Osinbajo, CAN, others shower encomiums on ECWA President @60

TheVice President Yemi Osinbajo and other eminent Nigerians have showered encomium on Rev Dr Stephen Baba-Panya the President Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA)

They described him as a man with unique and uncommon qualities which he had used to better the society.

They spoke during the 60th anniversary thanksgiving service of the ECWA President who is also the Vice President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Saturday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the celebration also marked his 30th marriage anniversary and 26years in Ministry.

Osinbajo described the celebrator as a true servant of God

,nation builder and a friend to the down trodden.

Osinbajo who was represented by the Villa Chaplain Rev Seyi Malomo, said the ECWA President’s promotion in life was worthy to emulate.

“It is with special honour I facilitate you and your family and the church on these unique celebrations.

” For your humble nature and lover of Christ, your elevations in life has not caused you to build higher walls but longer dinning tables, and it is worth emulating,” he said.

The vice president prayed God to grant him long life and favour in all the great works he has been doing through the church for humanity and Nigeria.

Also, Mr Joseph Daramola, the Secretary General of CAN, who represented the association described him as a man of goodwill.

” He is calm, cool calculated, a gentle man,he is not a pushover in religious affairs.

“His love for welfare of people and humanity cannot be underestimated,

He has carefully carved his good name in serving God and Humanity; in the religious affairs of the country and world wide,” his traits i will ask us Nigerians to emulate”.

Rev William Okoye ,Founder and General Overseer of All Christians Fellowship Mission, Abuja Nigeria thanked Rev Panya -Baba for his show of kindness ,unity and love in the Christiandom, describing him as a man of peace.

He commended him for keeping to Gods words as God will keep to his words too.

Okoye encouraged him never to give up, in spite of challenges in winning more souls to Christ.

Also in his speech,the Esu Karu, in Nasarawa State, Pharm Luka Panya Baba also thanked God for giving him a such a wonderful brother . He commended the ECWA President for enhancing religious activities in the family and community.

”He is a younger brother, religious leader and friend, he is a visionary, prayerful, dependable leader,I pray God keeps him in his vine yard “.

A U.S.- based clergy Rev Timothy Cowin, prayed the Grace of God never to departed from him as he remained in Christ too.

Cowin described the president as a child of Grace,he encouraged him not to look back in serving God but be focused.

On his part, the celebrator, Rev Panya-Baba, said all he could say was thank the Lord, as only His Grace had kept him.

He said serving and knowing God, recognising Him as your dependable source, donations to charity, care for the downtrodden and the less privileges where his happiest activities in life.

Earlier in a sermon, Rev Silas Yako, who spoke on the topic ” the secret of thanksgiving “urged Christians never to neglect thanking God for every thing He has one.

According to him thanksgiving means forgetting not and appreciating what God has done. He said God in turn multiplies each time any thanksgiving is done.NAN

UK group reels out efforts at improving learning in Kaduna

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

ThePartnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) programme has reeled out the achievements recorded in its efforts to improve learning outcomes in primary schools in the last six months in Kaduna State.

PLANE is a seven-year United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)supported programme, designed to deliver an inclusive and effective education system that improve learning outcomes in pre-primary and primary schools.

The Programme is being implemented across 694 schools in Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Soba, Jaba, Sanga and Sabon Gari Local Government Areas of the state.

The State Team Lead, Ms Diana Agabi, said in Kaduna on Thursday, during a technical review meeting with stakeholders on the journey so far, that the programme was already yielding the desired results.

Abagi explained that the objective of the meeting was to discuss PLANE activities, achievements, challenges and share lessons learned in the implementation of the programme.

She added that the meeting was also organised to map out plans for approved planned activities, agree on approaches to improve implementation and how the state can sustain the interventions.

She said that programme was supporting Kaduna State to achieve its education policies, and strategies through four broad outputs.

She said output one focuses on evidence-based teaching, learning approaches and learning materials, while output two was to improve planning, personnel management, and public financial management practices to deliver foundational skills.

She added that output three was to improve management and performance of non-state sectors in delivering foundational skills, while output four was for effective generation, communication and use of evidence-based citizen engagement and service delivery.

Malam Rabiu Sambo, Outreach Officer, PLANE, said that under output one, PLANE has developed and distributed 262,581 primary one and two books, and 16,131 teacher’s guide to 694 primary schools.

Sambo added that more than 2,400 head teachers and teachers were trained on inclusive foundational skills, while 168 personnel were trained in mobile data collection for Early Grade Reading and Mathematics Assessment (ERGMA).

“The programme also strengthened the capacity of 153 quality assurance and school support officers on mobile data collection for coaching and mentoring.

“PLANE also established 75 community learning hubs, training 75 facilitators on how to conduct community sensitization and learning promotion and 15 learning hubs ambassadors were identified to promote community learning,” he said.

On output two, Mr Mubarak Siraj, State Reform Facilitator, PLANE, listed one of the achievements as the training of monitoring and evaluation officers on procurement and budget processes.

Siraj equally said that the programme also improved the capacity of 23 officials from the education ministry, departments, and agencies on the development of education sector Annual Operational Plan.

“PLANE also conducted a baseline analysis of Kaduna State teacher recruitment, replacement and deployment policy and disseminated findings to stakeholders.

He added that on output three, the programme supported the conduct of a socio-demographic survey of non-state schools and the findings were disseminated to stakeholders.

He equally said that PLANE also supported the generation of report cards based on the graded assessment conducted in 50 nonstate schools.

“The programme also supported the development of a draft policy to sanitise the operations of private schools as well as a guideline for gender equality and social inclusion safeguarding.

“Also, PLANE has identified 10 banks that would be linked with private school owners to access funding in the form of loans,” he said.

Similarly, Mr Musa Adeyemi, Research and Learning Manager, PLANE, said that the programme also supported the effective coordination of monitoring and evaluation systems among education agencies.

Adeyemi added that PLANE also reported 12 educational research on basic education conducted in the state policy makers and academics and trained 101 assessors on the protocol and administration of EGRMA.

The Commissioner of Education, Hajiya Halima Lawal, commended PLANE for the laudable support to improve learning outcomes in the state.

Lawal, who was represented by the Director, Education Planning and Physical Development, Malam Salisu Lawal, disclosed that the state government would sustain the intervention following the visible achievement recorded so far.

Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun has approved a comprehensive climate change agenda to address emerging concerns about climate change and its impact on the state.

The approval is contained in a statement by Malam Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson to the governor, on Saturday in Osogbo.

According to the statement, the climate agenda is part of the state government’s efforts to mark the World Earth Day.

The statement noted that the new agenda included the making of a climate change and adaptation policy for state.

It also included the creation of the state climate advisory board, the establishment of climate tracking research unit at the state University and the development of annual state energy report.

The statement added that the hosting of a post COP 27 conference for sub-national entities in Nigeria is also part of the agenda.

The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Paris Agreement (COP 27), was held from Nov. 6 to Nov. 20, 2022 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

A decision was made at the conference to establish and operationalise a loss and damage fund.

The statement quoted Adeleke as saying that the approval of the climate programme was in fulfillment of his election promises to address the threatening environmental crises facing Osun and the world at large.

“I take note of global climate crises and I believe we cannot leave the issue to the Federal Government alone.

“States must take active part in the movement to save the planet from imminent extinction. Our climate agenda is all inclusive,” he said.

According to the statement, Adeleke, on the Earth Day, directed the announcement of the climate agenda to reconfirm his administration’s resolve to make Osun the most climate friendly state in Nigeria.

“Our administration will invest in making Osun a truly green economy by mainstreaming climate matters in health, education, infrastructure,finance, mining, technology as well as gender and youth matters.

“Our state will become truly resilient and emerge as a strong partner in the climate adaptability movement,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Earth Day is being celebrated yearly on April 22, to protect the planet from things like pollution and deforestation.

NAN

From Ahmadu Idris, Birnin Kebbi

The Kebbi State Governorelect Dr. Nasir Idris Kauran Gwandu has appealed to all traditional rulers in the state to eschew all forms political differences and support his incoming administration, in order to move the state forward.

In a statement signed by the SA media to the Governor elect Ahmed Idris and made available to newsmen yesterday while addressing the District Head of Aliero, District head of Danwarai and others who paid him Sallah homage at the Government House, Birnin Kebbi.

The governor-elect said the plea became imperative in view of the critical role of traditional institutions in facilitating smootg governance.

While assuring that his administration was ready to welcome everyone who wish good for the state, Idris promised to operate an open door policy to give all a sense of belonging.