By Ambrose Ologide
Professor John Blacky Arubayi, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun (FUPRE) in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, has called for the prosecution of proprietors/ proprietress of ‘magic centres hosting the Senior Secondary School Certificate /West Africa Examination Council (SSCE/ WAEC) exercises in the local government area.
Arubayi, who is the Chairman of Abe 1 Education Administration/Scholarship Scheme, made the call in his remarks during the finals of the Quiz Competition of the 15th Coronation Anniversary of HRM (Dr) Emmanuel Ekemejewa Sideso, JP, OON, Abe 1, Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom at the Petroleum Training Institute ( PTI ) Conference Centre, Effurun on Monday 17th April 2023.
The Uvwie-born Professor of Physics lamented that the said magic centres have destroyed the academic foundation of most secondary students.
He also bitterly noted that products of magic centres cannot defend their certificates and end up being half baked University graduates or dropouts
The no-nonsense former Deputy Vice-Chancellor further lambasted parents who took their children to magic centres as he noted that such parents had helped in ruining the academic life of their children.
” Parents should employ the services of private teachers for extra classes for their children instead of taking them to magic centres,” he advised.
Arubayi had earlier opined that public schools were better as he used the outcome of the quiz competition, where the overall winner is a student of Army Day Secondary School, Effurun, to substantiate his claim.
The winner, Hazel Obobolor, who did not fail any question, out-shined fellow competitors from private schools to emerge winner in the secondary school category.
The high point of the competition was the presentation of trophies and other prizes to the winners, who also had the privilege of having a royal handshake with the highly-esteemed traditional ruler.
