News

Tinubu’s Education Policy on Age Limit for Tertiary, NECO, WASSCE Belongs in Stone Ages – Atiku

Published

3 weeks ago

August 28, 2024

Eric

The 2023 PDP Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s Federal Government for the 18-year age limit on NECO and WAEC exams, calling it absurd and a barrier to scholarships.

Recall that the Federal Government has banned individuals below 18 from participating in the NECO and WAEC exams.

This was revealed by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics’ program.

Mamman stated that the federal government has instructed WAEC, responsible for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, and NECO, which administers the Senior School Certificate Examination, to enforce the 18-year age requirement for candidates taking these exams.

In response, the former Vice President took to his verified Facebook page on Wednesday to criticize the policy as outdated.

Atiku labelled the policy as controversial and called for universal condemnation from those who value intellectual freedom and accessibility.

He stated, “Tinubu’s policy on age limit for tertiary education admission belongs in the Stone Ages.

“The recent policy of the Federal Ministry of Education pegging age limits for entry to tertiary institutions is an absurdity and a disincentive to scholarship.

“The policy runs foul of the notion of delineation of responsibilities in a federal system of government such as we are practising, and gives a graphic impression of how the Tinubu government behaves like a lost sailor on a high sea.

“Otherwise, how is such anti-scholarship regulation the next logical step in the myriad of issues besetting our educational system?

“To be clear, the Nigerian constitution puts education in the concurrent list of schedules, in which the sub-national government enjoys more roles above the Federal Government.”

The former Vice President highlighted that the most effective global approach is to allow sub-national governments to establish their education laws or regulations.

Atiku continued, “Therefore, it is extra-constitutional for the federal government to legislate on education like a decree.

“The best global standard for such regulation is to allow the sub-national governments to make respective laws or rules on education.

“It is discouraging that even while announcing this obnoxious policy, the government inadvertently said it had no plan to cater to specially gifted pupils. That statement is an embarrassment to the body of intellectuals in the country because it portrays Nigeria as a country where gifted students are not appreciated.

“The irony here is that should the federal government play any role in education, it is to set up mechanisms that will identify and grant scholarships to gifted students not minding their ages before applying for admission into tertiary institutions.

“This controversial policy belongs in the Stone Ages and should be roundly condemned by everyone who believes in intellectual freedom and accessibility.”

The Punch

News

Abure Not Chairman of Labour Party, Tenure Expired in June, Says INEC

Published

10 hours ago

September 17, 2024

Eric

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it is illegal and unconstitutional for Julius Abure to continue parading himself as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

The electoral body said it no longer recognises Abure or other members of the party’s national working committee, as their tenures expired in June 2024.

This is contained in a counter-affidavit INEC filed in response to a suit brought by the Labour Party challenging its exclusion from the commission’s refresher training for uploading party agents ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.

The Commission argued that the Labour Party’s leadership, including Abure, is now invalid, stressing that it does not recognise the party’s March 2024 National Convention, which purportedly re-elected Abure as chairman.

It maintained that the convention contravened both the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act, stressing that it only deals with parties that have legitimate leadership in place.

According to a written submission supporting the counter affidavit, INEC’s legal team, led by Tanko Inuwa, SAN, stated that the Labour Party’s suit seeks declaratory reliefs, which cannot be granted merely by admission.

They argued that the Labour Party must prove its case, even with the admissions presented.

The INEC’s lawyers added that, due to the Labour Party’s failure to adhere to the legal requirements in holding its national convention, the party no longer has a valid leadership with which INEC can engage.

They prayed the court to dismiss the suit, arguing that the Labour Party is not entitled to the reliefs it is seeking.

News

#FearlessInOctober: Sowore Tells Tinubu to Expect More Protests

Published

19 hours ago

September 17, 2024

Eric

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 presidential election, Omoyele Sowore, has told the Federal government to expect more protests despite the latest attempts to suppress dissenting voices in the country.

This followed his arrest by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on Sunday.

He was released a few hours later.

Sowore, who appeared in an interview programme on Arise TV late on Sunday, insisted that the planned “FearlessInOctober” protest slated to begin on October 1, and other demonstrations, will still go ahead.

He said the protests are organised by Nigerians against the “oppressive” administration of President Bola Tinubu..

The activist said: “We started on August 1, which was part of the ‘End Bad Governance’ protest. It was supposed to be a continuation.

“There were 15 demands that the government did not even attend to. Instead of that, the Federal government arrested and detained a lot of people. They tied them with bogus offences, very outrageous offences of treason – for carrying placards.

“So, this is going to be a continuation of that.

“Everybody is aware, the government is aware of this. Everybody is looking forward to it because it’s a matter of right that Nigerians have to not allow this government to obliterate them with hunger, starvation, and incompetence

“It is treason to arrest, detain, and forcibly charge citizens with crimes that the government committed. And it’s not the first time I was accused of treason. In fact, I heard about the offence of treason in 1992 at the University of Lagos when we went and did Babangida Must Go.

“And the police arrested us at Western Avenue Police Station, asked us to start writing statements under duress, and said that we wanted to overthrow the government. That was the period that Olusegun Mayegun was President of NANS.

“I was charged with treason in 2019 by Buhari, so I’m not new to these bogus offences of treason. But that is not our focus. Our focus is that we have a country to liberate and a people to save. So whatever offences are thrown our way, we should not be discouraged.

“It’s up to the people to determine what constitutes the offence of treason. And I must say to you also that in 1994, Tinubu was accused of treason. If you remember he was accused of bombing the Ejigbo depot by Abacha.

“So that was why he left Nigeria on exile. But in our case, we are not going to go on exile simply because the government is afraid of our package.”

News

Sowore Arrives Nigeria, Arrested, Detained

Published

3 days ago

September 15, 2024

Eric

Convener of #RevolutionNow protest and former presidential candidate if the African Action Congress (AAC) has been detained by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

Sowore was reportedly detained on Sunday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, upon his arrival in Nigeria.

Sowore’s arrest may be connected to the 10-day #EndBadGovernance protest which was held across the country in August.

The protest was spearheaded by the Take-It-Back Movement and several other civil society organisations.

Sowore is also the convener of the movement.

Another protest is being planned by organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protest — scheduled for October 1.

In a post via his X page, Sowore said his passport was also seized by the service.

“I had just arrived in Nigeria from the USA to the MMIA in Lagos; upon reaching Nigerian Immigration, my passport was seized, and they told me they had orders to detain me,” he wrote.

“This is not un expected because i have always known that It is part of the broader clampdown by the fascist Bola Ahmed Tinubu regime on dissent and their fear of the upcoming #FearlessINOctober revolt.

“In case this becomes another prolonged and protracted detention, I urge our citizens to ensure they ALL stop tyranny by all means acceptable and necessary, by engaging in the planned series of direct actions slated for October 1st and beyond.”