Boko haram threathens to bomb UNIBEN

•National
Assembly
tightens
security
There was panic yesterday at
the Ugbowo and Ekenwan
campuses of the University of
Benin (UNIBEN), Edo State,
over plans by the dreaded
Islamic sect, Boko Haram, to
bomb the university.
Visitors and students were
frisked before leaving or
entering the university.
Many students in the hostels
were seen packing out.
Boko Haram had, last
Thursday, sent an e-mail to
the Registrar in which they
said the university would be
bombed.
It gave September 12-17 as
their target date to detonate
bombs at the university.
It warned that the message
was “not a threat, but a
notification which must be
strictly adhered to.”
The group also listed 19 other
universities it planned to
bomb within the period.
The university’s spokesman,
Harrison Osarenren,
confirmed the receipt of the
threat message.
In a September 7 letter,
Osarenren urged “mischief
makers to disassociate
themselves from any evil plan
as security operatives are on
their trail.
“Management of the
university views with serious
concern plans by some
persons who do not mean
well for the institution to
cause mayhem on our
campus..”
At the University of Ibadan,
Oyo State, motorists entering
the campus had a hard time
as the university authorities
mounted an intensive security
check at the gate.
The security measure, which
left motorists sweating for
hours, followed unconfirmed
reports that the university had
also been marked down for
bombing.
Many motorists abandoned
their mission at the university
after spending hours in the
traffic created by parking
outside the gate and walking
into the campus.
Others who could not take the
decision endured the traffic
snarl, which led to a long
queue towards Sango.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor
(Administration), Prof Elijah
Bamigboye, said though the
bomb scare came as a
rumour, the authorities did
not want to take chances in
view of the experience at the
United Nations house in
Abuja.
His words: “We heard
rumours that a group is likely
to descend on institutions
where education is being
imparted.
“We heard that U.I is top on
the list.
“When we heard the rumour,
we did not want to take
chances.
“The essence is to sensitise
the community and to alert
people on the rumour.
“We directed the security
department to step up
screening of all vehicles into
the campus.
“ My car too was subjected to
thorough search this
morning.”
The authorities of the National
Assembly yesterday
introduced new security
measures ahead of
lawmakers’ resumption today.
Visitors and staff were made
to go through a series of
checks before being allowed
into the complex.
Already, staff and visitors are
not allowed to drive into the
complex, following reports
that Boko Haram has listed the
Assembly and other
government institutions as its
next target.
To cushion the effect of
trekking the about one
kilometre distance into the
complex, the Clerk of the
National Assembly has
provided two buses to convey
both staff and security-cleared
visitors to the complex.

Waec punish workers, because of error in results

WEST African Examinations
Council (WAEC) officials
responsible for alterations of
candidates results are to be
sanctioned.
A statement by WAEC
spokesman Yusuf Ari, on
behalf of Head of National
Office Dr Iyi Uwadiae
yesterday, said some workers
erroneously altered results of
some candidates in the
process of upgrading results
that were previously withheld.
The statement assured that
the results released earlier this
month is authentic.
The statement reads: “The
West African Senior School
Certificate Examination
(WASSCE) May/June 2011
results were released on
August 10 with some
pending/outstanding results.
“Subsequently, there was a
need to update some
outstanding results. However,
due to human error that was
traced to some workers, the
result update altered the
already released results.
“The Council wishes to allay
the fears of stakeholders and
assure them that WAEC does
not “upgrade” results as has
been reported. The results
remain as they were released
on August 10.
“The Council hereby informs
the public that the May/June
2011 WASSCE results can be
accessed on the website or
from the hard copies of
results sent to schools.
“The Council also wishes to
state that the officers
connected with the error
would be appropriately
sanctioned.”
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Why pupils do fail maths and other science subject

Pupils of SS3B in one of the
Federal Government Colleges
endured the 45 minutes
Maths class of Mrs Bolanle Ejoh
(not real names).
But she took no notice of their
lack of interest or the fact that
the period for the lesson had
elapsed and that the next
teacher was waiting outside
to take the pupils in
Commerce.
Though their minds hardly
focused on the figures on the
board and her explanations
fell on deaf ears, the girls did
not dare to call her attention
to the waiting teacher.
She finally noticed him. “I am
sorry for taking your time,”
she said. “Let me quickly
wrap up the topic.” He
replied: “Never mind, I can
even give up my period for
you.”
The class suddenly came alive.
“Nooooo!” the girls shouted.
“We want to have Commerce.”
If they had planned it, they
wouldn’t have passed their
message across better. The
shocked Maths teacher
packed her books and left the
class immediately. The
Commerce teacher entered
the class and chided the girls
for being so ungrateful. He
could have been pouring
water on the back of a duck.
As far as the pupils were
concerned, it was good
riddance to bad rubbish.
The pupils,who did not make
extra efforts outside what the
teacher taught them, did not
make good grades in
Mathematics in the Senior
School Certificate Examination
(SSCE).
Many attributed their poor
performance to the teacher’s
methods which did not
inspire interest in the subject.
When pupils, particularly at
secondary school level dislike
a subject, many fault the
teacher’s methods. The
situation is not peculiar to
Mathematics which only 38.93
per cent of the 1,540,250
pupils who wrote the May/
June 2011 West African Senior
School Certificate Examination
(WASSCE) passed at credit level.
Pupils, who spoke with The
Nation on the issue, admitted
losing interest in subjects
whose teachers they dislike.
Chidera Onodugo, an SS2 pupil
of Wellspring College, Isheri,
Ikeja, Lagos had battled dislike
for teachers in the past. He
said: “I hated Physical Health
Education (PHE). The teacher
was this scary person that
was strict and she used to
scare us. I didn’t do well so I
dropped the subject when I
was in JSS2. It was the same
teacher that taught us PHE
that taught us Integrated
Science. She taught us in JSS1
and JSS2. I was an average
student in the subject. But, in
SS1, when we had difficulty in
Mathematics, we had a
representative that went to
tell the principal that we did
not like our Maths teacher.
We didn’t understand what he
taught, so they changed him.”
Angela Ange, an SS3 pupil of
Ajegunle Senior High School,
Lagos has closed the door to
scoring good grades in
Economics.
“I don’t like Economics. I
don’t like it because the
teacher doesn’t teach it well. I
don’t need Economics. I plan
to study Theatre Arts to be an
actress. So, if I fail Economics
it won’t matter.”
Her mother, Mrs Lois Ange,
wants the principal to
intervene.
“In her last result, she made
credits in all other subjects
and failed only Economics. I
will go to the school to
complain to the principal that
they should change the
teacher,” she said.
Adekoya Samson, a pupil of
Gbagada Senior Grammar
School, has Lonadek Oil and
Gas to thank for organising
the Vision 2020 Summer