Fees Hike:- Tired Of Exploitation’ – Kogi Poly Students Warn Managemen

Some students of the Kogi State Polytechnic Lokoja have accused the management of the institution of being exploitative following the increment of their tuition fees.

This development has caused panic among the students who confided in our correspondent that they are set for a showdown with the institution, if management fails to revert to the old tuition.

We reliably gathered that there is a clear disparity in the fee payment depending on the course of studies and level of the student.

A breakdown of the draconian fee as obtained by our correspondent on Monday showed that, for the School of Management Studies which comprises of Accounting, Business Administration, and Public Administration, National Diploma I and II students indigenes and non indigenes are now expected to pay N38,250, N45,750, N38,250, 45,750 respectively instead of what was paid last year which was put at N32,200, N39,200, N24,200 and N31,600 respectively.

For Higher National Diploma, HNDI, under school of Management Studies, Dthe students were previously paying N38,000 and N49,000 for indigene and non indigenes, but in the new tuition formula, they are to pay N43,550 and 54,550 representing N5,550 increment.

Also, for HND II under Management Studies, instead of N30,000 and N41,000 respectively, students are now expected to pay N39,050, and 50,050 respectively indicating N9050 increment.

Similarly, for School of Applied Science consisting of Art, Design and Printing, Engineering, Environmental Technology Science, Office Technology Management and Library and Information, instead of paying N40,200, and N47,600 (NDI Indigenes and Non Indigenes), N32,200 N39,600, (NDII Indigenes and Non Indigenes), students are now expected to pay N46,250, N53,650, N40,250, and 47,650 for NDI and NDII Indigenes and Non Indigenes respectively.

In the same vein, HND I and II students of School of Applied Science indigenes and non indigenes are now expected to pay N51,550, N62,550, N47,050, and N58,050 respectively instead of their previous payment of N46,000, 57,000, N30,000 and N40,000 respectively.

Worried by the unfavourable environment and harsh economic condition ravaging the state and the country in general, some of the students who spoke to Daily Post described the hike as wickedness and an act of evil disposition from the side of the management.

The students, who craved anonymity over fear of being hunted, also accused the student union leadership of compromising with the school management for their selfish interests.

“We have lost confidence in the leadership of our student union. This set of student representatives is the worst in the Polytechnic’s history. Instead of fighting for the course of our students, they are fighting for their own pockets. Later, they start blaming leaders at the top that they are corrupt, meanwhile at the bottom, they are more corrupt than those at the top.

“Can you imagine, some of our students like me who is a lady knows what we pass through to get money to buy our text book, feed ourselves as well as paying our school fees. With this increase now, where do they want us to go and get this money bearing in mind that the economy is not funny?,” she stated.

It was however gathered that the Student Union Government (SUG) is yet to officially come out to state their position on the matter.

In a chat with the institution Public Relations Officer, Mr Luke Yakubu, he said the management of the polytechnic did not increase school fee as widely speculated by the students.

According to him, the institution only added some fees which includes result verification, convocation fee, entrepreneurship center and insurance fee.

“Kogi State Polytechnic school fee still remains the same. There is no increment as widely speculated in some quarters. The management, after interfacing with the students, added result verification, convocation fee, entrepreneurship center and insurance fee which is for the interest of the students.

“I am shocked to hear this news that we have increased tuition fee. It is not true. Kogi State Polytechnic fee as I speak to you is the lowest in the north central zone,” he said.

Aside the fee hike, another course of worries for the students is the lack of hostel accommodation in the polytechnic.

It was reliable gathered that, Kogi State Polytechnic has been without hostel accommodation since 2017 thereby exposing students to all manner of insecurity.

With the latest trend of fee increment, students say things may get worse as in the last three years when there was no space to accommodate students within the school premises, some student living outside the school campus were subjected to rape, battering, theft, and cult related activities.

They are however calling on the management to do the needful as further move on this without considering the plight of the students will be openly rejected which might lead to some form of unrest in the polytechnic.

Police Investigates Kogi-Born NYSC Member’s Suicide Case

State Police Command said it has commenced investigations on the alleged suicide of a serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member in the state.

Mr Ebere Amaraizu, the Enugu State Police Public Relations Office (PPRO) told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview on Saturday.

“Yes, police have gotten a report of one Princess Motunrayo Bolufemi, a Batch C youth corps member serving in Girls Secondary School, Ibagwa-Aka who committed suicide. It’s unfortunate.

“Police have already commenced investigations on circumstances surrounding her death which happened on Friday Jan. 10, ” he said.

The deceased hailed from Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi and was a graduate of Banking and Finance from Prince Abubakar Audu University.

She was said to have taken sniper and left a suicide note in which she wrote, “I did this because I see nothing worth living for in this world”.

Top 20 Performance Marketing Strategies For Year 2020

The new year is a time to start fresh—it’s a time to reflect on the previous year and take note of things to improve upon and plan for over the next 12 months. As the year comes to a close, marketers are thinking about where they may have fallen short, and putting together new marketing strategies to help prepare for a successful new year.

If you haven’t had a chance to put a plan into motion, or are looking for new strategies to test, well, don’t worry! AUDIENCEX has compiled a list of 20 digital marketing strategies to help you boost performance, find new customers and grow your business in 2020.

No matter what your goals are, AUDIENCEX has set out innovative strategies to help you reach them. From utilizing specific targeting methods to trying out new digital media channels, these beneficial strategies can help boost performance and find new customers. Here's a sneak peak at a few of them:

• Cast a Wide Net: Rather than starting your campaign with a narrowly focused target audience, start wider and narrow down as you go in order to help continuously improve performance and find new potential customers.
• Boost Brand Awareness Before the Campaign: Increase spending on brand awareness campaigns before any large campaign goes live so you can increase the available pool of visitors for retargeting later on.
• Try High-Impact Mobile Ads: These interactive ads are designed to boost engagement by offering an attention-grabbing experience.

Sen. Shehu Sani Forced to Declare Asset, As EFCC freezed his Account

Sani’s aide in the statement accused the EFCC of bias in its investigation.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has allegedly frozen the bank account of former Kaduna senator, Shehu Sani and also ‘forced him to declare his assets.’the Senior Special Adviser to the embattled senator, Suleiman Ahmed made this known in a statement on Sunday, January 12, 2020.

Two weeks ago, the anti-graft agency arrested Sani for allegedly demanding money from a businessman, Sani Dauda to bribe the acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu in order to influence an investigation.

Reacting to the continuous detention of his principal, Sani’s aide in the statement accused the EFCC of bias in its investigation.

Ahmed wondered why Sani was arrested and his accuser “who admitted to giving bribe,” has not been invited for interrogation.

He also questioned the EFCC on the connection between extortion of $25,000 allegation against the ex-lawmaker and searching his residence, blocking his bank account and forcing him to declare his assets.

The ex-senator's aide further pose the following questions to the commission to answer over the arrest of his principal.

What can you say on the allegation that the accuser of Shehu Sani can neither read nor write; that it was the EFCC that guided him on what to say?

• We have in (it) on record that Shehu Sani’s accuser has no pending case with the Supreme Court, how comes did he give (gave) Shehu Sani bribe to give the CJN?
• We have it on record that Shehu Sani’s accuser has no pending or ongoing case with the EFCC, how comes did he give (gave) Shehu Sani bribe to give the EFCC or its chairman?
• The CJN denied the bribe allegations and Shehu Sani denied the bribe allegations, where did Tony Orilade get his fact?
• It is not enough posting statement about Shehu Sani. If you have any evidence or fact, why not post it now?
• You said people defending Shehu Sani are doing it for pecuniary gain, are you defending EFCC for free?
• Shehu Sani petitioner said $24,000 and you said $25,000, are you the one that added $1,000
• Mr. Toni Orilade should stop lying and threatening people. If you have any cheque or draft or anything to show please do so.

8 Most Crucial Tips For Small Business and Startups From Experts

These days, it seems like everyone is hoping to become an entrepreneur and come up with “the next big thing”. Who can blame them? When successful, the benefits to owning a startup are obvious: being your own boss, creating something from scratch, bringing value to the people around you and, of course, making a bit of coin along the way. But the key phrase in that equation is, “when successful.” Too often, startups fail – 75 percent of them, to be exact, says The Harvard Business Review. So what goes wrong?

Failure doesn’t preclude you from ultimately succeeding

Unfortunately, not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. Or at least, not by nature. To run a good business you have to be able to assume the proper role. If that means doing things and acting in ways that don’t come naturally, then so be it. Otherwise, you will risk failing like that 75 percent. Here are eight crucial points the pros agree are prerequisites to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

1. Take risks and be willing to fail
Failure doesn’t preclude you from ultimately succeeding – in fact, it’s often a necessary step. The best entrepreneurs don’t let the fear of failure prevent them from going for what they believe to be a great idea. Some of those risks won’t pan out, but the ones that do will be the ones that define you.

2. Never stop networking
When you haven’t gotten your business off the ground, connections will help to keep it afloat. When you do, those initial helpers will turn into powerful allies. Soon, you will be in the position to bring another struggling startup into the black.

“Make connections and keep a record on each person you meet,” Clare Dreyer, career expert, told Forbes. “Ask for their advice and help. Keep in touch with them along the way and build your network before you need it! Quality relationships are the keys to the kingdom.”

3. Learn your niche
Many startups succeed because they’ve identified a niche and have cornered that market. By discovering a service, product or feature no one else has thought of – or at least effectively pulled off – you give your company a shot at success. George Shepherd, Professor of Law at Emory University, recommends entrepreneurs “become the guru in that niche.”

4. Be a consummate student
Long after you leave your last class, you still learn new things every day. As an entrepreneur, you must always be a student – willing to take advice, listen to other ideas and learn from those who’ve been there themselves.

“Entrepreneurship is about solving problems and learning on the go,” Andrew Medal wrote for Entrepreneur. “It’s exciting to learn new things and as entrepreneurs we should be learning something new every day.”

“You can’t make money without spending money.”

5. Don’t worry about your wallet…
If you’re starting a business, you’re going to take a few financial hits. As they say, you can’t make money without spending money. But there’s more to it than avoiding miserliness. The best entrepreneurs don’t think in terms of how much they make, they consider how much value they can add. That value might be financial, but it might well be social, psychological, or other ways.

6. …but try not to go broke
With that said, you can’t add value if you can’t pay rent or buy groceries. That’s when you’ll need to determine exactly what you need to do to support yourself while you pursue your entrepreneurial dream. Entrepreneur pointed out that a part-time job could be your saving grace – not only would it provide financial relief, it could provide an excellent networking outlet.

7. Be flexible and listen to the market
Even if you nail down the perfect niche, it won’t necessarily remain the same forever. Markets can be fickle and consumers want to be on the cutting edge. If you can’t pivot and react when the winds of change come, you’ll be blown away.

“Resist falling in love with your initial idea so you can discover what the market actually wants and is willing to pay for – and then give it to them,” Cherylanne Skolnicki, career coach, told Forbes.

8. Take care of yourself
What good is a successful startup if you destroy yourself in the process? Nothing is as precious as health, which is why you shouldn’t sacrifice your well-being for the sake of your entrepreneurship. In fact, what might seem like hard work could ultimately derail your career. Losing sleep, eating unhealthily and allowing yourself to become stressed are surefire ways to shorten your life expectancy. By tending to your health, you’ll have the strength to carry out your goals.

There are always exceptions to the rules – anyone who has successfully maintained a startup is one of those exceptions. But you can take the element of chance out of the equation by following these expert tips and letting them guide your entrepreneurial spirit.

Gov. Bello Celebrate Senate President @ 61 Birthday

Kogi State Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello has sent his hearty felicitations to the country’s Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan on the occasion of his 61st birthday anniversary.

In a press statement on Sunday by his Chief Press Secretary, Onogwu Muhammed, the Governor described Senator Lawan as a “beacon of legislative democratisation and symbol of improved legislative – executive relationship”.

The Governor used the opportunity to applaud the Senate President for bringing his experience to bear on the legislative arm of government, which he described as one of the pillars of democracy anywhere in the world.

Bello thanked Lawan for ensuring stability in the Red Chamber since his assumption of office.

He maintained that the Senate President has so far demonstrated his unflinching commitments to good governance with the way he has piloted the affairs of his office, noting that his commitment to the development of the country was unparalleled.

Governor Bello who further described the senate President as one of the “A – List legislators” alive for having been a member of the National Assembly since 1999, enjoined the celebrant’s colleagues to rally round him in his efforts to create an exemplary Senate for future legislators.

The Governor therefore prayed God to grant him long life, good health, wisdom and all the wherewithal necessary to continue to pilot the affairs of the senate and express the readiness of his office to work with him to achieve his vision.

Bello said he was proud as one of the progressive Governors in the country to be associated with the Senate President, and enjoined Nigerians to also join in his good wishes for Senator Lawan.

Group Lauds Gov. Yahaya Bello's Giant Strides in First Term

A support group, GYB CONNECT, has lauded the giant strides of Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi in all sectors of the economy within four years of his first term in office.

Mrs Ireti Ojekhoa, the spokesperson of the Group, gave the commendation on Saturday, when they paid a courtesy visit to the Governor at Government House, Lokoja.

Ojekhoa said that their commitment for GYB’s re-election was in line with the giant strides his administration recorded in the first term, stressing that there was no need substituting a performing governor.

He thanked the governor for recognising their efforts while assuring him that the group would stand with the government in the second term

In his response, the governor thanked members of the group for their selfless service during the electioneering campaign, describing them as patriotic Nigerians.

Bello noted that the members of the group who were drawn from all states of the Federation, worked tirelessly with the APC Campaign Council in Kogi State during the 2019 gubernatorial election to ensure the party triumph at the polls.

“Even without any government direct support to you, your members campaigned across the 239 wards in Kogi State, and also distributed campaign materials procured by yourselves.

“GYB Connect group went as far as carrying out free medical outreach, sinking boreholes and also showcasing government achievements in the last four years to the people.

“We appreciate all your efforts and for putting up different groups across Nigeria to give our great party maximum support in the last election.

“We promise that your members would not be forgotten in our second term,” he said.

Bello added his government would surely recognise the group, and directed his Chief of Staff to liaise with the group for effective communication.

Also speaking, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pharm. Jamiu Abdulkareem Asuku, thanked the group and assured them of Government’s collaboration in the second term of GYB’s administration.