At the recent Strategic School Management and Outstanding Private Schools Merit Awards, organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Education in conjunction with Family Affairs Consultancy Limited, Logos International Secondary School, LOGISS, a mission school in Awo-Omamma, Imo State, stood out among the other honorees selected from among the countless private schools scattered across Nigeria.

NIGERIA’S major problem: While serving as the Director-General of RMRDC, I was also the chairman of the Committee of Directors of all research institutes in Nigeria which enabled me to work and interact with the chief executives of all the research institutes within the Nigerian innovation system. “Over the years, I have been involved in quite a number of research programmes and these have resulted in a number of very useful technologies. At inception, there was a lot of emphasis on agriculture and solid minerals in Nigeria, but with the discovery of oil, the country moved away from those natural resources to crude oil and we have seen the price of oil going down.

In recognition of the quality of the entry level programme which takes fresh graduates through an intensive four-month pre-career course, the Guaranty Trust Bank Training Academy for pre-entry level staff has been accredited by the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) as a School of Banking Excellence.

Cowbell has reiterated its commitment to boost the study of Mathematics among students stating that Mathematics is the bedrock of Science and technology. Speaking at the first stage examination for NASSMAC held at the Immaculate Heart Secondary School, Maryland, Mr Abiodun Ayodeji , Category Manager Dairy said: ‘’the Cowbell Secondary School Mathematics Competition encourages the study of mathematics because mathematics is the bedrock of Science which is the bedrock of innovation.’’

FORMER Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed reports that he has concluded plans to dump All Progressives Congress, APC, for Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, noting that APC was his final bus stop.

General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), yesterday, described the kidnap of the Chibok schoolgirls as the greatest embarrassment in Nigeria’s post-independence history, just as he threw a challenge to anyone to dispute his success in protecting the economy while he was Head of State.

BEFORE I go on with the concluding part, let me appreciate my readers for the rush of support for our Armed Forces in their reactions to the first part of this article. You are all great patriots indeed.

GOVERNOR Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State, said Tuesday night in Kaduna that the north was ‘’losing political and economic power to the South West due to the high level of literacy of the Yoruba, and suggested the splitting of the Northern Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NNGF, in line with the three geopolitical zones in the area.

THE Vice Chancellor,Lagos State University, LASU, Professor John Obafunwa has disclosed that the over N209 million which was released by the state government as refund for excess school fees paid by students, is yet unclaimed by some students due to certain factors. While speaking with journalists in Lagos, he noted that the initial delay was necessitated by the due process involved in getting the money out of the state’s treasury. He said: “We had to go through the Ministries of Education, Economic Planning and Budget, and Finance before the money could be released.

“Because of the great value attached to education globally, crisis in the sector must be considered a serious cause for concern as education is almost everywhere considered as the key to economic prosperity and a vital instrument for combating disease, tackling poverty, and supporting sustainable development.”

“Therefore, one would think that subjecting prospective candidates to further test such as the post UTME by the tertiary institutions would not only amount not only to exploitation but unduly putting prospective candidates through excruciating experience. ‘’The foregoing is attainable with the JAMB working in synergy with all stakeholders in the education and communication sectors.’’

For over 18 months, since the first articles about Nigerian universities were published, I have been announcing that close to 25 new private universities are on the way. The announcement on March 1, 2015 of the approval of nine new private universities did not come as shock to me. There are several other private universities racing to enter what was once a lucrative market but is now already glutted. Add to these, the Asaba University, which a gateman had misled me into believing that it is government-owned, and the known new universities now total 10.

LABOUR Party, LP, governorship candidate in Delta State, Chief Great Ogboru, has expressed concern over the number of graduates churned out into the society without commensurate employment arrangements for them, noting that the lack of jobs will lead to the society producing graduate armed robbers.

Friday last week has come to stay as one of the memory days in the annals of our legal history, when lawyers, colleagues, relations, friends and well wishers from Edo, Delta States and beyond, converged at the Edo State High Court premises to pay their last respect in a valedictory Court Session to one of the greatest legal minds that have traversed the Nigerian legal terrain, late Justice Josiah Oki, former Chief Judge of the defunct Bendel State.

“In taking the decision, INEC will put all parties and stakeholders into consideration for peaceful and harmonious living in the area or the success of the election,” and asked INEC to involve and listen to major stakeholders before taking vital decisions on the polls.