… blames SUG President

By Joseph Albert

The Management of Federal Polytechnic, Oko has said that the news story making the rounds on social and some mainstream media on alleged imposition of examination fee on students by the Management “is to say the least a disservice and injustice to the Polytechnic Management which has ensured that school fees paid by students are moderate and within reach”.

Reacting to the news story in a statement available to journalists, the PRO of the institution, Chijioke Ibeziako, explained that “The N5,000 examination fee in question is an old fee which was approved by the then Governing Council of the Polytechnic, and which students were informed about it as part of the cumulative fees approved for them to pay per session.

He explained that when the SUG President of the Polytechnic released a circular directing students not to pay the examination fee, the Management, in its characteristic open door policy, held series of interactions with the SUG official, leading to the parties signing agreement and memorandum of understanding for students to continue paying the examination fee.

The Management also assured the students officials that students can continue writing the exam while they pay the exam fee, according to the PRO.

He however, regretted that the student union President later reneged on the agreement and released a circular to students that first semester examination already scheduled for commencement will not hold as scheduled, and directed students to stay away from school.

The statement reads in parts:

“… in the early hours of the morning the examinations were scheduled to commence, he led some students to block the school gate, barring students who were coming to write the exams from entering the school premises.

This agitation against the exam fee is therefore surprising and clearly portrays the hand of fifth columnists who do not mean well for the Ag.Rector and the Management and are bent on sabotaging the system for their selfish and inordinate ambition. Nonetheless, the Ag.Rector in order to avoid any crisis directed against using any force to stop the illegal blockade thereby ensuring normalcy and calmness in the Institution.

The exam fee and other fees paid by students are legally approved as contained in the fee schedule issued to students upon registration and are in line with what is obtainable in other institutions. Interestingly from analysis, Federal Polytechnic Oko has a very moderate school fees regime and is in fact one of the Institutions with the least school fees.

The agitation against the examination fees by few misguided students is unfortunate, misleading, unnecessary, uncalled for and misplaced as the Ag.Rector since assumption of office has taken steps that enhance staff and students welfare, and has distinguished himself as one of the best staff/students friendly Chief Executive.

His strong sense of commitment and diligence has promptly resolved persistent challenges associated with exam materials, printing of students results and has achieved ease of doing business on campus”.

The Polytechnic Management, while imploring students not to allow themselves to be used by those who want to foment trouble in order to achieve ulterior motives, assured them that their interest will always be protected, event as it urge them to go and write the first semester examination as every student will be accommodated.

… as Aguata Branch of NBA honours her as “Amazon of the Frontline Bar”

The Anambra State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Professor Sylvia Ifemeje, has bagged “Amazon of the Frontline Bar” award; courtesy of the Aguata branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA.

The award, presented during the 2024 Law Week of the association, was in recognition of the Justice Commissioner’s “positive support, hospitality and motivation to the Bar”.

Receiving the honour and dedicating same to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Professor Ifemeje announced that the end-to-end full automation of the 31 High Courts in Anambra and the Ministry of Justice, when completed by the end of the year, would make the state the first to achieve such feat in the Nigeria justice sector.

She stated that innovative, disruptive and transformative projects going on in the state justice sector are in line with Governor Soludo’s promise of expeditious dispensation of justice.

Other achievements of the state government in the justice sector, according to the Commissioner, include solar installation in all the High Courts, Court of Appeal, Federal High Court and Court of Appeal in Anambra, as well as all four Correctional Service Centres in the state.

She recalled that the Soludo administration has equally deployed virtual hearing facilities in all the High Courts and four Correctional Service Centres in the state, and has also embarked on massive renovation of all the Ministry of Justice Outstations in Nnewi, Awka, Onitsha, and Otuocha.

Earlier while welcoming participants to the event, the Chairman of Aguata Branch of the NBA, Victor Ezeonwumelu Esq., noted that the Law Week, which has been a biennial celebration in the branch, was not held since after that of 2020 due insecurity within and around the Old Aguata Region of the state, reason he commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo administration for doing alot to curb the unfortunate tide through good governance.

Noting that the Aguata Branch has since inception continued its search for a revolutionizing role for the law profession in the seemingly impracticable task of reshaping and re-routing the Nigerian nation through rich and robust indepth lectures, Barrister Ezeonwumelu explained that the 2024 Law Week with the theme, “Interrogating the judicial responses to the application of ICT as a panacea to electoral malpractices in Nigeria”, was yet another modest contribution to the “Nigerian Project”.

He congratulated award recipients at the event, and challenge them to continually justify the honors bestowed on them by further investment in integrity and industry in the years ahead.

… as Anambra govt plans establishment of juvenile Correctional Centers

Having specialized courts or specific days for criminal and civil matters will ensure speedy trial and determination of criminal cases, thereby helping to decongest Correctional Centres in the state, as well as upholding rights of inmates awaiting trial.

Anambra State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Professor Sylvia Ifemeje, announced this as the decision of members of the Anambra State Steering Committee on Implementation of International Idea/ROLAC II Programme during its meeting in Awka.

At the meeting, members of the committee were briefed on challenges, expected targets and action plans for the next quarter of the year.

Professor Ifemeje, who also said that Governor Chukwuma Soludo is committed to having a Correctional Centers for juveniles in conflict with the law in the state, explained that the absence of the centers has been creating problems in character reformation in a congested facility.

She explained that the amendment of the constitution of the federal government that included Correctional Centers in the Concurrent Legislative List has enabled the Anambra State Ministry of Justice to initiate Correctional Service Bill to help the state in proper facility management and possible expansion; given that criminality rate is on the increase in present-day society.

Professor Ifemeje, who also chairs the steering committee, commended RoLAC for being helpful in reforming the justice sector of the state and strengthening its anti corruption drive.

On his part, a member of the committee and Chairman of Anambra State Disability Rights Commission, Barrister Chuks Ezewuzie, said that access to justice requires that attention be given to speedy trial of criminal cases, which he said will ensure that those in awaiting trial are not allowed to stay long and be badly influenced by convicted inmates.

He noted that the concept of correction suggests that people who break the law get reformed and reintegrated into the society for a better life, reason he said there is the need for separation of those who actually needs to be rehabilitated from those who need to be “locked away” to serve their jail terms.

Earlier in her remark, the Anambra State Cordinator of RoLAC, Mrs Josephine Onah, called for increased state support for better project outcomes.

Other members of the steering committee present at the meeting were a Senior Magistrate, Mike Anyadiegwu, Deputy Chief Registrar, Inspectorate, Anambra State High Court, Vivian Udedike, state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Ify Obinabo, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Chinwe Achugbu, Permanent Secretary, Office of the state Head of Service, Mr. Adebayo Ojeyinka.

Members of Civil Society Organizations, including the Executive Director, Civil Rights Concern, Mr. Okey Onyeka, Executive Director of Victorian Clarion Foundation, Mrs Uju Onyendilefu, State Cordinator, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, Barrister Amaka Maduabuchi also attended the meeting.