World Igbo Summit Group adopts 50-year plan for developmen of Igboland

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The World Igbo Summit Group (WISG) has adopted the resolutions of its 2016 meeting and called for the immediate implementation of the 50-year visioning plan.

The group took the decision at a post-summit meeting of the group held at the Gregory University, Uturu (GUU) in Abia on Saturday. 22, usoditah

The resolution articulates short term, mid-term and long term strategic ‘plans to “comprehensively tackle the development of Igboland” and promote the wellbeing of the people.

It also strives to persuade Igbo entrepreneurs and investors in Nigeria and Diaspora to think-home and invest in Igboland.

The motion for the adoption of the document was moved by the Director-General of the group, Dr Ifedi Okwenna, seconded by a former governor of Anambra, Dr Chukwuemaka Ezeife.

Prominent Igbo citizens at the meeting included the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, a former Gov. of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, and President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo.

Others at the meeting were former President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Prof. Joe Irukwu, and former Secretary-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Joe Achuzie as well as a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri.

Others in attendance were former ministers of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu and, Dr Ihechukwu Maduike, former Nigerian Ambassador to the U.S., Dr George Obiozor, and retired Maj-Gen. Ike Nwachukwu, who chaired the meeting.

They said that Ndigbo had held enough conferences and summits on how to achieve economic prosperity and that it was time to put the recommendations and road maps into concrete action.

They stressed the need for Igbo entrepreneurs and investors in other parts of the country and other parts of the world to come home and invest.

They said such a measure would boost the current struggle to achieve economic power for the Igbo nation.

The meeting expressed gratitude to the facilitator of WISG and chancellor of GUU for his untiring efforts in galvanising the group with a view to moving the Igbo nation to the next level.

In her contribution, Onwuliri called for collective effort to save Igbo Language from dying.

She pointed out the preference of Igbo people for other Nigerian languages and English Language to Igbo Language further endangered the language.

Onwuliri called for concerted efforts by wealthy Igbo people to invest in education by establishing universities and other higher institutions of learning in the Southeast.

She expressed worry that although youths of the area ranked tops in the number of candidates seeking university admission annually, the zone had the lowest number of federal, state and private universities.

The Chancellor of GUU, Dr Gregory Ibe, underscored the need for the zone to encourage the study of engineering courses in higher institutions of learning.

Ibe said that most state polytechnics had ceased to offer engineering courses and as such the students opted more for the social sciences and business courses.

He said that the trend portend a bleak future for the envisioned technological development of the area, if urgent steps were not taken to reverse the situation.

The Obi of Onitsha, Achebe, advocated the formulation of a strategic framework for the development of future leaders for Ndigbo.

He urged the summit to articulate a conscious module on how to evolve transformational leaders for the sustainable development of the Igboland.

The President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Nwodo, advocated the use of diplomacy rather than violence in the pursuit of the Igbo agenda.

He called for unity of purpose and commitment to the cause of a united and prosperous Igbo ethnic nationality among various pan-Igbo organisations at home and in Diaspora.

He decried the continued harassment, attacks and massacre of unarmed agitators for the Igbo cause by security agents.

A former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Josephine Anenih, remarked that the present Igbo leadership was gradually bowing out of the stage and admonished the youth to begin to prepare themselves to take over the mantle of leadership.

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NANS lauds University of Port Harcourt for recall of expelled students (Read full details)

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University of Port Harcourt

Vice Chancellor of University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Prof. Lale Ndokwa, has been lauded for the recall of some students earlier expelled by the institution.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), which gave the commendation, noted that the gesture has reinforced its confidence in the efficacy of peaceful resolution of crisis between its members and management in academic institutions.

In a statement signed by its national president, Mr. Chinonso Obasi, the association said it was gladdened specifically by the fact that the VC and management heeded its call to recall the students.

It, however, said it was still appealing for further downward review of the one-year suspension handed out to the recalcitrant students to a semester. It pointed out that the students have learnt some useful lessons from their travails.

“We hereby use the medium to urge Nigerian students at home and in the Diaspora to see dialogue and diplomacy as superior to violent agitations in resolving misunderstanding in academic institutions.

“NANS also condemns the action of some student leaders who stoke crisis in institutions of learning for their selfish reasons,” the statement added.

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UNIBEN matriculates 10,000, embraces e-learning to enhance study (Read full details)

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UNIBEN

The Vice Chancellor, University of Benin, Prof. Faraday Orunmwense at the weekend admitted at least 10,000 matriculants to the university, urging them to fly high in their academic studies during their sojourn in the institution.

Speaking at the 2016\2017 matriculation ceremony for all fresh undergraduate students of the institution in Benin City, Orunmwense tasked the 10,000 matriculatants from the 14 faculties of the institution namely; Faculties\Schools of Agriculture, Basic Medical Sciences, Dentistry, Engineering, Medicine, Pharmacy, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences as well as from the Faculties of Arts, Education, Law, Environmental Sciences, Social Sciences and Management Sciences to sustain the tempo of academic culture of the university, stressing that the University of Benin has been adjudged one of the most-sort-after universities in Nigeria.

“Our academic programmes, both undergraduate and postgraduate have run smoothly, placing the University of Benin in second position in the National Universities Commission accreditation,” Orumwense said.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government through the Petroleum Training Development Fund (PTDF) has deployed facilities geared towards the enhancement of e-learning multimedia teaching programs at the University of Benin (UNIBEN).

Orumwense who disclosed  this, said the learning platforms have now been installed in the faculties of Engineering, Education, Pharmacy, Life Sciences and ICT Training Centre.

He expressed commitment to delivering quality leadership at the university as he marked two years anniversary in office adding that faculties, units and hostels with Fibre Optic have been linked to the facilities for enhanced internet connectivity and service delivery.

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Groups decry hardship, seek employment, unicameral legislature (Read full details)

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Reflecting on hard times

Some youth groups yesterday staged a peaceful protest in Benin City, Edo State to vent their anger over the ‘biting hunger’ in the land, just as another set sought for employment and a unicameral National Assembly In Akure, Ondo State.

The Edo groups, under the aegis of Concern Youth Leaders, carried various placards with inscriptions like “Give Us Jobs”, “What happened to Our Economy, “ Where is the change we voted for”, “ Rescue Us from Recession and “ Stop Herdsmen Attack” among others. They alleged that the hardship nationwide was due to inappropriate policies.

The spokesperson, Dr. Carl Oshodin, noted: “Today, Nigerian youths after graduating from universities don’t have jobs. Workers are owed months of unpaid salaries. We want to convey the message to Nigerians that enough is enough. We want the government to return Nigeria of yesterday back, we want good governance.”

In Akure, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Enough Is Enough, (EiE Nigeria), joined others to demand for a referendum on a unicameral legislature in order to cut overheads

In a letter addressed to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, the NGO’s Media Manager, Media Manager, Debisi Alokolaro, faulted the existence of the current two chambers of the National Assembly.

His words: “The size is no longer affordable as it operates today. The structure that supports 469 individuals cost us N115 billion a year of which they provide no record of how the money is spent.

“There have been several reports on eliminating duplicate agencies. They need to be implemented to reduce cost and increase efficiency. Our budget process is poor and allows for fraud. We have not learnt from last year’s debacle.’’

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