Niger Delta University, NDU 4th convocation ceremony schedule of events.

Authorities of the Niger Delta University,Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State have released the programme of events for their 4th convocation ceremony.
Activities for the ceremony are as scheduled below:

1.Monday, 13th April, 2015:
Commencement of collection of Academic Gown
2.Sunday, 19th April 2015:
*.Inter-denominational Church Service
*.Venue: Lecture Theater, Main Campus
*.Time: 9am
3.Monday, 20th April, 2015:
*.Convocation press Briefing by the Vice-Chancellor
*.Venue: Vice-Chancellor’s Conference Room
*.Time: 12.00 noon
4.Friday, 24th April, 2015:
*.Event: Convocation Lecture
*.Venue: University Auditorium, Main campus
*.Time: 2.00p.m
*.Event: Convocation Cocktail
*.Venue:Handball Pitch, Main Campus
*.Time: 5.00p.m
*.Event: Command Performance
*.Venue:Lecture Theatre
*.Time: 7.00p.m
5.Saturday, 25th April 2015:
a. Event:Commissioning of projects by His Excellency, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson
Time:8am – 10am
b. Event: Conferment of degrees
Time:10 am
I.Conferment of Honorary Degrees
II.Conferment of Higher Degrees
III.Conferment of post Graduate Diplomas
IV.Conferment of first Degrees/Dilopmas
Venue: Convocation Arena, New Site.
Please be informed that members of Senate and congregation will partake in the procession.
By this notice, all participants are expected to meet at the Convocation Arena, New Site by 7:30am to prepare for the Academic Procession.

Muhammudu Buhari President-elect urged to abolish Government foreign scholarships

The Commonwealth Youth Council chairperson, Ahmed Adamu, has urged Nigeria’s president elect, Muhammudu Buhari, to abolish foreign scholarships in country when he assumes office May 29.

The Commonwealth Youth Councilchairperson,Ahmed Adamu, has urged Nigeria’s president elect,Muhammudu Buhari, to abolish foreign scholarships in country when he assumes office May 29.
According to Adamu who holds a PhD in economics, close to N100 billion is spent on foreign scholarships annually by Nigerian government which he claimed has caused over supply of Nigerian currency, triggering the continue decline of the value of the Nigerian Naira.

“This figure is extremely higher when adding the cost of other self-sponsored foreign education and I am using this medium to call on the Nigerian president elect to consider this as one of the immediate policy he will adopt in the first 100 days in office”.

He, in a statement issued on
Saturday from London said Nigerians and other internationals studying in UK contribute 2.3% to the GDP growth in UK and their patronages contribute 2.6% to the overall UK employment and maintained that the funds injected into foreign economies should be invested in Nigeria.

“How different are foreign Universities are from Nigerian Universities, you will talk about access to energy, IT, resources, facilities, conducive atmosphere, and efficiency. All these can be provided in all Nigerian Universities with the savings that will eventuate from abolishing foreign scholarships. If you divide N100 billion by the number of federal universities, you will see that each university will get N2.5 billion a year”.
He held that Nigerian universities can perform to the international standard if for five years N2.5 billion is injected in them annually and that those who were already trained abroad can teach in Nigerian universities.
The economist also said Buhari must cut down government expenditure by 50% in one year, increase bank rate and taxes and the extravagance and wastages during the political campaign had caused unnecessary inflation in Nigeria, which he claimed is now at 8.6% from 7.9% in November.
“The money in circulation must be controlled. It is commendable that the president-elect has proposed to reduce government overheads by proposing to scrap unnecessary political appointments.
“All the money saved from the austerity measures should be invested in manufacturing and industrial sectors as well as education, science and technology. Small skills labourers should have a coordinated wage system, so that cost of production can be predicted, and small skill labourers who contribute immensely to the economic growth will not be underpaid” he stated.

Woman withdraws 6-yr-old daughter from school because alleged sexual assault by another pupil

A mother has removed her six-year-old daughter from a primary school after she was allegedly sexually assaulted by a boy of the same age.

The girl was allegedly abused by the young pupil both in the playground and at the classroom of the school in Blackburn, Lancashire.
But the girl’s mother has criticised school bosses for an apparent lack of action, and says that they made her daughter ‘feel like she was in the wrong.’
Although police have confirmed that they received a report of the issue, they are effectively powerless – as the age of criminal responsibility in England is 10 years old.
Instead, Blackburn with Darwen Council are now working to support those involved with the allegations.

But the girl’s mum said there needed to be a change in law, as children were become increasingly ‘sexualised at a younger age’.
‘I informed the school and social services straight away, and rang the police’, she said.
‘I had to keep her off school because the school said it was appropriate for the boy to remain in classes.

‘They said they needed to speak to the boy’s parents and find out his side of the story.
‘My daughter didn’t really understand how bad it was. It has left her feeling very vulnerable. The way the school has acted makes her feel like she was in the wrong’.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police has confirmed that they received a report of sexual assault from the girl’s mother.

Garissa Univeristy Attack Croatian students organise flash mob in honour of Garissa victims

In honour of the 147 students killed in the terror attacks on the Garissa University Campus, Zagred University students organised a flash mob in their honour.

Zagreb University in Croatia students took time out of their classes to pay tribute to the students who lost lives in Garissa. The students all lay on the ground each with a number representing the 147 students who were killed in Garissa terror attack. The students remained moot on the ground for 147 seconds.
The attacks happened while students were in school and they are believed to be carried out by gunmen associated with the Somali terrorist group, Al-Shabaab.
Suspects have been arrested have appeared in court.

The reason why students fail Mathematics revealed

churned out in qualifying examinations across the country can attest to this fact. However, there are still quite a number who have excelled greatly in the subject. Prof. Mohammed Ibrahim is one of such.

Many students are not best friends with Mathematics. The statistics of mass failures churned out in qualifying examinations across the country can attest to this fact. However, there are still quite a number who have excelled greatly in the subject. Prof.

Mohammed Ibrahim is one of such. He has spent his whole life around the subject-studying it, teaching it, and teaching people studying to teach it. In this interview, the President of the Mathematics Association of Nigeria gives insights into why students fail mathematics.
Tell us about the Mathematics association of Nigeria?

It was established over 53years ago in Nigeria with branches across the thirty-six states of the federation and FCT. M.A.N boasts of over a hundred thousand active members nationwide being the oldest of Mathematical bodies across the nation.

Many students see Mathematics as a difficult subject, as a result, the mass failure of the subject in WASSCE, NECO, UTME and other qualifying examinations. Why do you think this is, and what can be done to improve the situation?

Mass failure of students in Mathematics may be attributed to many factors which can be categorised under two sub-headings namely; Teachers’ influence and Students’ mentality. Teachers’ influence in mass failure of Mathematics can result from poor teaching techniques, inability to make the subject practicable and simple, poor knowledge of the course and so on. Student’s however contributed immensely to mass failure of Mathematics due to apathy or hatred for the subject; Laziness/Lazy attitude to studying the subject; Seeing the subject as abstract or non-practicable; Working in isolation or neglecting group studies; Having a negative attitude towards the subject or the teacher; Lack of textbooks/teaching materials among others. The mass failure can be eradicated if the following measures amongst others can be taken by updating the teacher on new teaching techniques of the subject; equipping the library with recent and updated textbooks; making the learning environment conducive for both the teacher and the students/pupils; and making the learning of the subject practicable for the pupils to admire it.

Apart from some students’ apathy towards the subject, what other challenges are facing Mathematics in Nigeria?
Other challenges facing Mathematics education in Nigeria are the lack of qualified teachers, poor learning environments, lack of teaching materials/textbooks and small scale Mathematics competition among students.
Why is Mathematics important for every student?
Mathematics is important for every student because it is the bedrock of other subjects. Another thing to note is that adequate knowledge in Mathematics boosts reasoning faculty of students. Knowledge of Mathematics helps students to understand their environments better through thorough analysis of the existing fact.
These challenges can be surmounted by upgrading the standard of education through equipping each school with necessary textbooks, employing competent teachers for the subject and providing adequate infrastructural facilities for schools. Another area to be looked into is that of providing competitive platform for students to rub minds and grow; just like the Mathematics competitions I mentioned earlier. Improving the welfare of Mathematics teachers and giving scholarship to the best Mathematics students’ at all levels- primary, secondary and tertiary will serve an incentive for students to strive to do better.
What are the upcoming programmes of the Association?
We have our 52nd annual conference coming up between August 30 and September 1, this year. It is holding at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, UNEC. The conference is themed: ‘Mathematics as a tool for research, governance and service to humanity.