-face instructions.

They will aggressively provide leadership in the area of quality assurance in regards to institutional effectiveness, and work aggressively to efficiently and strategically stabilize electrical Power in their respective universities.

They will ensure quality production and establishment of journals, publications and lectures in their respective universities to enhance applied and scientific research.

They will provide strategic ways to protect administrators, faculty and staff from governmental abuse as it relates to the long standing manner of grossly dismissing and firing lecturers, staff, or even Vice-chancellors without any mark of courtesy and due process.

They will provide university environments and facilities which are attractive to international students, and see that an environment exists for functional basic medical and mental health care services.

They will help provide stress and physical examinations and recreational facilities within the new universities as well as provide student activity centers that meet international standards.

They will make sure that university websites are current and updated in order to allow for quick access to our current global economy.
They will be able to easily collaborate with the continental African universities and other institutions in order to build new cultures within our public institutions and private economies.

They will institute functional and quality leadership programs for public, government and corporate officials, thereby shrinking the urge for officials to travel to ‘Oyibo’ lands or European-American lands for ‘course’.

They should be allowed to create security or police type systems in order to fully respond to safety issues as they relate to the problems of strikes, kidnapping and cultism.

They will use their Diaspora experiences to secure external grants which could provide stipends for faculty to develop indigenous research and these monies could help to facilitate faculty collaborations with students for scholarly and applied projects.

They will help attract highly successful but settled diasporan Nigerians who are likely to appear at home and contribute to lectures, journals, books, and indigenous based studies which are akin to the needs of our systems and people.

They will create openings for Nigerian graduates to alternative vocations which could push them towards private corporations, thereby reducing the dependency on white-collar or government office jobs.

In the same vein they will work on harnessing business and entrepreneurial opportunities for their respective graduates.
They will provide leadership that will help create social networks through digital communication for our students thereby providing affordable access to our cyber world.

Mr. President, I would like to believe that your objective is to shape the educational history and culture in Nigeria, but the right person in the right place at the right time is all that is needed to bring in best practices across our higher institutions.

Please be assured that many of us in the Diaspora are fully confident that each of your new appointees will usher in the type of academic leadership and management style our society greatly deserves at this time. Goodluck to you Sir!

~ By John Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D., DABPS; FACFE; is a Licensed Clinical/Forensic Psychologist; Diplomate of American Board of Psychological Specialties; Fellow of American College of Forensic Examiners (For Psy); Former Interim Associate Dean and an Assistant Professor of Psychology, Broward College - North Campus, Florida. joshodi@broward.edu

Hot Topic on Education: We don’t need new varsities – Reps

Award Winning Educational Hip Hop Program Killed by Budget Cuts

22 Feb 2011 13:45 Africa/Lagos


Award Winning Educational Hip Hop Program Killed by Budget Cuts

One of the nation's first programs to bring full-time Hip Hop education to high school students seeks new partners after financial crisis terminates its 5-year run

PR Newswire

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 22, 2011

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Since 2006, The Global Awareness through Hip Hop Culture program has been at the forefront of legitimizing the use of Hip Hop culture in mainstream education. Based at a charter school in South Los Angeles, it has been one of the only educational Hip Hop programs in the nation offered as a regular class to middle and high school students. Sadly, due to ever-increasing budget cuts, the program will no longer have a home come June 2011.

Sebastien Elkouby, the program's founder, created this class to address the educational crisis that affects about 50 percent of inner-city students across the U.S. He says, "For a variety of reasons, many students feel completely disconnected from the traditional educational process. This class uses the positive elements of Hip Hop culture that aren't usually promoted in mainstream media as a medium to develop critical thinking skills while teaching them language arts, social studies, and life skills."

For the past two years, Elkouby watched budget cuts terminate programs nationwide and suspected that his program would eventually suffer a similar fate. "I can't expect my program to be safe when thousands of teachers across the country are receiving pink slips. When it comes down to choosing between a Hip Hop class and a science class, it doesn't take a genius to figure out who's getting the ax first, no matter how enriching my program has proven to be."

During its run, the program experienced great success. Elkouby says, "We've achieved a lot. We've had Hip Hop legends like MC Lyte and KRS-ONE as guests. We've sent kids to DJ retreats. We've been awarded state-of-the-art studio equipment. We've received international media coverage and been featured in documentaries ... and this doesn't even cover a third of what we've achieved. But what I'm most proud of is the impact that the program has had on the students. For hundreds of them, this class has been life-changing."

Former student A. Dominguez says, "Taking this class has made me realize how much I have changed as an individual and has given me the hope to pursue my wildest dreams. Everyone should be able to participate in such a life-changing experience!"

In 2007, Elkouby began working with the International Visitors Council of Los Angeles, advising educators from around the world on how to use Hip Hop culture as an educational medium. In 2008, the National Society of High School Scholars selected Elkouby as "Educator of Distinction." Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to prevent the program from being terminated.

Elkouby is hopeful that the program will find a new home. "It doesn't even have to be offered at a school," he says. "I'm open to bringing the program wherever the need is. I know that there's money available to fund creative programs. We just have to find it. Who knows? It may even come from someone in the Hip Hop community."

The Global Awareness through Hip Hop Culture Program is currently in session until June 2011.

About The Global Awareness through Hip Hop Culture Program

The Global Awareness through Hip Hop Culture Program is an innovative music, language arts, and social studies program designed to assist low-performing students in developing their language skills, life skills, and global awareness through culturally responsive pedagogy. For more info, contact Sebastien Elkouby at urbanscientists@hotmail.com or 310-654-1681. Visit http://www.GlobalAwarenessThroughHipHopCulture.com.

This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE Global Awareness through Hip Hop Culture Program

CONTACT: Sebastien Elkouby, urbanscientists@hotmail.com, +1-310-654-1681

Web Site: http://www.GlobalAwarenessThroughHipHopCulture.com


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Have you tried the Nokia Ovi Life Tools in Nigeria?

I started using the Ovi Life Tools since last Saturday, to see how useful they are and found them engaging for having the latest updates of facts on Health, Education, Agriculture and Entertainment for my news and information blogs.

The Ovi Life Tools were launched in Nigeria last November, 2010, after the successful introductions in India, Indonesia and China.

Ovi Life Tools is a first step toward extending the advantages of today’s digital economy to the whole world at cheaper rates so that everyone can afford the service.

The service has been of immense benefit to over 7 million users so far. Farmers in rural areas in Asia use the tool for agriculture to get vital information on the weather and crops.




Presently the Nokia Ovi Life Tools in Nigeria will be offered on the Nokia 2690 and on the Nokia C1-01 through Zain/Airtel and Glo Mobile, at the affordable prices of N250 for the agriculture service and N200 per month for all other subscriptions and will soon be on MTN.

The service will be available countrywide in Nigeria in three languages – English, Hausa and Pidgin English.

Once activated the service on their phones, it will be free of charge for one service for the next one month. Note that there are 4 services: Agriculture, Healthcare, Entertainment, and Education. The 1 month free service is for only one of these services of their choice. If they choose to activate the 4 services, they will be charged for 3 while the 4 th will be free.

The healthcare service include information and advice on mother & childcare, health, fitness and diseases. Users can tailor the service to their needs by entering their sex, age and other relevant details. The agriculture service allows subscribers to specify the crops or commodities they’re interested in, their location and the preferred language for messages. English learning can be provided in Easy, Medium and Difficult levels, according to the user’s proficiency. The entertainment services includes local and international football information (personalised around the subscriber’s favourite team), music, entertainment news and jokes.

Go try the Ovi Life Tools and Enjoy 24/7.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT OVI LIFE TOOLS IN NIGERIA


Q: What is Nokia’s Ovi Life tools?

A: Nokia’s Ovi Life Tools is a suite of personally relevant information services providing regular localized information related to Agriculture, Healthcare, Education and Entertainment. The service is designed to work without the need for any GPRS plans or settings, as the updates are delivered via SMS to the OLT inbox in a graphically rich easy to read format in the user’s local language.

Q: Are all of these services/areas be available in Nigeria?

A: Yes, the Ovi Life Tools offering in Nigeria will consist of the Agriculture, Healthcare, Education and Entertainment services.

Q: What do these services actually offer?

A: The services offer the following to users:




Healthcare Services: (total of 7 subscription services)
• Mother & Child
o Subscription service #1: Pregnancy advice – This service keeps the user informed on what to expect from pregnancy and parenthood along with the nutritional and developmental needs of oneself during the entire course of pregnancy. Information delivered to the user is specific to the week of pregnancy and geography determined by the expected date of delivery and the location (6 geographical zones in Nigeria) provided by the user.
o Subscription service #2: Child care advice – The service provides information on the nutritional, hygiene, immunization, and developmental needs of the child linked to the important milestones related to child growth up to 5 years of age. Health tips are relevant to the age of the child determined by the Date of Birth input by the parent.
• Health and Fitness
o Subscription service #3: Women’s Health – The user will receive gender, region and age specific health tips on nutrition, hygiene, fitness and well being to help the user stay fit. Daily content delivered in local language specific to the age of the user.
o Subscription service #4: Men’s Health - The user will receive gender, region and age specific health tips on nutrition, hygiene, fitness and well being to help the user stay fit. Daily content delivered in local language specific to the age of the user.
• Disease Information
• Daily health tips to user based on the important disease conditions prevalent in the geography. Information will help user in prevention, prolonging onset and living better with the condition. Health tips related to medical, co-morbidities, lifestyle, fitness and safety based on the condition chosen by the user. In keeping with the healthcare industry practices, the tips are preventive in nature and not diagnostic or prescriptive advice is offered.

Agriculture Services:

• The Agri service covers the 25 major crops/commodities at launch. More will be progressively added. Market Prices for 111 marketplaces in Nigeria, with 3 market places for each state in Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
• There is one agriculture subscription service which packages the news & tips, weather and market prices. The user makes the selection of the 3 crops/commodities that she wishes to be informed regularly about. This hyper local service is personalized to those 3 crops for user’s region.
1. News & Tips: The user will receive daily crop tips based on the choice of crop/commodity and agriculture news that is relevant to the location of the user. The crop tips are hyper localized advice based on crop life cycle & agro climatic aspects prevalent in the user’s location. Tips also will contain best practices & techniques around increasing the yield of the crop/commodity.
• Market Prices: The user will receive market prices twice a week for a choice of 3 crops/commodities from 3 nearby & relevant markets for the crop/commodity.
• Weather: The user will receive weather forecast for the day specific to the location. The weather information will include general outlook around Temperature, Rainfall, Humidity & Wind.

Education Services:

• Learn English – This service allows users to learn Conversational English with the help of their local language via daily messages. The service comes with a choice of three levels - Easy, Medium & Difficult allowing the users choice of learning levels. The service also allows choice of languages – English, English with Hausa and English with Pidgin. The learning outcomes of the Easy level are 70% common conversational words and 30% common phrases using simple sentences; the learning outcomes of Medium level are 30% intermediate vocabulary, 40% common phrases and 30% on constructs like verbs, tenses etc.. using simple sentences, while the Difficult level focuses on 50% on advanced vocabulary and 50% on constructs like verbs, tenses etc.. using intermediate sentences. Each of the three levels – Easy, Medium, Difficult are separate subscription services to enable the users to choose the service based on their current knowledge.
• General Knowledge - This service allows users to keep themselves updated with general knowledge, important information and vital facts about their state, country and the world via daily messages. This service focuses 60% on region or state level, 30% on national level and 10% international information.
• Exam Results – This service allows users to get their exam results for WAEC by providing their registration number.

Entertainment Services:
• Football: This service allows users to keep themselves updated on the latest happenings around their favorite football club. The daily updates will be around news, match dates, transfers, gossip etc. around the club and the players. On match days, the users will receive 8 updates during the match time spaced from start to end of the match covering key items like goals, score updates, penalties and final result. The users have a choice of 12 football clubs, national and international.
• Music: This service allows the user access to a variety of music services like MonoTones, TrueTones, PolyTones categorized into Naija Top 10, World Top 10, HipHop, Oldies, Gospel etc.
• News: This service allows the user to keep up-to-date with the latest International, National and Sports news.
• Horoscope: This service allows user to access daily predictions based on Sun Signs of choice.
• Jokes: This service allows user access to a daily dose of humor in the form of jokes.
• Entertainment Gist: This service allows user to keep up-to-date on the gossip around the entertainment industry and popular personalities.

Q. Why do you say Ovi Life Tools is personalized and hyper local?

A: The learning and information services in Ovi Life Tools are specific to user profile and choices making them personalized and hyper local. Various services allow relevant personalization by users, for example:
• The agriculture services allow the user to specify the crop/commodity of choice, location and language of messages.
• In healthcare services the user is allowed to input details like Gender, Date of Birth and relevant details (expected date of delivery or last menstrual period) to personalize the service content to exactly match the profile of the user. The user also has the choice of language of content for all services and location for pregnancy, men’s & women’s health.
• In education services, for Learn English the user can choose the level of difficulty of learning English by subscribing to Easy, Medium and Difficult levels based on their current proficiency in the language. Furthermore, the user can choose to learn English with via English or English + Hausa or English + Pidgin.
• In entertainment services, for Football the user has a choice of 12 popular football clubs to choose from and similar choice are available in other entertainment services too like Sun Signs in Horoscope, wide range of options in Music, etc...

Q: Which Operators will support Nokia’s Ovi Life Tools in Nigeria?

A: We will support all operators to ensure the benefits of the service are available to all mobile users in Nigeria. To start with, Zain/Airtel and Glo Mobile are live. We are in discussions with other operators and will endeavor to work with them to get the benefits of Life Tools to a larger base of mobile users in Nigeria.

Q. In which languages is this service be available?

A: The service content will be available English, Hausa and Pidgin English. .

Q. Is Ovi Life Tools be available to the whole of Nigeria?

A: Yes, Nokia’s Ovi Life Tools is available nationwide in Nigeria.

Q: Is this available on all Nokia devices in Nigeria ?

A: The Nokia Ovi Life Tools service in Nigeria is available on select Nokia devices. It will initially be pre-installed on the Nokia 2690 and the Nokia C1-01. The service will be available on additional Series 40 & Series 30 devices in 2011.

Q: When did you start working on this project in Nigeria?

A: We have been working on this project since the second half of 2009.

Q: Why do you think this service will be popular in Nigeria?

A: OLT addresses the basic needs of people. Aside from this, the service aims to improve people’s livelihood. It will also provide information which will help people make informed decisions that will improve their lives.

Q: What type of support have you had from the Government in Nigeria?

A: Courtesy visits were made to the management team of Nigeria’s telecom industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), as well to the Minister of Information (which is the supervisory ministry of NCC), Prof. Dora Akunyili, in September 2010, during which they were briefed on the OLT service. They are very excited about the service and we will work together to take the partnership further.

Q: What are Nokia’s expectations for take up of the service in Nigeria and by when?

A: Based on our experience in other markets, we are confident that Nigeria consumers will find this service attractive and affordable. We will start off slowly with only a few devices linked to the service and add more next year. We will take continuous feedback from the market and constantly improve the service.

Q: Aren't these low-end phones on which OLT is being offered no longer meeting demand - even in rural areas - for multimedia touch devices at affordable prices?

A: It is important that we deliver the total solutions at an affordable price, so we are starting with some of the well known and affordable devices. We will add a larger range of devices in the future giving consumers even more choices.


FACTS ON SMS

Despite the flexibility of email and the ever-so-fashionable Twitter, SMS (text) messages remain the most popular messaging choice of mobile phone users around the world. Here are five textual facts:

The first text message was sent on December 3, 1992 using the UK’s Vodafone network. It read ‘Merry Christmas’.

Six per cent of texts are never read by their recipients.

Researchers at the Queensland University of Technology found that texting was addictive as smoking, with around a fifth of people suffering increased heart rate and anxiety levels when deprived of their phones.

Around 2.5 trillion text messages were sent worldwide in 2008 – a 20 percent increase from 2007.

The phrase used in Guinness World Record speed texting attempts is “The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human.” Time to beat? 41.4 seconds.

To All The Ignorant Political Sycophants Of President Goodluck Jonathan

Please, read the following article and honestly say if your idol is worthy of your support.

A Budget of Consolidated Poverty

~ By Education Rights Campaign


ON Wednesday December 15, 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan presented the 2011 appropriation bill to the joint session of the National Assembly. Speaking on the bill which was glowingly labeled 'a budget of fiscal consolidation, inclusive economic growth and employment generation', President Jonathan expressed optimism that the 2011 budget would make Nigeria one of the 20 most advanced economies by year 2020.


Against the calls of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Staff Unions like the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) as well as the numerous protests, demonstrations and agitations by stakeholders in the education sector for the government to increase funding to education up to UNESCO recommended standard of 26% as a step towards the provision of a free and functional education at all levels, President Jonathan and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) have prepared a budget that totally relegates education to the background while allocating a larger unmerited chunk to the Presidency and the National Assembly.

According to the 2011 appropriation bill of about N4.226 trillion, only a meager sum of N35 billion is being proposed for capital projects in the education sector. This compared to huge sums of N39 billion proposed for the Presidency and over N350 billion for the National Assembly is an absolute rip-off of Nigerians! Allocation for refreshment and meals alone for the office of the president is a scandalous N312 million! Similarly, about N12 million has been allocated for refreshment and meals for the Senate and N47 million for honorarium and sitting allowance. Their House of Representatives counterparts will get about N8.1 million and N55 million respectively for refreshment and meals, honorarium and sitting allowance! This is aside the jumbo salary packages for members of the executive and legislative arms of governance. Meanwhile, this heartless sharing of the collective resources of Nigerians by a few capitalist ruling class is taking place without regard for the worsening state of public education and the fate of over 12 million Nigerian children who are out of school.

The ERC considers the 2011 appropriation as a breach of the October 2009 FG-ASUU agreement and the recent judgment of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice sitting in Abuja which upheld the right of every Nigerian child to free and compulsory education. The breach of the judgment of the ECOWAS Court of justice is all the more scandalous considering the fact that President Jonathan is the Chairman of the ECOWAS. It is an embarrassment that Nigeria which wants to be seen as the giant of Africa is failing to implement the court judgment of ECOWAS – a regional body whose chairman happens to be the President of Nigeria. We ask: How effective and respected will ECOWAS be in the eyes of the world and in the West African sub-region when its Chairman flagrantly disobeys the judgment of its court?

To us in the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), the 2011 appropriation bill is nothing but a budget of consolidated poverty. Contrary to President Jonathan false assurances, it will not make Nigeria one of the 20 most advanced economies by year 2020. Instead this budget will make Nigeria a country with one of the worst education sectors, a country with one of the highest numbers of illiterate youths, the largest rate of school drop-outs and unemployable young graduates, the lowest in Human Capital Development and the highest in brain drain by the year 2020. This is because the amount allocated to education is too minute to resolve the massive infrastructural deficit with which the Nation's education sector is currently bedeviled and the amount allocated are usually looted by corrupt politicians and bureaucrats.

We therefore call on the National Assembly to debate this budget proposal with the intention of doing a service to the Nation's youths who are desirous of a free, functional and accessible education by increasing allocation to education up to 26 per cent of the total budget as recommended by UNESCO. Unless this is done, the ERC will continue to reject this appropriation bill and we shall mobilize Nigerian students and youths to reject it not only with words but also with political actions.

Already the state of education in Nigeria has gone from bad to worse as the year 2010 witnessed a meteoric rise in fees in tertiary institutions across the country. Describing the terrible conditions in our education sector, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has observed that, 'Due to poor funding of education, education at all levels suffers from low academic standards; lacks requisite teachers; both in sufficient quantity and quality. Even the few qualified teachers available are not sufficiently motivated in terms of remuneration or conducive operating environment to maximize their output into the education system. Schools are over-populated and classrooms are over-crowded, facilities are inadequate and over-stressed, library shelves are empty and covered with cobwebs, while laboratories lack up-to-date equipment'. Equally, no Nigerian University can be found among the first 5000 in the world and the first 50 in Africa and over 12 million children of school age are out of school. Last year, there were 98 per cent and 74 per cent mass failure in the 2009 National Examination Council (NECO) November/December SSCE examination and 2010 May/June WAEC examination respectively!

These statistics to us are enough frightening signals and warnings for any serious government to begin to address these problems by improving funding of the education sector. Actually to begin to turn around this dismal fortune of the education sector, government will have to invest massively in funding the education sector by providing facilities like adequate lecture theatres, hostel facilities, ICT facilities, equipped laboratories and libraries, enhancement of wages and working conditions of staff in order to attract the best brain to the teaching profession at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education.

Also the products of the investment- the students – upon graduation have to be provided with jobs so they can give back to the economy. In that case, government have to invest massively in industrial and agricultural development, which will ensure the transformation of Nigeria to a producing economy while guaranteeing jobs for all graduates of tertiary institutions. For optimum utilization of the resources invested to be achieved and to discourage corruption at all levels, schools must be democratically managed by workers/experts and the communities.

However, none of these will be achieved unless the government jettisons all IMF/World Bank-inspired neo-liberal policies of privatization and place the commanding heights of the economy under public ownership and management. Only this can ensure the full mobilization of the huge amount of money needed by government to invest in education, job creation and social services.

However instead of government taking the issues in this direction, all key economic policies of Jonathan's administration especially those canvassed in the 2011 appropriation bill pander towards reducing government role in funding of social services while prioritizing the sale of education, health, roads and infrastructures to profit-seeking private sector in the name of privatization, Public Private Partnership (PPP) and commercialization. The net effect of these misguided neo-liberal policies of the Jonathan administration is that things will continue to get worse in the coming period. If government continues these ruinous neo-liberal policies of education under funding, indeed by year 2020 public education will have collapsed thus turning the current and future generations of Nigerian youths into criminals, love-peddlers and destitute.

Demands:
• We call on the National Assembly to increase allocation to education in the 2011 appropriation bill up to 26 per cent of the budget otherwise the ERC will not hesitate to lead Nigerian students and youths on a protest march to the National Assembly.

• Immediate setting up of budget monitoring committees by Governing Councils of all Universities in accordance with 2009 FG-ASUU agreement. These budget monitoring committees must comprise elected representatives of students and staff unions with the sole purpose of monitoring government allocations to tertiary institutions and ensuring judicious use of resources.

• Downward review of the salaries and allowances of public office holders, payment of living wage to workers and placement of all public office holders on the same wage of civil servants and professional workers.

• Cancellation of the illegal and unconstitutional practice of constituency projects of members of the National Assembly. Projects are the duties of the executive arm of government.

• Payment of N40,000 Cost of Study Allowance (COSA) to students of tertiary institutions to offset the cost of books, accommodation, transportation etc.

• Reversal of all fee increments especially the atrocious fee increases at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). We call on the Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) to immediately reverse the proposed increase of acceptance fee for fresh students from N2,000 to N20,000 and introduction of a health insurance fee of N1,600 or face mass protest and demonstrations of students.

• Public ownership of the commanding heights of the economy under the control and management of the working people.

• Hassan Soweto (National Co-ordinator) and Chinedu Bosah (National Secretary) sent this piece on behalf of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC).

http://nigerianewsdaily.com/categoryblog/13144-erc-a-budget-of-consolidated-poverty.html

Did you get a REAL Primary school Education? Let's find out

Did you get a REAL Primary school Education? Let's find out

Back in the days..

Were you this violent when you were in primary school???



SAMUEL: Didn ' t I told you not to steal my pencil? by the time I finish you today, you will knEw Jesus has no tribal mark!

OJO: Shut up! Bombastic element...if you don ' t leave my Shet I wE blow you now..stupid lapalapa head

SAMUEL: blow me?? Blow me ko, blow me ni..I wE perish you with your blow! useless baboon

For your primary skool,
When things like this happen,



The class captain/monitor go shout…..escuse me ma/sir……TWO FIGHTING!!!!!!

Others will be at the top of their voices....., i will tell aunty/uncle.....for U! U!! U!!!

Regards,
HAHAHAHAHAHHA


Dem know us; class of 1977 to 1987 the real pupil.
Read and reminisce.

Test 1: If you did not use this exercise book then your primary school education is suspect:



Test 2: You must be able to recite/sing at least 10 of the under listed BY HEART:

Some have food but cannot eat, some can eat but have no food. We have food and we can eat. Glory be to thee o Lord. Amen.


The day is bright is bright and fair
oh happy day, the day of joy
The day is bright is bright and fair
oh happy day, the day of joy
mama jellof rice!


oh my home o my home
oh my home o my home
wen shall i see my home
wen shall i see my nativeland
i will never forget my home!


holiday is coming [2x]
no more warning bells
no more teachers cane.
goodbye teachers, goodbye scholars
I ' m going 2 spend
a jolly holiday [2x]

h-i-p- for d hip
p-o-p-o for d hipopo
and t-a-m-u-s for the hipopotamus1
hipoptamus!


parents listen to your children
we are the leaders of tomorrow
try and pay our school fees
and give us good education


I am a little sailor boy that comes from the sea
that comes from the sea to marry you
Oh will u marry marry marry
will you you marry me?


8 o ' clock is d time 4 skul, dnt be l8t in d mornin.
8 o ' clock is 4 boys and gals, come 2 skul in za mornin.


Morning has broken, like the 1st morning, blackbirds have spoken, like the 1st word
Praise for the singing. Praise for the morning, Praise for the evening, Fresh from the world.

Closing time in the afternoon:
Now the day is over, night is drawing nigh, shadows of the evening, still across the skies
Glory to the father, Glory to the son, And to thee blessed spirit, Whilst all ages run, Amen!


rain rain go away
come another noda day
Little children want to play


Tisha jowo, mo fe jegba temi
nami lowo, mashe nami nidi, tidimi babe,
mape baba mi wa, baba mi, a ba e ja.


Tisha jowo, mo fe lo wa nkan je 2X
Omo oni resi tide
Obe iresi n ta san san
Aduke Alake omo oniresi tide
Oun soju robo robo
E feran sobe wa.




all things bright and beautiful, all creature great and small
all things bright and wonderful,
the lord god made them all.
He gave us eyes to see them
And lips that we might tell
He gave us "something" colors
And made the mighty se E E E


Bojuboju o oh! Oloro m ' bo! e para mo o oh!
Se kin se, Shee!! she she she she Shee!!
E pere Mi Heey! Eni toloro ba mu , a paaa je (A paa jee!!)



Jack and Jill went up to a hill,
To fetch a pail of water
jack fell down and broke his Leg,
And jill came tumnling after(wonder what they really went to do up that hill)


sanda lily sanda lily,
sanda lily sanda li,
if u know where to go,
you will no when to stop
2x


my mother, who sat and watched my infant head
when sleeping on my cradle bed, and tear affectionately shed,
My Mother
When pain and sickness makes me cry, you gaze upon my heavy eye
and pray to God that i shouldn’t die,
My Mother,


prayer is the key 2x
prayer is the master key
Jesus started with prayer
and ended with prayer
prayer is the master key, ACTION (then we start demonstrating without singing)


Row Row Row your Boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily merrily merrily merrily
Life is but a dream.



old Rodger is dead and gone to his grave, hmm!!, haa!!, gone to his grave
he planted an apple tree over his head, hmm!!, haa!!, over his head
the apple grew ripe and ready to drop, hmm!!, haa!!, ready to drop
there came an old woman to pick them all up, hmm!!, haa!!, pick them all up
old Rodger got up and gave a knock, hmm!!, haa!!, gave her a knock
cant remember the rest.

papa mama school no dey,
wetin happen?
our teacher dey smoke gari for school
which kind gari?
ijebu gary
, cele wata,
calabar groundnut
ondo suger


SOME RIVERS IN AFRICA ARE
SOME RIVERS IN AFRICA ARE
NILE, NIGER,
BENUE, CONGO
ORANGE, LIMPONPO
ZABENZI



Wherever you go ( Go go gongo)
Wherever you be (sisi eko)
Do not say yes when you mean to say no (baba ibadan )


AREA !!!!!


From Adeleke Adeyemi,
Country Manager, Café Scientifique Nigeria
(Member, African Science Café)

URL: http://www.cafescientifique.org/nigeria.htm

Mobile: +234 802 392 0443

"Science must be the pivot upon which policies are based because even the Millenium Development Goals [MDGs] are science-based. There is a linear correlation between development and the level of science in a country." -- Dr. Sunny Kuku, Member, Nigerian Academy of Science


African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology (AMCOST) 2006 Plan of Action: "Scientific and technological development cannot be achieved in Africa without the participation and support of the populace and their political institutions. Scientific and technological development requires active engagement of policymakers, politicians, youth, women, private industry and other groups of stakeholders."