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Fed Govt approves joint running of degree, NCE for CoEs
The Federal Government has given approval to the National Commission for Colleges Education (NCCE) to allow the Dual Mode of concurrently running degree and Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes in colleges of education.
Executive Secretary of NCCE, Prof Paulinus Chijioke disclosed this during the 2024 National Teachers’ Day celebration organised by the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COASU).
The executive secretary explained that the development was aimed at improving access to teacher education, arresting low enrolment, and ensuring quality production of professional teachers in the country.
Chijioke also emphasised the need to continue to elevate the status of the teaching profession, ensuring that it attracted the brightest and most passionate individuals.
President of COEASU, Dr Smart Olugbeko commended President Bola Tinubu for assenting to the Colleges of Education Establishment Act which granted the colleges of education system autonomy to award degrees in teacher education concurrently with the previous NCE.
He said: “In line with the implications of the dual mandate, we have continually charged all members of our union to refocus towards higher academic attainments, professional excellence, and productivity.
“Let me put it on record that pursuant to the degree awarding status, our Union initiated an upward review in the criteria for career progression for College of Education lecturers with a view to ensuring that the qualifications and research output requisite for rank attainment in Colleges of Education match global standards and justify the highly anticipated institution of professorial cadre.
“We are ready for this and we urge the Federal Government to without further delay see to the implementation.”
Meanwhile, COEASU has awarded N3.5 million to six exceptional students, each from one of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Additionally, the union conferred legacy awards on distinguished educators, including the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, Alhaji Abdulmalik Mahmood, former deputy governor of Bauchi State, and other notable recipients.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s family residence in Kogi was reportedy invaded by gunmen around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, April 16, leaving damaged windows but no injuries.
The incident happened at her hometown residence in Obeiba-Ihima, located in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Sources familiar with the event said the attackers arrived around 1:00 a.m. Armed with cutlasses and guns, they damaged parts of the building, smashing windows and causing panic in the area. At least three men were involved in the attack.
Senator Natasha’s Chief Security Officer, Yakubu Ovanja, quickly informed the appropriate security agencies.
In response, officers from the Okehi Police Division rushed to the scene.
Although nobody was hurt and no suspects have been arrested yet, security officials recorded the extent of the damage and launched a preliminary investigation.
The reason behind the attack is still unknown, and as of now, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has not released any official statement. She represents Kogi Central in the Senate and is known as a vocal figure in Nigerian politics.
According to Zagazola Makama, police are still trying to figure out what motivated the attackers and are working to find those responsible.
The communities came under simultaneous attacks just a day after the killing of 11 persons at Otobi Community also in Otukpo LGA.
Benue has in the past decade experienced incessant attacks.
Suspected herdsmen have again stepped up violent attacks as no fewer than three communities in the Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State were attacked on Wednesday.
The communities affected during the fresh attacks include Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju all in Otukpo where five persons were killed in February. The communities came under simultaneous attacks just a day after the killing of 11 persons at Otobi Community also in Otukpo LGA.
Local sources confirm that several people may have been feared dead again in the fresh attack.
Wednesday’s attack came hours after Governor Hyacinth Alia confirmed the arrest of three suspected herders in connection with the invasion of Otobi village on Tuesday night.
When contacted, Otukpo LGA Chairman, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the attack on the three communities, saying that the attackers stormed the communities at the time when the Commissioner of Police was still at the Ochidoma Palace over the previous day’s attack on Otobi.
He added that three people sustained injury in the attacks on the three communities, leading to women and children abandoning the communities for fear of being killed.
“Only young men were in the communities when the attackers arrived. The prompt response from combined security operatives made the attackers flee and none of them were arrested,” Ogiri stated.
The police spokesperson in the state, Sewuese Anene, was yet to confirm details of the attacks on the three communities.
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