By: Gloria Ogine Following the ripple effect of the redesigned naira currency as part of the activities of the Nigerian federal government in the implementation of the Nigeria Cashless Policy, the country is now thrown into an unfortunate hardship, and students are not left out. As obtainable in other places, the Northcentral University Students, are having more difficulties paddling the canoe through learning. In addition to academic stress; flipping through pages of books, journals, research works, jostling through the internet for inspiration, and rushing to beat assignment deadlines, Benue varsity students are making harder decisions accommodating long queues at the Automated Teller Machines (ATM) and Point of Services (POS) terminals waiting forever for cash. Recall that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through its governor, Godwin Emefiele had on October 26, 2022, announced that it had redesigned N200, N500, and N1,000 notes. The Commission went further to give until the thirty-first of January 2023, after which the old notes would cease to be legal tender. Although the January 31st, 2023 deadline didn’t go well with Nigerians, owing to the scarcity of the redesigned notes. February 10th was later announced as the new deadline which was still not well with Nigerians […]
Education
Climate change awareness campaigns by NGOs need to target large corporations as well as rural communities. By; BAYRON VAN WYK (Minority Africa) — I used to work at an NGO focused on climate change and environmental awareness. I was expected to develop educational and agricultural programmes targeting mostly rural farmers in the Kavango East and West regions to sensitise them to climate change issues. In these regions, subsistence agriculture is the primary source of livelihood for 16% and 31% of the population. the NGO’s programme encouraged local farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices. In these regions, there has been contention over oil exploration and discovery. In mid-2021, Canadian-based firm ReconAfrica announced that they had discovered oil in the Kavango East and West regions. Since then, ReconAfrica has started operations for oil production. However, several environmental groups, such as Frack Free Namibia (FFN), have expressed concern over the impact of such activities on the region’s sensitive plant and animal life. Through my work in the Kavango East and West regions, I started to think more deeply about climate change and environmental awareness programmes run by NGOs. I started questioning whom these organisations chose to target. Why are they targeting primarily rural […]
The Liberalist Centre for Education, a Nigeria-based libertarian think tank promoting pro-freedom ideas for human flourishing, has trained journalists on pro-freedom reporting. Themed “Prompting a Free, Prosperous Society Through Pro-freedom Reporting”, the event lasted for two days, held on Friday, 28th October and Saturday, 29th October at Ilorin, Kwara State. The training which focused on educating the public about the ideas of liberty through pro-freedom reporting was part of the centre’s Journalism for Liberty project funded by Atlas Network, a non-profit organisation that secures individual’s rights to economic and personal freedom through its global network of think tanks. Its other partners in this project include Face of Liberty International, African Students for Liberty and Cheetahs Policy Institute. Speaking with the Programme Director, Johnson Sanni, he said coupled with the training, the project also includes launching a news magazine that focuses on publishing pro-liberty articles. “Our aim is to establish a media platform that uses investigative stories, in-depth features, and engaging op-ed articles to inform and expose the adverse effects of excessive government’s powers and ways through which individual liberty and free market are impeded. “After this training, these fellows shall become contributors to our news magazines and advocates of liberty […]
The statement released by the head of public relations at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment Olajide Oshundun has confirmed that the Federal Government has dragged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to Court over the current seven months strike. He stated that the decision was made after negotiations with the union failed, Also Read: Three Students Found dead in Anambra. The government wants the court to order the University Teachers back to classrooms while the issues of disputes are handled by the court. The letter which was signed by senator Chris Ngige the Minister of Labour and Employment on Friday, September 8 2022 is asking the court to determine the legality of the current strike by the Union. In addition, the government is requesting the interpretation of the entire section 18 of the LFN 2004. Other requests include the interpretation of section 43 of the trade dispute act CAP T8 LFN 2004, determine if ASUU members member are to be paid during the period of the strike. “Determine whether ASUU has the right to embark on strike over disputes as is the case in this instance by compelling the Federal Government to employ its payment platform and […]
The management of the Chukwuemeka Odumegu Ojukwu University Anambra has confirmed the death of three of it’s students. The Public Relations officer of the University Dr Harrison Madubueze, in a statement expressed shock over the incident, Also Read: ReviveOurLibrary: Benue Citizens lament Moribund State Library. “The university management received with rude shock the news of the death of three of our students. He stated that the police have started investigating the incident while assuring that details will be made public when available “However, the security operatives are investigating the matter and at the appropriate time, they will make the findings public” The student who are all females were identified as Obidiaso Chidera (200 level Political Science), Mercy (200 level Pharmacy) and Emmanuella (200 level Business Administration). The students where said to be on Campus after the school vacated on August 24th, 2022 after the second-semester examinations.
Benue State citizens have lamented and begun to trend the #ReviveOurLibrary over the deplorable condition of the state library located in Makurdi, the Benue State capital. Also Read: Three Students Found dead in Anambra. Several netizens of Benue origin have taken to social media to reminisce about the good old days when the library was still in use and in good shape. According to Agagbe Kelvin, the library was instrumental in getting them prepared for West Africa Examination Council WAEC, National Examination Council, and NECO. “I remember how this library serve myself and many others preparing for WAEC and NECO examinations, with just an ID we got then,(that even enable some of us to open bank accounts as at the time) gave us access to numerous resources and text plus the most sought past questions and syllabus”. According to Kelvin, it is impossible to be called leaders and be informed if the place of research and reading is inaccessible. “Today images of this resource center is rather an eyesore, under whoever care, the state library has gone moribund, if as a state we are not reading and researching, how can we lead and be informed” He, therefore, called the attention […]
