BY
MADUKAIRO EZIUBOCHI
The concept of education in the Nigerian context is somewhat ambiguous. This accounts for many woes hampering the development of the system. Educationists have a dispassionate overview of what education is. In fact, to them, education is all about a desirable change in behaviour. This widely treasured change stems from the acquisition of certain traits overtime. In a bid to achieve a paradigm shift in the country’s educational system, The Federal Polytechnic Statue enacted Decree No. 33 of 1979 as amended by Decree No. 5 of 1993, to give legal basis for the establishment of Federal Polytechnics in Nigeria. The principal aim for the establishment of Polytechnics in Nigeria is to turnout the middle-level manpower needed for industrial and technological development of the country.
No meaningful national development could be achieved by any nation without sound and qualitative technical education.
No wonder, Prof. Uba Nwuba, one time Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Oko posited that the bedrock of technical emancipation for Nigeria is centred on Polytechnics education. Polytechnics offer highly technical, scientific as well as research-oriented education to students. It is disheartening to observe today that these citadels of learning which were once cynosure of all eyes in developed economies of the world, has been relegated to the background in Nigeria. Nearly all the State-owned Polytechnics are just a little above the secondary school level, infrastructural wise, due to lack of adequate funding by successive administrations. Most Nigerian Polytechnics are synonymous with structural decay occasioned by neglect and misplaced priority on the part of the government on one hand and society on the other.
A situation where Polytechnics graduates are looked down upon, because of the discrepancies existing between BSc and HND certificate has contributed greatly to the undermining of this all-important educational sector of the country. In most establishments, whether private or public, theb discrimination exists at the point of entry and during promotion, with no recourse to individual talents and efficiencies. The move by the National Assembly in conjunction with the Ministry of Education to remove the disparity between BSc and HND certificates is a positive step to address the challenge. Unfortunately , the debate was dropped and swept under the carpet no sooner had it began. Also the conversion of three regional Polytechnics into City Universities by the Federal Government is noble. As a result, Yaba School of Technology Lagos, known as Yaba Tech and Kaduna Polytechnic have so far been converted and would henceforth commence the award of Bachelor of Technology known as B. Tech. to graduates. However, efforts should be made to ensure that one of the Federal Polytechnics in the East be also converted into city university.
Government should as matter of urgency, bridge the gap in funding Universities and Polytechnics. There is the need to also ensure that adequate funding should be made available to Polytechnics to enhance their capacity in the area of research. Furthermore, government should consider the setting up of National Polytechnics Commission NPC for effective monitoring and supervision of Polytechnics. On its part, ASUP should put its acts together and form a common front while presenting its demands to government. Nigerian Polytechnics should be encouraged to run Post Graduate Diplomas and Masters Degree programmes, especially in their respective areas of specialization as being practised in many developed countries. After all, most policy makers in Nigeria who look down on the sector obtained their PGD, Masters and PHD from Polytechnics outside the country. This is a pointer to the importance of such education in our country which should not be toiled with.
Source: Recorded live from FRCN daily commentary
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Court affirms the candidacy of the Governorship Aspirant and others from Obasanjo's camp for Ogun State April Elections
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in its judgment affirmed General Adetunji Idowu Olurin as the governorship candidate of the PDP in Ogun State just as it also cleared all the candidates put forward by Obasanjo for the forthcoming April elections.
Specifically, Justice Abdul Kafarati in his judgment in a suit filed by General Olurin against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP, the court upheld the dissolution of the Daniel faction.
Justice Kafarati held that the faction lacked legitimacy to embark on primary elections having been dissolved since August 6, 2010. He said an Abeokuta High Court exparte order of August 11, 2010 being held on to by the governor’s faction to draw legitimacy could not stand in the face of any law because the National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP had already dissolved the faction on August 6, 2010.
The court held that the ex-parte order ought not to have been issued in the first instance by the High Court in Abeokuta since the act complained against had already been completed. Besides, the court held that another Federal High Court in Lagos had on September 21 last year stopped the Joju Fadairo-led exco from existing and from conducting any primary elections.
Justices Kafarati held that the court order was subsisting and must be respected until when set aside.
The judge, therefore, set aside the parallel primary elections conducted by Chief Fadairo-led dissolved committee on the ground of lacking the legitimacy to do so and upheld the primary election conducted by a harmonized executive committee put in place by PDP headquarters and believed be loyal to the former president.
The court held that the only valid primary election result was that of the harmonized body under the headship of Chief Idowu Soremi and which produced the candidates of the former president as flagbearers for the April poll. Former president Obasanjo and Governor Daniel had been engaged in battle over control of the PDP in the state.
The governorship candidate in the Obasanjo faction, General Olurin (rtd) later sued the suit INEC and PDP, claiming that Daniel’s faction should not be recognized and that the faction lacked legitimacy to present candidates for elective offices in Ogun in view of the dissolution of the faction in august last year.
An order of ex-parte was granted by the court and restrained INEC and PDP from accepting candidates from the governor’s faction and also ordered the candidates of the governor, including the governor himself from holding themselves as PDP candidates.
However, barely 10 minutes after the judgment was delivered, the PDP stormed the Court of Appeal in Abuja and filed a notice of appeal asking the court to set aside the judgment for being a nullity.
In the notice of appeal filed by Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the faction complained that the Federal High Court has no jurisdiction over the case it adjudicated upon and that its decision cannot affect persons who were not parties in the suit.
The party apparently taking side with the Governor Daniel’s faction claimed that the court arrived at the judgment based on claim that the Joju Fadairo-led executive had been dissolved and that a harmonized executive was in place, adding that the judgment was predicated on worthless pieces of evidence.
No date has been fixed for the appeal.
Reacting to the judgement Olurin gave thanks to the Almighty God for the victory and extended the hands of fellowship to the supporters of Governor Daniel. Describing the PDP as a one big family, Olurin supported by the Director General of his campaign, Alhaji Sarafadeen Tunji Isola sought the co-operation of every member of the party for them to be able to win in the forthcoming elections.
“We give thanks to Almighty God. This victory today at Abuja is victory for all in Ogun State. It’s victory to PDP as a big family. It is victory to the citizens and people of Ogun State. I want to assure everyone that in this judgement, there is no victor, no vanguished.
“I’m looking forward to embrace every member of the party so that we can work together to make Ogun State a better place,” he declared. He also commended the judiciary in the country, describing it as the last hope of the common man.
In his own reaction, Mr. Gboyega Nasir Isiaka who spoke through his media aide, Mr. Bolaji Adeniji hinted that he and his group were going to appeal the judgement.
Specifically, Justice Abdul Kafarati in his judgment in a suit filed by General Olurin against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP, the court upheld the dissolution of the Daniel faction.
Justice Kafarati held that the faction lacked legitimacy to embark on primary elections having been dissolved since August 6, 2010. He said an Abeokuta High Court exparte order of August 11, 2010 being held on to by the governor’s faction to draw legitimacy could not stand in the face of any law because the National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP had already dissolved the faction on August 6, 2010.
The court held that the ex-parte order ought not to have been issued in the first instance by the High Court in Abeokuta since the act complained against had already been completed. Besides, the court held that another Federal High Court in Lagos had on September 21 last year stopped the Joju Fadairo-led exco from existing and from conducting any primary elections.
Justices Kafarati held that the court order was subsisting and must be respected until when set aside.
The judge, therefore, set aside the parallel primary elections conducted by Chief Fadairo-led dissolved committee on the ground of lacking the legitimacy to do so and upheld the primary election conducted by a harmonized executive committee put in place by PDP headquarters and believed be loyal to the former president.
The court held that the only valid primary election result was that of the harmonized body under the headship of Chief Idowu Soremi and which produced the candidates of the former president as flagbearers for the April poll. Former president Obasanjo and Governor Daniel had been engaged in battle over control of the PDP in the state.
The governorship candidate in the Obasanjo faction, General Olurin (rtd) later sued the suit INEC and PDP, claiming that Daniel’s faction should not be recognized and that the faction lacked legitimacy to present candidates for elective offices in Ogun in view of the dissolution of the faction in august last year.
An order of ex-parte was granted by the court and restrained INEC and PDP from accepting candidates from the governor’s faction and also ordered the candidates of the governor, including the governor himself from holding themselves as PDP candidates.
However, barely 10 minutes after the judgment was delivered, the PDP stormed the Court of Appeal in Abuja and filed a notice of appeal asking the court to set aside the judgment for being a nullity.
In the notice of appeal filed by Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the faction complained that the Federal High Court has no jurisdiction over the case it adjudicated upon and that its decision cannot affect persons who were not parties in the suit.
The party apparently taking side with the Governor Daniel’s faction claimed that the court arrived at the judgment based on claim that the Joju Fadairo-led executive had been dissolved and that a harmonized executive was in place, adding that the judgment was predicated on worthless pieces of evidence.
No date has been fixed for the appeal.
Reacting to the judgement Olurin gave thanks to the Almighty God for the victory and extended the hands of fellowship to the supporters of Governor Daniel. Describing the PDP as a one big family, Olurin supported by the Director General of his campaign, Alhaji Sarafadeen Tunji Isola sought the co-operation of every member of the party for them to be able to win in the forthcoming elections.
“We give thanks to Almighty God. This victory today at Abuja is victory for all in Ogun State. It’s victory to PDP as a big family. It is victory to the citizens and people of Ogun State. I want to assure everyone that in this judgement, there is no victor, no vanguished.
“I’m looking forward to embrace every member of the party so that we can work together to make Ogun State a better place,” he declared. He also commended the judiciary in the country, describing it as the last hope of the common man.
In his own reaction, Mr. Gboyega Nasir Isiaka who spoke through his media aide, Mr. Bolaji Adeniji hinted that he and his group were going to appeal the judgement.
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