NUPENG 'Public Goat' Comment On PTD in Good Faith

The National Union If petroleum and Natutal gas, NUPENG says it will always make case for all its affiliates, including the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD.

President of the union, William Akporeha in a statement said, NUPENG will not be cowed by some criminal elements trying to create issues where there is none.

NUPENG President said a comment credit to the General Secretary of the Union Afolabi Olawale, where he described  some persons as  'public goat's a television programme.

NUPENG President said the General Secretary of the Union was only trying to highlight the neglect of Tanker Drivers and their demands, and wonder why persons facing criminal charges would want to twist the truth.

Aporeha asked the general public to ignore sensational reports being peddled by a section of the media, in support of non-recognised group of persons, who are bent on demeaning the majority by  promoting untrue, concerted and manipulated stories, to gain public sympathy.

NUPENG says its relationship with the Augustine Egbon-led PTD leadership remains intact as it is the only recognised leadership with the  Trade Unions Secretariat at the Federal Ministry of Labout and Employment.

ONAIYEKAN @80; Lalong Celebrates

Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District Simon Bako Lalong has eulogised John Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Archbishop emeritus of Abuja, describing him as an sound advocate for peace, progress, tolerance and unity. 

In a statement,  Dr. Makut Simon Macham 

Special Adviser (Media) to Senator Simon Bako Lalong, Plateau South Senatorial District, said 

Senator Lalong who spoke at the 80th birthday and book presentation in honour of Cardinal Onaiyekan in Abuja said the clergyman has spent the better part of his life facilitating reconciliation and love between men as well as drawing them closer to God. 

He said he has personally benefited from the humility, kindness and mentorship of the Cardinal who has consistently been vocal against injustice, violence and all forms of oppression. 

The Senator thanked the organisers,  Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace for documenting the thoughts and works of the celebrant in the book " Religions for Peace, not War" which was launched to commemorate the day.

He wished the Cardinal many more years of good health, peace and divine protection as he continues to serve humanity and work for a better society.

Nigeria Launches New Teacher Dev. Prog.

The Federal Government has launched a new teacher development programme, Teacher Internship Scheme (TIS), designed to support States in the emergence of a new generation of teachers with skills and knowledge needed to excel in the digital age and help in the implementation of smart education in Nigeria. 

The scheme was introduced by Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), to address the dearth of teachers in the field of smart education being championed by the Commission in Nigeria, with the establishment of 37 Smart Schools across the country. 

The execution of smart education programme of Nigeria is being provided technical support by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and commitment of about $10.4 million to the project. 

Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, flagged off the teacher Internship scheme on Thursday at the UBEC Digital Resource Centre, located at Kado, Abuja, where he also inspected the facility established to serve as a hub for creating and distributing resources to schools as well as training the school personnel.  

He expressed the commitment of the Federal Government towards provision of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure for enhanced teaching and learning in the country. 

According to him, ICT has dominated every spectrum of life and Nigeria must make a paradigm shift from the traditional method of teaching children using blackboard and chalk. 

He commended the Executive Secretary

of UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi and his management team for the initiative, noting that one could not be talking of quality of education without teachers with the right skills and knowledge to drive the process. 

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, 

Dr. Bobboyi, explained that participants of the Teacher Internship Scheme, are graduates of education selected based on merit from all the states of the federation and are expected to go through intensive training for two years. 

"It is envisaged that at the end of the two-year programme, the Interns would emerge as a new breed of teachers, equipped with the skills and knowledge to harness the power of technology and transform the learning experience. 

"They would not just be teachers; they will be smart teachers who would be innovators, catalysts for change, and architects of a brighter future for the Nigerian child," he said.

He said this was a significant step forward in the on-going quest to transform Basic Education in Nigeria, adding that the world is changing at an unprecedented pace, with technology impacting on every aspect of our lives, including education. 

Bobboyi further stated that the traditional method of teaching and learning is no longer adequate to prepare learners for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century, hence the need to expose Nigerian teachers to digital platforms and pedagogies for them to rise to the challenge of preparing the next generation of Nigerian children to survive and thrive in a globalized and competitive world.

He added that the COVID-19 pandemic had laid bare the vulnerabilities of the traditional education system, saying it brought to the fore the need to explore an alternative mode that enables learning to take place anytime anywhere, including during emergencies. 

"The Universal Basic Education Commission’s response was the introduction of its SMART Schools programme. This led to the construction of 37 SMART Schools, one in each State and FCT, and the establishment of 109 e-learning Centres. 

He called on all stakeholders in the sector to join hands with UBEC in achieving this laudable goal. 

He particularly urged the Universal Basic Education Boards of States and FCT, who are the major partners in Universal Basic Education (UBE) implementation to commit themselves to the successful implementation of the Teacher Internship Scheme (TIS) and the SMART Schools programme in general. 

Country Director, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Nigeria Office, Mr Son Sungil, disclosed that KOICA had secured a budget of $10.4 million to support Nigeria in the establishment of Smart Schools in the country. 

According to him, this support is largely in the areas of digital content development for Mathematics and science subjects, content development Studio for digital content creation, capacity building for teachers, school leadership and high-level education stakeholders, guideline for Smart school operation and monitoring and evaluation. 

While commending the visionary leadership of UBEC's Executive Secretary, Sungil, pledged the commitment of KOICA to continue to work with UBEC and other stakeholders to make future better for the Nigerian children.