COVID-19: Lagos Partners First Bank to Provide One Million E-Learning Tools for Students

. . . Engages Students Through Teaching Via Radio, Television

. . . As Commissioners Give COVID-19 Intervention Updates

AgegePulse Magazine

The Honourable Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo has disclosed that Lagos State Government is currently engaged in talks with First Bank of Nigeria Limited  and private sector organisations to provide one million digital devices to aid the teaching of students in Lagos State.

Speaking at the interactive media briefing held at JJT Park, Alausa on Thursday, Mrs. Adefisayo, said the State government is also exploring the option of online classes for pupils across schools in Lagos to prevent a disruption of the ongoing academic session.

According to the Commissioner, discussions are ongoing with the Bank as well as private education consultancy firms to teach students who are currently at home and prepare them for various examinations, including the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).

The Commissioner averred that “We have been exploring the option of moving our students to e-learning and we are cognisant of the fact that our pupils may have or may not have access to digital devices to go on the e-learning platform. Therefore, we’ve entered into a very exciting collaboration with First Bank to provide a million devices for students”.

She explained further that the government is “working with a technology firm that will provide devices, which has Nigerian curriculum, tests and quizzes on them. I am also glad to announce that MTN has given us airtime on these devices. The First Bank has set the ball rolling with 20,000 pieces. EdFin Microfinace Bank has also given us devices for our teachers and we are open to other private firms that may want to support this initiative. Lagos Government will be funding part of the project.”

The Commissioner said the government leveraged on mass media to deliver lessons to students at home since the pandemic, disclosing that the method commenced two weeks ago with Senior Secondary pupils who will be taking the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Disclosing that nine general subjects were being taught at the moment through interaction between teachers and their pupils via live programmes on television and radio, Adefisayo explained that each week’s lessons usually end with a panel session where the pupils ask questions.

“Last Friday, we received a thousand responses on a WhatsApp number dedicated to our panel of discussion. Apart from this, we have started classes for our pupils in Junior Secondary classes. This is being taken on Naija FM 102.7, and we are working in conjunction with South Saharan Social Development Organisation. They have given us their materials and our teachers have streamlined the materials with our own curriculum,” Mrs. Adefisayo explained.

She also mentioned that Eko FM 107.5 also airs local language programmes such as "Kokoka" and "Labe Igi Orombo" for primary school students.

Giving an account of his Ministry’s activities, the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Segun Dawodu, said all youth development activities had been postponed indefinitely, following Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s directive on social distancing.

He said that movement was also restricted in and out of the various neighbourhood parks, noting that officials had been visiting youth rehabilitation centres to sensitise the inmates on precautionary tips to stop COVID-19.

“We have restricted movement of people into our rehabilitation centres and we are in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture to constantly make relief materials available to those in the centres. They are not lacking anything at the moment but we take measures to ensure their welfare is attended to in this period of emergency”, Dawodu averred.

The Commissioner advised parents to use the opportunity of the lockdown to sensitise their wards on guidelines issued to stop the spread of the pandemic and cautioned parents against abusing their children, saying the lockdown will not stop the government from protecting the rights of children.

Presenting activities of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Prince Anofiu Elegushi gave an overview of interactive sessions held with Christian and Muslim religious leaders to ensure their members adhere strictly to the directives handed down by the Ministry of Health to prevent an increase of Coronavirus.

Elegushi praised the religious leaders for supporting the Lagos State Government, pointing out that at one of their meetings, there was a general consensus among the clergymen and clerics that gatherings of any kind should be suspended in worship places.

“The only area, where we had a problem, was a mosque in Agege where the worshippers violated the order, and the place was shut down as directed by Governor Sanwo-Olu. Aside from that incident, we have received cooperation from all religious organisations”, Elegushi stated.

Also speaking on the expectations of the State government from citizens, the Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Civic Engagement, Princess Aderemi Adebowale asserted that residents have a responsibility of complying with the directives given to stem the spread of COVID-19.

She said that activities of the Office of Civic Engagement to battle the Coronavirus disease include community sensitisation, advocacy and public enlightenment.

While giving details of the programmes embarked upon in various localities, Princess Adebowale observed that people tend to wear gloves as they move around without disposing the item after a single-use, saying, however, that such practice should be discouraged because the unchanged gloves could contaminate other persons who come in contact with the dirty hand gloves.

In closing, the Special Adviser advised residents that “when the lockdown is over, go to LASRRA to register for your card because that is one of the ways you can benefit from the dividends of the government”.

Court Seals Diamond Bank, First Bank, Two Others

Four Banks were sealed on Wednesday by the National Industrial Court in Owerri, Imo State for disregarding its order which was issued in favour of a former Gov. Ikedi Ohakim.

The banks are: Diamond bank Item St.branch, First Bank Plc, Bank road branch, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Mbari St. branch and the branch Union Bank at Bank road in Owerri.

An order for execution issued by Justice O.O. Arowosegbe, was displayed on each of the affected branch.

“An order granting leave to issue writ of execution of the order of this honourable court made in this suit on February 23, 2018, against, second, third, sixth and seventh garnishees, that is Diamond Bank, First Bank, United Bank for Africa and Union Bank PLC, respectively,” NAN quoted the order on display.

A document of a court judgment on display at UBA indicated that the judgment mandated the affected banks to pay the plaintiff his claims from Imo State Government accounts domiciled with the banks, an order they had defied.

The judgment which was dated February 23, 2018 reads in part, “Order absolute is made against the fifth garnishee (Skye Bank) to the tune of N112, 000,000.00.

“Order absolute to the tune of forty-four million, seven hundred and ninety thousand, eight hundred and thirty-one Naira, thirty-four kobo (N44, 790,831.34), is made against the sixth garnishee (UBA), less the minimum amount required to maintain the account.

“Order absolute is made against the seventh garnishee (Union Bank ) to the total sum of N8.8 million, less the minimum amount required to maintain the account.

“The fourth garnishee is accordingly discharged.

“In all, the degree absolute has been made on a cumulative total of N290 million.

“The total sum is to be paid over to this court vide the Chief Registrar, National Industrial Court of Nigeria within 14 days next.”

However, Ohakim had gone to court owing to the failure of his successor, Gov. Rochas Okorocha, to pay him his entitlements as a former governor of the state.

The court delivered judgment in his (Ohakim’s) favour on May 24, 2016, but Okorocha allegedly refused to honour the court judgment.

The ex-governor again went to court to enforce the judgment against the state governor by asking the court to issue an order to the banks where Imo State Government accounts are domiciled to pay him.

The court granted the request through a garnishee order on Feb. 23, but the banks failed to pay the plaintiff.

Ohakim also went back to the court to get an order for the sealing off of the affected banks until the entitlements are paid.

A bank staff, who confirmed the development to the press, said that their branch has been sealed by the court.

“There is a garnishee order in a case involving former Gov. Ikedi Ohakim and Gov. Rochas Okorocha ordering us to honour a court judgment, but our bank did not obey court rule,” he staff said.

A notice of attachment from court in Owerri, dated Nov. 6, was pasted in front of the banks indicated that the affected banks had failed to honour a garnishee order issued by the court.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who visited the areas saw the banks’ staff and customers stranded.

NAN