Davidson Njoku
24 November 2009
Following the resolve of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) to keep all the staff and students abreast of current global educational trends and developments, there have been a spate of seminars and workshops in the institution's Study Centres across the country.
At the Benin Study Centre, the School of Arts and Social Sciences, under the aegis of its Criminology and Security Studies Programme, recently organised a seminar, which was the first in a series of bi-annual seminars planned by the Students Learning Circle of the Criminology and Security Study Programme of the National Open University of Nigeria.
The event which attracted an array of notable speakers was chaired by the chief host, and Benin Study Centre manager, Professor Mathew A. Izuagie. The Dean of the School of Arts and Social Sciences, Prof. Abdul Rasheed Yesufu who doubled as co-host of the event, expressed the support and goodwill of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olugbemiro Jegede, as well as that of the entire staff of the School of Arts and Social Sciences.
According to the Secretary of the organising committee of the seminar series, Mr. Phil Colman, in line with the objectives of the Criminology and Security Studies Programme, the carefully chosen seminar topics were devoted to the scientific analysis of crime and examination of various forms of intervention for the resolution of diverse crime and justice related problems.
Among the presentations that elicited heated debates between the speakers and the audience are, "The Role of the ICPC in Fighting Corruption in the Educational Sector" delivered by the ICPC Zonal Director, Mr. Chris Erewa, and "Militancy in the Niger Delta - The Crime Behind the Struggle," by the Director of the State Security Service, Mr. O. Oduneye.
Representatives of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 5, Benin City, and the Chairman of Egor Local Government Area, contributed actively to the success of the Seminar. The seminar was a great success and adjudged to have been effectively organised in addition to generating incisive meaningful ideas on how to move the nation forward.
In his vote of thanks, the Chairman of the organising committee, Mr. Julius Agbebaku, expressed the hope that the outcome of the seminar would be of tremendous benefit to both the students, security agencies and experts, law makers and other persons who are, in one way or the other, connected with the management of the security of the society at large. The event also offered the students a unique opportunity to increase their knowledge and skills in addition to networking with several experts present.
Similarly, the Centre for Life Long Learning of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) recently held a free Computer Appreciation workshop for members of the public at NOUN study centre Otukpo.
The Director, Centre for Life Long Learning & Work place Training (CLL&WT), Dr. Josephine Okoli who spearheaded the training, stated that a similar training was held at the NOUN headquarters in Lagos earlier in the year and plans are at advanced stage to implement the training in other locations around the country as soon as possible
Participants at the Otukpo training include members of the Ochi-Idoma palace, staff of different hotels in the state, undergraduate students of tertiary institutions, nurses, school teachers, unemployed youths, retired civil servants and other members of the public.
The workshop was organized to introduce participants to basic knowledge of computer, as well as the principles and applications of computers.
Participants were taken through the following themes:
The Senate President, Senator David Mark while addressing the participants, stressed the importance of computer knowledge and urged them to use the opportunities provided by NOUN to become computer literate. He commended NOUN for organising such workshop which benefited about 1000 members of the public. Participants were awarded certificates of participation at the end of the training exercise.
In a related development, the School of Law organised a day seminar at NOUN headquarters. Professor Justus Sokefun, the Acting Dean, School of Law, who was the convener of the bi-monthly seminar stressed that the essence was to keep NOUN staff abreast with various aspects of Nigerian law and also enhance the knowledge they have acquired so far.
A Lecturer in the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, Faculty of Law, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, Mr Jide Ogunsakin, presented a paper titled ,Impeachment Proceeding Under the 1999 Constitution.
In the presentation, he stressed that to impeach in the linguistic sense means to accuse a public officer, or politician of committing a serious crime especially against the state. It connotes a solemn accusation of a great public offence, especially against the minister of a crown. He explained that the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 Constitution does not define impeachment, although it provides procedure for the removal of public office holders under sections 143 and 188. It employs "Removal" rather than "Impeachment" to describe the process in the marginal notes to the said sections.
According to him, the two variables are not the same as frequently used interchangeably in most academic commentaries and legal publications. Although impeachment appears in sections 146 and 191 of the constitution, it must not be concluded that it stands for the removal of public office holders in the manner prescribed by sections 143 and 188 of the same constitution.
Given the great constitutional value of the impeachment process and the obvious inadequacies that have become part of that process, Mr Ogunsakin recommended the following;
"Our expectations is that steps should be taken at the level of government to enhance the process and transform impeachment into a proper instrument of control. We no longer wish to hear about proceedings taking place at midnight, in private homes, hotel rooms, in a cave and other strange enclosures. The impeachment of a public office holder is a serious business that must not be trivialized or taken with levity", he declared.
In attendance were Deans, Directors and participants from various schools and Directorates.
It could be recalled that at a dinner held at NOUN headquarters to mark the Silver Jubilee of the institution, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. O. Jegede, asserted that the University has made landmark achievements over a short period of time including the setting up of the Model Study Centre located at NOUN headquarters, as well as the state -of- the- art Study Centres across the country. The Vice Chancellor emphasised that functional study tools and highly qualified lecturers have been availed all the Study Centres in addition to regular training through workshops and seminars. The essence, he said, is to ensure that NOUN is second to none worldwide in terms of enviable Open University system.
Profesor Jegede disclosed that following the resuscitation of the University by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2002, NOUN has recorded the following monumental feats:
He encouraged Senate members to work harder so as to have more to celebrate in future. Thanking NOUN pioneer staff for their support and encouragement, the Vice Chancellor declared that the institution has a rosy future and that the best is yet to come.
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