Category: Literacy

Attorney General’s Office (PGR) has reiterated the need for the inclusion of subjects on corruption in the academic curriculum in the country.

The need was reiterated by National Director for Prevention and Fight Against Corruption of the PGR, Inocência Pinto, on Tuesday in Luanda, who said that the move was intended to fight against corruption in education sector.

The PGR official was speaking at the ceremony that marked the official launch of the consultation process of draft National Strategy for Prevention and Repression of Corruption (ENAPREC).

In her capacity as coordinator of the technical sub-group, in charge of drafting the proposal, Inocência Pinto, who is also Deputy Attorney General, said the inclusion of the corruption prevention in the education system aims at curbing such practices.

According to Pinto, the consultation process, due to start this month, will last more than 30 days in all country’s provinces.

She said that the proposal aims to allow, from an early age, people to have “contact with matters related to public probity and the common good”.

In her speech, Pinto noted that the implementation of actions to combat corruption in Angola “has been bearing fruit”.

As an example, she highlighted the fact that Angola was ranked 116th in the corruption perception index, according to non-governmental organisation Transparency International, in its report published in January 2023.

Contribution of the institutions

Although the content has already received various contributions from public and private, national and foreign institutions, the coordinators deemed it necessary to conduct a nationwide public consultation process, as part of the participatory democracy principle.

This exercise is extensive to all natural and legal persons interested in sharing their knowledge for the enrichment and conclusion of the document.

The draft National Strategy for the Prevention and Repression of Corruption was prepared by a Working Group created in 2019, integrated by various public bodies.

The group is coordinated by the minister of State and Head of the Civil Affairs Office to the President of the Republic, Adão de Almeida, under the guidance of the President of the Republic, João Lourenço.

The Working Group was also tasked with conducting studies and drafting of proposals and mechanisms for the implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

The Nigerian Tulip International Colleges (NTIC) has underscored the need for students to embrace the study of mathematics to enjoy successful science-related careers.

The Managing Director of NTIC, Mr Feyzullah Bilgin, gave the advice in Abuja at the 20th Annual National Mathematics Competition (ANMC) for Primary 5, 6 and JSS3 students.

The competition was organised by NTIC in collaboration with the National Mathematical Centre (NMC) to promote the study of the subject.

“Mathematics is the key of all the science subjects and when a person is very good at maths, the person is going to be able to think abstractly and highly.

“The study of mathematics will help the student become successful in anything, including other subjects.

“In the past in Greece where philosophers were famous and active, they had an academia and at the gate was written: ‘no one can enter if you do not know mathematics’,” he said.

Bilgin advised students of the college to study very hard, so as to “become the best of the best.”

He also advised parents to always support their wards with relevant tools to enable them realise their dreams of studying Mathematics.

Speaking at the event, the Director-General of NMC, Prof. Promise Mebine, described mathematics as the language of science on which “the future is built”.

The D-G, represented by Prof. Jonathan Ogidi, Head of International Linkages and Advancement at the centre, said any nation that did not prioritise mathematics would have no future.

“Mathematics is important because it is a means of clothing the future; a nation that does not honour and respect mathematics has no future,” he said.

He therefore advised parents to invest in the education of their children, so as to prepare them for a responsible future.

“If the parents know what it takes to invest in the future of their children, especially education, it is not the material things you buy for them that should be your priority.

“It should be how to let your child have knowledge that will keep and help him or her to stand on their own in the near future, when you are no more to help them,” he said.

Mebine disclosed that NMC has developed a Digital Mathematics Network which would contain JSS 1 to JSS 3 curriculum in digital form, to enable students learn mathematics on the go.

Also speaking, Mr Henry Aniobi, a mathematics olympian, encouraged students to be focused while in school.

“As a student, you should be focused on learning and put in your best in all that you do because this is the beginning of your life path.

“As a math olympian, mathematical problem solving is an art. When solving a problem, you need to think creatively. Mathematics helps you think outside the box,” he said.

Aniobi congratulated the awardees and thanked NTIC and NMC for the initiative.

Nwakuche Chidubem, a pupil from Pyramid Learning Academy, Anambra, who emerged overall best, received a cash prize of N100,000, a computer set for the school and a 100 per cent scholarship to NTIC.

Amah Chibuike from Diamond Special School, Imo, who came second, received a cash prize of N75,000, a tablet for the school and full scholarship to study at NTIC.

Also, Mofiyinoluwa Joshua of St. Saviour’s School, Lagos State, who emerged third got N50,000, a printer and full scholarship to NTIC.

In the JSS category, Chukwunwike Ezebube of NTIC came tops and was recognised with a certificate.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Two female students of the St. Ignatius of Loyola (Lassia Tuolu) Senior High School in the Wa West District lost their lives in a fatal accident at Gindabuor in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region.

The accident, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, April 6, claimed the lives of Hidaya Boressah Abudu, a first-year student, from Bole in the Savannah Region, and Cynthia Bong-Yinaa, a second-year student, from Konzokala in the Jirapa District, Upper West Region.

The victims, who were pronounced dead on arrival at the Upper West Regional Hospital, had since been buried.

Five other students were injured and are receiving treatment at the same hospital while one student is on admission at the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District Hospital.

Mr Banongwie Emmanuel, the Headmaster of the school, who confirmed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said 14 students were on board a Sanyon minibus hired by the students to convey them to the southern sector.

The school was vacated on Thursday, and the students were travelling back home for the Easter break when the unfortunate happened.

Source: Ghana News Agency

President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter, Hanan Buhari, and the Smart Parenting Coaching Academy, have embarked on sensitising Apo -Dutse community in the FCT on appropriate parenting and ending all forms of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in the society.

The exercise was the first phase of the smart community outreach organised by the Smart Parenting Academy to support residents in some communitities in the FCT.

Hanan Buhari said her foundation, Hanan Buhari Foundation supported the academy to sensitise parents on the need to inculcate good moral values in their children, in view of the high recorded cases of SGBV and misconduct in the society.

“We are here to support them in advocating against sexual and gender based violence.

” Parenting goes along way and it is very important for parents and guardian to protect their children and teach them how to protect themselves.

“We can’t do everything by ourselves, the community also has to support in parenting our children,” she said.

She also stressed the need to stop all forms of stigmatisation and abuse against survivors of SGBV, rather they should be supported and encouraged to seek assistance.

Also, Mrs Oluwatoyin Ogunkanmi, Founder, Smart Parenting Coaching Academy said the outreach was necessitated by the need to reduce the increasing number of GBV, rape , kidnapping cases in the community.

Ogunkanmi, who is also a psychologist, said the exercise would enable community members to speak with experts and be educated on SGBV, it’s effects, how to stop it, as well as measures to ensure justice to curb the trend.

” The outreach is to help parents raise their children into becoming a well balanced and responsible individuals.

“We want to reach out to people in the suburbs and everywhere on how to teach them how to raise their children to be well balanced individual and how to protect them from sexual molesters and predators.

” As parents, go out there today, take care of your children, be deliberate in raising them, right discipline, build the right character and values in them so that at the end of the day, they end up becoming responsible citizens in the society,” she said.

According to her, over 250 women and girls will benefits from food items, sanitary pads, therapeutic session, counselling amongst others in the community.

Mrs Irene Ugbah, an educationist and gender advocate, encouraged parents to ensure their children, especially the girl child access education to enable them have a source of livelihood, curb SGBV and contribute to national development.

She said: “We have a good number of out of school children in Nigeria, out of which 60 per cent are girls.

” So, all hands need to be on deck to reduce it and ensure girls gets educated so that there is a future for them and for national nation.”

Ms Halima Abubakar, family parenting coach and counsellor, said: ”’Parenting in Nigeria used to be community based, not one parents, we all joined hands together to raise the children. Unfortunately this is not what we see today.

” We are trying to change the narrative of what we see today to say that parenting is something that we all in the community need to put hands together to raise responsible and successful children.”

Speaking on behalf of the community, Mrs Omolara Olagbedo, Women Leader, expressed appreciation to the organisations for their support, enlightenment on education and parenting.

” We are happy with this organisation because they have enlightened us on the appropriate way of parenting our children and the value of education,” she said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) on Saturday graduated 28,740 students, comprising 21,339 undergraduates and 7,401 post graduates, from all the institution’s study centres across the country.

The Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Olufemi Peters, at the 12th convocation ceremony in Abuja, said 58 of the graduates are inmates of various Correctional Centres in the country.

Olufemi, while congratulating the students, also charged them to diligently apply themselves in whatever capacity with integrity as true ambassadors of NOUN.

According to him, every graduate should look forward with great expectation to the future, a future that holds the potential for the realisation of their dreams.

“I am delighted to inform you that it is now 20 years since the resuscitation of the National Open University of Nigeria and commencement of academic activities therein.

“This convocation therefore marks the commencement of activities to commemorate the resuscitation of the University.

“At the undergraduate level, we are presenting a total of 21,339 students, 6 students made First-Class degree; 2,306 students had Second Class Upper Division; 11,075 had Second Class Lower Division.

“Also, 5,558 had Third Class Degree, we also recorded 279 students’ Passes. We are graduating a total of 2,057 students in the Bachelor of Nursing Science Programme.

“85 of these are graduating with distinction; 1,231 are graduating with credit; while 75 are graduating with Pass degrees in the new classification system,” he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria