The Rector, Federal Polytechnic Ukana, Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Eduma Essien, has encouraged students of the institution to report any form of sexual pressure or harassment from lecturers to the management or the Anti-Sexual Harassment Unit of the Polytechnic for appropriate investigation and sanctions.

Essien also cautioned students against engaging in examination malpractices, cultism or any form of antisocial behaviors, adding that the school will not condone any of the vices.

She also charged them to be conversant with the polytechnic’s policies, rules and regulations.

Speaking during the 12th Orientation Exercise for newly admitted students on Tuesday, the rector also stated that the sale of handouts is prohibited in the polytechnic, saying students should only purchase approved textbooks.

Essien assured the students that as long as she remains at the helm of affairs, learning would be made easy in an environment that promotes discipline, safety and academic excellence.

She said, “I encourage you to report any form of sexual pressure from lecturers to the management or the Anti-Sexual Harassment Unit. This institution frowns at the exchange of gifts for marks.

“We also have zero tolerance for cultism and examination malpractice because we want to produce graduates who can confidently defend their certificates anywhere.”

The rector explained that students of the polytechnic would not only graduate with academic certificates but acquire practical skills through the institution’s mandatory skills acquisition program.

According to her, the world is increasingly focused on what individuals can offer to society.

Essien equally encouraged the students to cooperate with their lecturers by diligently carrying out their assignments to make teaching and learning effective and rewarding.

The orientation exercise also featured resource persons who delivered lectures on various aspects of the polytechnic system. They include the Registrar, Mr Idhigu Lucky, the Bursar, Sir Emmanuel Esomonu, the Polytechnic Librarian, Mr Ehikioya Uduebor, among others.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of abandoning Nigerian students studying overseas under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA), warning that the alleged neglect has left about 1,600 young Nigerians stranded without support.

In a statement on Sunday, Atiku said the BEA scholarship scheme was quietly axed under Tinubu “without notice to parents or wards and without consideration for students already midway through their studies overseas.”

Describing the program as a “diplomatic bridge now left broken,” Atiku explained that the BEA, launched in 1993 and revitalized in 1999, was designed to enable Nigerian students pursue undergraduate and postgraduate education through agreements with partner countries.

“What was initially described as a temporary five-year suspension soon metamorphosed into outright abandonment,” Atiku said.

According to him, the decision has left students abroad without stipends, with unpaid allowances now running into thousands of dollars per student.

“Their pleas are desperate and straightforward: pay the stipends owed, now more than $6,000 per student. Yet from the corridors of power came a cold, technocratic explanation: scarce public funds must be managed ‘responsibly,’ and money meant to keep these students alive abroad should instead be redirected home,” he said.

He revealed that the hardship worsened between September and December 2023 when stipends were unpaid, before allowances were slashed by 56 per cent in 2024 from $500 to $220 per month and later stopped entirely.

“The cruelty of the moment was sharpened by timing and tone. Hunger, rent arrears, and shame have become the daily companions of the beneficiary students.”

“In Morocco, one student did not survive the ordeal, dying in November last year and turning quiet suffering into public grief,” Atiku added.

Parents and students have protested in Abuja, gathering at the Ministries of Education and Finance to demand answers, but their appeals, he said, “have been mainly ignored.”

The former vice president also criticized remarks attributed to the education minister suggesting that students who were “fed up” could be financed to return home, saying the comment “reduced years of study and sacrifice to an administrative inconvenience.

“To anxious parents, it sounded like expulsion by neglect. Today, that pact lies broken.”

Atiku concluded that Nigerian scholars scattered across foreign campuses are still waiting not only for their stipends, but for reassurance that their country “has not forgotten them.”

A security analyst, Amb. Capt. Abdullahi Bakoji Adamu (rtd), has warned that the Nigerian government’s decision to reopen the 47 Unity Colleges earlier closed due to security threats must be backed by concrete, long-term security measures, not official assurances alone.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Ekwutosblog on Friday, Adamu said reopening the schools is a delicate but necessary policy choice.

He stressed that education remains a critical national asset that should not be disrupted for long periods.

“Education is too important to be sacrificed indefinitely. Prolonged closure of Unity Schools threatens national development, social cohesion, and youth stability,” he said.

He noted that from this perspective, the government’s decision to reopen the schools aligns with its constitutional responsibility to guarantee access to education.

However, the retired security expert cautioned that optimism must not override security realities.

“The original closure of these schools was based on real and credible threats such as kidnappings, banditry, and attacks on educational institutions. These threats have not disappeared; they have only evolved,” he warned.

According to him, reopening schools without addressing the root causes of insecurity would expose students, teachers, and parents to serious danger.

“Security is not measured by announcements but by preparedness, deterrence, and response efficiency. If the reopening is based merely on assurances rather than verifiable security benchmarks, it risks repeating past tragedies and eroding public confidence,” he said.

From a professional security standpoint, he listed key conditions that must be met, including permanent security deployment around and within school premises, rather than temporary patrols.

“There must be integrated intelligence sharing between the military, police, DSS, and local security structures,” he said.

He added that intelligence gaps remain a major weakness.

Adamu also emphasized the need for rapid response capability.

“Response must be within minutes, not hours. Delayed response has cost lives in the past,” he noted.

He further called for secure school infrastructure, including controlled access points, perimeter surveillance, and reliable emergency communication systems.

Beyond formal security agencies, the analyst stressed the importance of community involvement.

“Host communities must be active partners in intelligence gathering and early warning. Without community engagement, security efforts will always fall short,” he said.

Adamu warned that reopening schools based only on verbal assurances could lead to a repeat of past tragedies and damage public trust in government decisions.

“If reopening is based merely on promises rather than verifiable security benchmarks, it risks eroding public confidence,” he said.

“In conclusion, while reopening the Unity Schools is a positive step toward restoring normalcy and safeguarding the future of Nigerian children, it must be treated as a security-led operation, not an administrative decision. The success or failure of this policy will depend entirely on whether security measures are proactive, adaptive, and sustained,” the expert added

Recall that the Federal Government recently announced the reopening of 47 Unity Colleges that were earlier shut down due to security concerns.

The Ministry of Education made the announcement in a statement on Thursday, reaffirming the government’s commitment to safeguarding students and ensuring continuity of learning.

According to the ministry, “after the strengthening of security architecture within and around the affected schools, academic activities have fully resumed.”

The statement added that students have returned safely to their campuses, with some concluding their December academic programs, while others have completed their examinations.

The ministry also assured parents, guardians, and the general public that the safety, welfare, and well-being of students remain a top priority.