COVID-19 IN NIGERIA: WE SAY NO TO CHINA INTERVENTION

Can the world ever trust China again? Would Nigeria romance with the prime suspect of the current global crisis (COVID-19)? How can we? In 2012 China handed over a fully funded and built headquarters building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to the African Union (AU). A great gesture of friendship and solidarity, perhaps. But not long after, it was alleged to have been bugged, leaking vital, confidential information of the Union to China in faraway Shanghai! True or false, the Union had to change its computer servers to check the alleged mischief. But issues of health are different. Misfiring means losing a life, or even lives. On a national scale, that can amount to thousands. Painful loss. Avoidable loss. The authorities must tread with caution here. Face masks, test kits, ventilators, vaccine and doctors - all from or of China. Hmmmm, caution we must exercise. Until now we have been using our indigenous doctors, and they have been doing well. WHY CHANGE THE WINNING TEAM? Please let us DISCARD this idea of Chinese intervention. WE DON'T NEED IT. Let us stay safe Stay indigenous. Stay Nigerian We shall overcome

Tuesday 18 March 2014

FG Invests N144.7bn In Basic Education


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The Supervising Minister of Education, Mr Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday said the Federal Government invested N144.7 billion in basic education between 2009 and 2013.Wike, who stated this in Abuja at the opening of the 20th Nigerian Economic Summit, said that the money was given as grants to states to assist them in funding basic education. He said that although basic education was the responsibility of states and local government, the Federal Government had since 2005 been dedicating two per cent of its education vote for assistance to the states.

He disclosed that the Federal Government started supporting the funding of basic education after the revision of the National Policy of Education as recommended by the Presidential Task Team on Education.
According to him, the provision of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act, 2004 had implications for the education sector, particularly for the provision of universal access to education at primary and junior secondary schools.
The minister explained that the grant to the states was for the purpose of providing uniform and qualitative basic education around the country.
He said that the UBE Commission had been operating as an intervention, coordinating and monitoring entity “to progressively improve the capacity of states and local governments for quality basic education.’’
He said that during the period, the country recorded increase in enrolment of pupils in school and attributed it to sensitisation and mobilisation carried out by UBEC.
He added that the Federal Government also invested in the training of 42,580 primary school teachers during the period.
“The impact of these investments has been seen in the improved quality pre-service teacher training activities.
“The in-service teachers’ upgrading and training programmes have also made impact in the quality of teachers in the basic education schools,” he said.
Wike, however, stated that the major challenge of basic education in the country was inadequacy of funds available for curriculum and instructional material development activities. (NAN)

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