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Rep. Umaru Empowers Over 100 Teachers, Rewards Students with N10m in Education Initiatives
By Sunday John
Rep. Jeremiah Umaru (APC, Akwanga/Nassarawa-Eggon/Wamba Federal Constituency) has trained more than 100 primary and secondary school teachers across the 35 electoral wards of his constituency to enhance their capacity for effective service delivery.
Speaking during the event on Wednesday in Akwanga Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Umaru said the training was part of his blueprint to invest in and promote the education sector.
He explained that the capacity-building program focused on improving school administration and integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into teaching and learning to make educators more efficient and globally competitive.
The lawmaker pledged to sustain the initiative and extend it to all teachers in his constituency in line with international best practices.
Participants received training through papers and presentations on topics such as “The Role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Teacher Education,” “Effective School Leadership and Management,” “Financial Management in School Administration,” and “Drug Abuse and the Poor Performance of Students.”
In a related development, Umaru also presented more than ₦10 million in cash prizes to winners of the second edition of his constituency-wide secondary school debate competition.
Expressing satisfaction with the students’ performance, he commended their confidence, composure, and logical presentation of arguments. He also appreciated teachers for their dedication to mentoring and nurturing young minds.
“The debate aims to build networks among students and expose them to global standards in public speaking and academic competition,” Umaru said. “The connections and confidence they gain here will help shape their future aspirations.”
He added that the platform encourages peer review between public and private school students, noting that such competitions help strengthen intellectual and communication skills.
Umaru reaffirmed his commitment to initiating more developmental programs across sectors to empower his constituents and justify their support at the polls.
At the grand finale, Shepherd International College, Akwanga, emerged as the overall winner, while Government Science Secondary School, Wamba, and Our Lady of Fatima College, Ogba, Nassarawa-Eggon, came second and third, respectively.
The winning school received a ₦1 million cash prize and five laptops, the first runner-up got ₦700,000 and three laptops, while the second runner-up received ₦500,000 and two laptops.
Individual awards included ₦500,000 and a laptop for the best speaker, ₦250,000 and a laptop for the second-best speaker, and ₦150,000 and a laptop for the third-best speaker. Each of the remaining 32 participating schools received ₦200,000 and educational materials.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the debate competition, which began in August, brought together students from both public and private schools across the constituency.
Nigeria’s aviation workers have issued a fresh seven-day ultimatum to airline operators and other organisations that have failed to remit the statutory five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC), warning that they will embark on nationwide picketing if the outstanding debts are not settled.
The notice, jointly issued by the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), follows the expiration of an earlier 14-day ultimatum served on 8 July, which lapsed on 23 July without compliance from the affected operators.
The five per cent Ticket Sales Charge is a statutory levy imposed on every airline ticket sold in Nigeria. The proceeds are remitted to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and shared among aviation agencies to fund regulatory oversight, safety, security and other statutory responsibilities.
The latest warning comes months after airline operators announced they would no longer collect and remit the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge on behalf of the NCAA, arguing that the arrangement had become unsustainable. PREMIUM TIMES reported at the time that the decision raised concerns over the funding of aviation agencies and the future administration of the statutory levy.
In a statement jointly signed by ATSSSAN General Secretary, Frances Akinjole, and NUATE Deputy General Secretary, Odinaka Igbokwe, the unions accused defaulting operators of failing to remit the charges despite repeated warnings.
“Our earlier 14-day ultimatum has expired, and regrettably, willful non-compliance has been recorded,” the unions said.
According to them, the continued failure to remit the statutory deductions is depriving aviation agencies of funds required to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
“The aviation agencies remain starved of the required funds to keep our skies safe, while the conditions of service of our members in the various agencies continue to be jeopardised because of the non-remittance of the Ticket Sales Charge,” the statement added.
The unions argued that the prolonged withholding of the funds has weakened the financial capacity of the agencies and adversely affected workers’ welfare.
They warned that the situation could ultimately pose risks to aviation safety and security.
“This unnecessary demotivation factor to the air transport worker is a security and safety risk,” they said.
Declaring that they could no longer remain passive, the unions issued what they described as a final seven-day notice to all defaulting airline operators and other indebted organisations.
READ ALSO: NCAA threatens sanctions as Royal Air Maroc allegedly defies regulatory authority
“We can no longer helplessly fold our hands and allow the safety of our airspace to remain compromised,” the statement said.
It added: “We hereby issue a seven-day notice to every TSC defaulter to remit the total debt owed to the agencies. Failure to do so will result in our unions taking concrete actions at their various premises.”
If the dispute remains unresolved after the expiration of the ultimatum, the planned picketing could disrupt airline operations and other aviation activities nationwide, adding to recent operational challenges in the sector.
Neither the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) nor the NCAA had publicly responded to the unions’ latest ultimatum as of the time of filing this report.
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