. ..Students get scholarship for varsity education

. ..We must return glory of public schools, assist girl-child -Prof. Sulaiman

Olasunmibo Aboluwade, Abuja

It was joy unlimited on Monday for students and teachers of Enitona High School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as they won the 9th edition of the “National Quiz Competition on Legislature and Democracy for Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria.”

The grand finale of the competition, which was held in Abuja, was organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), a body answerable to the National Assembly.

Schools from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) participated in the competition with six schools making it to the grand finale to represent the six geopolitical-structure of the country.

Vetland Senior Grammar School, Ifako Ijaiye, Lagos State, represented the South-West; Bishop Otubelu Juniorate, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu, represented the South-East; Enitona High School, Port Harcourt, represented the South-South; School for the Gifted, Gwagwalada, Abuja, represented the North-Central; Jigawa Academy for the Gifted, Bamaina, represented the North-West; while Helena Heritage Academy, Jalingo, Taraba State, represented the North-East.

At the end of the competition, students of Enitona High School, who represented the South-South, scored 70 points to emerge the winner.

They were followed in the second position by students of the School for the Gifted, Gwagwalada, who recorded 65 points.

The third position went to the students of Bishop Otubelu Juniorate, Enugu, who scored 55 points.

The aim of the competition, which is keenly contested annually by participants, according to NILDS, is to provide continued education to students on the history of the legislature, its practices and relevance to democratic governance in Nigeria.

Speaking at the session, NILDS’ Director-General, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman, said he was particularly elated over this year’s edition because of the competitive spirit of students drawn from public and private schools, across the states to the zonal and national segments.

He observed that public schools continued to come tops in major knowledge-based competitions in the country despite the neglect and decay they suffered.

Prof Sulaiman stated, “We can see that public schools are still not doing badly.

“Our hope relies on the public schools and we must do everything possible to bring back the lost glory of our public schools.”

He also noted that girls were giving the boys a tough time, as three girls and six boys made it to this year’s grand finale, in addition to the all-girl finalists at the 2023 edition.

“I am impressed. We have 12 students at this finale. Out of the number six are girls. It means that whatever men can do, women can also do it.

“Among the participants, from the North-Central, we had a lady who did very well, and from the South-East, another performed very well.

“That is to say that we should do everything possible to assist our female children”, the DG added.

The participants received various gifts, including laptops, cash and certificates.

For the winning school, the students will each get a scholarship to cover their university education tuition.

President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, sent goodwill messages to encourage the participants and to commend NILDS for its research efforts.

In his words of encouragement, Abbas said, “You are being prepared for the future to play your role in the political and democratic space.

“We are here to ensure that when your time comes, you are ready to take up the mantle of leadership.”

Ends

Olasunmibo Aboluwade, Abuja

The Northern Senators Forum (NSF) has asked President Bola Tinubu to give preferential treatment to northern students in higher institutions, in the disbursement of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

The Senators made the appeal through their Chairman, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’adua, in a letter dated October 28 and addressed to President Tinubu.

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The northern federal lawmakers in the letter sighted by THISDAY in Abuja on Thursday noted that the national loans scheme was supposed to be evenly distributed to all students across the country but the exigencies in North makes it necessary for students in the North to get special treatment.

Part of the letter read, “On behalf of the Northern Senators, I wish to most respectfully express our profound gratitude to His Excellency President Bole Ahmed Tinubs GCFR, and the eminent Nigerians in the Board and Management of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), ted by Mr Jim Ovia, as Chairman and Mr Akintunde Sewyerr as MD’CEO.

“Our expression of deep appreciation is in view of the enormity of the impact of the Student Loans Scheme, which has been initiated with instant impect across tertiary institutions in Nigerie.

“The students from tertiary institutions in the North have shown belief in and responsiveness to the scheme, and it is heartwarming to find Bayero Universy Kano, University of Maiduguri and Federal University Dutsin-Ma, leading the charts of beneficiaries in the early days of the scheme, with over 16,000 combined number of beneficiaries, amongst other students from numerous other institutions.

“We will not lose sight of the fact that this programme is a national scheme, and therefore should command a semblance of balance and spread across the country’s geo-political zones.

“However. considering the tevel of youth restiveness and violent extremism that has plagued the North for over a decade-and-half, it will not be out of place for the government to deliberately target a geometric enhancement of access to tertiary education mainly for young northerners.

“This scheme bolsters the chances of these young citizens to return to school and achieve gainful employment.

“As a forum of northern legislators, we acknowledge the impact of the historic Act setting up NELFUND and the propensity of the initiative to enable progress, especially in reducing insecurity and improving living standards across our communities.

“Finally, we wish to encourage northern state governments to sustain the active participation of citizens by ensuring active colisboration wih NELFUND in undertaking swareness campaigns across tertiary institutions within their states.”

Feranmi Daniel, Lagos 

Authorities of the University of Lagos have suspended indefinitely, further distribution of academic gowns for it’s forthcoming Convocation following the theft of the gowns.

The instituion had since sent messages to graduating students to inform them about the development.

It is not certain yet, whether the university would postpone the ceremony scheduled for Thursday.

UNILAG School of Post Graduate Studies explained in a message that the gowns for the convocation were stolen after the vans conveying it was vandalized.

The message read, “A Prosperous New Year to Our Esteemed Alumnus 

“Dear (names of graduating students)

“We regret to inform you that the distribution of SPGS academic gowns is now suspended. Sadly, the remaining gowns were stolen and our Bus vandalised this afternoon. 

“Signed: SPGS Management

Details later….