Category: Campus Life

Agbo Agbo

These are extraordinary and sobering times. Suddenly everywhere is quiet – factories, schools, offices, airports, the streets, are all quiet. Things that matter weeks ago are irrelevant for now. All the atomic bombs, nuclear powered submarines, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), aircraft carriers, radar evading stealth bombers, high caliber rifles, night vision goggles, infrared lights, IEDs, landmines and other lethal weapons created by man are now temporarily inactive – except in war zones. These weapons have the combined capacity of destroying the earth a hundred times over. But they are all unable to face the “new sheriff in town” (apologies to Femi Adesina). COVID-19 – the invisible enemy – has indeed humbled the world.

The emptiness of life is now laid bare. Our cars are parked in the parking lots with nowhere to go. Yachts and private jets are lying idle at the airports and quays. Some are confined to a room in their expansive mansions. The designer shoes, clothes, bags, wristwatches, perfumes etc. are useless this season. A celebrity shared pictures where she dressed for ‘the kill’ with the inscription “nowhere to go.” I can go on and on. What about those “very important meetings” that the heavens would fall if we do not attend? Am I forgetting our expensive and expansive church and mosque auditoriums? What really matters today is simply basic: food to eat and air to breathe. Some can’t breathe because they need ventilators which are grossly in short supply globally. Even the advance nations are frantically looking for ventilators!

COVID-19 is also serving as an anesthetic for the harsh post-COVID-19 economic terrain that we will soon wake up to. Oil is hovering at between $20/$30 per barrel. Some economic analysts predict it will plummet further. All things being equal, some predict 2025 as the year things may pick up fully for the oil industry. For a country that depends so much on oil, we are in trouble. Recall that the 2020 budget was predicated on $56 per barrel of oil. It has now been reviewed. OPEC and the Russians are meeting to find a workable solution that would benefit all. Even the much touted shale oil revolution in the USA is dangling in the balance.

The wonder virus is not just killing humans; it is wrecking businesses and brands as well. Many companies and startups in the USA and Europe are filling for bankruptcy or are under siege and silently counting their losses in these uncertain times. Mondelo Group, brewers of a popular beer brand in Mexico have stopped the brewing of ‘Corona’ beer. Your guess for the stoppage is as good as mine. What an unforeseen and brutal enemy!

Sports stadia’s are now being turned into makeshift emergency hospitals. The bars are empty, venues for music shows are equally empty, so are the large malls, cinema houses, and even miracle centres are eerily quiet. Books in the sci-fi section of bookshops in the west are now virtually empty. Who would have predicted this? That a time would come that an unseen virus, and not a world war, will shut down the world? It is simply incomprehensible! It respects no border and does not need a passport to freely move. All it needs is to invisibly attach itself to an individual and wreak havoc anywhere it went. Hospitals and medical personnel are overwhelmed as the bodies pile up with cremation being the option for burial due to lack of space like in Italy.

As the bodies pile up, I watched an Italian doctor on television almost tearfully narrating how difficult and painful it was for him to determine which patient gets a ventilator at the expense of others who are simply allowed to die. He said this period will live with him for the rest of his life. It will certainly live with us all especially those that lost loved ones – loved ones they were not even privileged to bury.

Desperate times like these are also periods that throw up leaders. World War II brought out the best in Winston Churchill; the Rwandan genocide unveiled Paul Kagame. Globally, leaders are showing what they are made of in this COVID-19 crisis. While some are faltering, others are forthright. As the battle to contain the virus rages, some commendations are necessary. Step forward Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State for recognition. You’re doing your best in instilling hope in a very difficult period. I know your job is being made less tedious because you have a qualified team behind him – like Prof Akin Abayomi and your communication team – nevertheless, you still deserve our commendations. Though there’s still much to be done.

Take a bow Dr. Chikwe Iheakwezu and health officials at the frontline of this difficult war that has no defined frontlines. The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) that you head also deserves commendations. The officials handling calls and giving guidelines and encouragement to callers and potential cases are equally worth commending. I read a story about a typical day in these centres and I doff my heart for them. One thing weaves all these together – quality leadership on all fronts.

Leadership is an essential feature of all government and governance. Weak leadership contributes to government failures, and strong leadership is indispensable if the government is to succeed. Wise leadership secures prosperity in the long run; foolhardy leadership brings about catastrophes. To influence events and affect outcomes, leaders need to be prepared to abandon policy instruments and ideas that no longer work in a new environment. They need to be able to embrace the new and reevaluate the old, if the circumstances call for it.

I strongly believe that a successful leader chooses a particular course of action and then in some way gets others to go along; or more subtly, the leader encourages the led to ‘choose’ the course that the group will follow. The co-determination of the two parts of the leadership–followership system means that leaders are, to a significant extent, created by the led. In the complex leadership quotient, followers matter a great deal; indeed leadership, as a process, is greatly influenced by following.

As the race to defeat this invisible enemy rages, tough decisions would need to be taken. The federal and state government must, as a matter of urgency, reevaluate and restructure their 2020 budgets by freeing and diverting funding meant for capital expenditure to the healthcare sector. They must all focus completely on the health and well-being of Nigerians. Financial resources must be deployed to hospitals, clinics and makeshift isolation centres springing up across the country. This is a life and death situation.

More resources are also required for test laboratories. Unfortunately, there are not many in the country. The target should be one in every state of the federation, if possible. Ventilators, healthcare workers, ad hoc personnel, protective gears, gloves and masks, among other medical supplies are urgently needed. Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, chairman of Innoson Motors said he is willing to tamper with his production line and produce ventilators if the government supports him. This is an opening that should be explored giving the importance of ventilators in the battle ahead. This is not the time to play politics of looking at where the company is situated or who owns or runs it.

In my reckoning, the only areas of infrastructure that can and should be funded at the moment are the utility sectors comprising power and water resources. Without electricity and pipe borne water necessary for keeping the hospitals and makeshift isolation centres functioning and preventing spread, the fight against the wonder virus will be futile.

A critical challenge I foresee relates to the lockdown and social distancing. Already we are beginning to see agitations from citizens whose means of livelihood does not warrant them to stay indoors for long. This has already started in Lagos following the botched distribution of food. Thankfully, the governor said they’re back to the drawing board to fine-tune the process. If a holistic strategy is not put in place on how to reach and assist these vulnerable citizens we might risk them defying the stay at home order, or worse still, we may have large scale looting or riots on our hands.

 

Adigun Adio, TPI

Nigerian Youth Task Force on Covid-19, in conjunction with Federation Media (FEDMEDIA), a digital media and production company, has launched a movement- Safety First Awareness Campaign on Covid19.

Nigerian Youth Task Force on Covid19 is a youth body at the vanguard of ensuring the citizenry comply with the stay-at-home order of the government and adhere to other health tips against Covid-19.

The Chief Executive of FEDMEDIA, Grema Sulaiman, described the movement as an advocacy to further create awareness amongst Nigerians on the Covid-19 pandemic vis-a-vis its safety precautions.

According to Sulaiman, the advocacy which has already started since last month, aims to promote necessary safety tips and measures to all Nigerians, and correct the widespread misconceptions that the virus which though began in Wuhan China, was not created by the Asian country; but rather a pandemic that threatens humanity.

Sulaiman said the movement has already activated the hashtag: #StayAtHomeStaySafe on its twitter handle to further throw its weight behind the lockdown measure introduced by the Federal Government to contain its spread.

Sulaiman said: “This is indeed a trying time for all of us. We must all  take up  the call and share the stay-at-home and safety tips to everyone around us be it in Nigeria or across the globe in order to be safe by every means necessary.

“It is our collective responsibility to be supportive to each other and adhere to safety measures while we stay at home during this Covid-19 outbreak which currently battles the world.

“We must wash our hands regularly; maintain social distance; practise proper hygiene; stay informed and follow government and healthcare guidelines, among others.

“Please stay safe because everyone matters as the healthcare providers and the government continue to do their best’’.

The movement comprise youths and young adults, including the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Youths and Students Affairs Mr Nasir Adhama; a member of the House of Representatives, Shamsudeen Bello Dambazau; Photographer to the President of Nigeria, Mr Bayo Omoboriowo; popular poet and entrepreneur Mr Jamilu Ahmed Sadauki; and Senior Special Adviser to the President on Youths Nasir Adhama, among others.

Idiaghe Osaro, FUOYE

National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the accreditation of 14 full and five interim academic programmes for Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE),, Ekiti State.

This was announced in a letter sent to the Vice Chancellor Prof Kayode Soremekun, and signed by NUC Director of Accreditation Dr Maryam Sali.

According to Sali, these programmes were accredited under various faculties that are  running in the institution with a status of interim or full.

The new programmes include: Banking and Finance, Public Administration, History and International Studies, Linguistics, Business Education, Education (Agric Science), and Education (Biology).

Others include: Education (Chemistry), Education (English), Education (Management), Geology, Mass Communication, Political Science and Peace and Conflict Resolution.

However, the likes of Accounting, Business Administration, Education Mathematics, Library and Information Science and Criminology and Security Studies, were granted interim status.

Sali said courses with full accreditation are valid for five years, while others on interim status are for two years after which the programmes would be reappraised.

She further said programmes that still earn interim status after two visits would be reverted to ‘denied accreditation’ status.

The letter stated in part: ‘’In line with its provision and that of the current government following approved procedures, the accreditation of a new academic programme takes place after such programme has run for two sessions following when such programme was established after which approval of such programmes takes place as and when due.’’

Due to this effect, NUC accredited certain academic programmes in the institution last October/November.

Final year students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), awaiting mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), are still uncertain whether they will participate in the programme. Reason: A legion of them still await the notification of result which is a precondition for mobilisation for service. No thanks to the outbreak of Coronavirus and the closure of schools nationwide, a development that may further prolong their woes. ABDULRASHEED HAMMAD, a 300-LEVEL LAW STUDENT of USMANU DANFODIYO UNIVERSITY, SOKOTO reports:

Final year students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), have finished their exams since last November, yet many have not obtained their  statements of result, a prerequisite for being mobilised for the mandatory one year  National Youths Service Corps (NYSC).

As at last month, only a handful of students’ statements of result have been released and were awaiting mobilisation before the Federal Government ordered all tertiary institutions nationwide to shut down for a month, following the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.

At present, only a few students have been mobilised across some departments, while some departments have not.

Findings by CAMPUSLIFe revealed that in the list initially released towards the end of February, three graduates have been mobilised from the Department of Microbiology; three from Biology, one from Botany, 48 from Computer Science, one from Mathematics; one from Physics; and three in Pure Chemistry and Statistics.

Meanwhile, the final year students who have completed all academic activities are daily bemoaning the delay in the collection of notification of results as well as mobilisation for NYSC.

Many of the aggrieved students are heaping up blames on the current administration led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof Suleiman Bilbis,  who took over the baton of leadership of the institution from his predecessor, Prof Prof Abdullahi Zuru, in July last year. They are saying that the current administration appears to be gradually altering the once swift process that allowed students to have their statement of results and be immediately mobilised for service once they met all criteria.

Following the complaints earlier last month, the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Prof Aminu Mode, pleaded with the aggrieved students, saying the managements had not gone to bed over the matter.

Interestingly, this is a time many institutions have fully mobilised their students for NYSC. More worrisome is the fact that the Coronavirus pandemic will almost definitely alter academic calendar in most schools, hence the need to be a step ahead of time.  Meanwhile, UDUS is still battling with approval of results from the Senate.

One of the aggrieved students, Aliyu Aminu Defence, from the Department of Microbiology, blamed the incumbent management for its snail-speed approach.

He said: “I blame the new administration for the delay (in mobilisation).

“What I’m saying is that there was nothing like this in the immediate past administration. Students use to get there notifications before NYSC open its portal for registration. However, things seem to be the reverse now.

“Some graduates who have registered for NYSC are yet to have their notifications on ground. The management is one way or the other trying their best to rectify the problem, but I’ll advise them to intensify their efforts.”

Aliyu’s coursemate Ibrahim Shehu Kalgo, said he could not wait to have his one year mandatory service done and dusted since he had other plans.

“I want to serve and immediately after, start seeking jobs, but I’m not happy about this delay. Both the management and our various departments contributed to this,” Kalgo began.

He continued:  “I can give you example from my department. I finished my exams on October 18, last year; but I think my result was sent for vetting in mid- February. If management had put pressure on the department, they would have submitted results on time.”

Abdulrahman Yahya, a graduate of English, appeared to be more or less philosophical, although disappointed.

“I was disappointed at first but I later understood that we can’t all go together. I am  more disappointed because I never thought about the possibility of not making Batch A. Many were mobilised from my department, so, it would be selfish to lambast those in charge just because I didn’t make it. I await Batch B, anyway.

Ibrahim Gambo Lawal from the Department of Botany, pitched his tent with Yahya and Aliyu

“I think both the faculty and the management are at fault,” Lawal protested.

He added: “I have finished all my exams since early November but I wasn’t mobilised in February. The delay in mobilisation affected us because we were at home doing nothing.”

“What I meant was that about a hundred plus were mobilised in my department. I believe each department was given a minimum number,” said Sa’ad Umar Faruq, from the Department of Economics Education.

Speaking with CAMPUSLIFE, Faruq who had already graduated recounted how he had to return to UDUS at two separate years to resit two courses he failed while as undergraduate. Though, Faruq said he had seen the two results in January where he passed in flying colours; yet his department is prevailing on him and others in his shoes to wait until other students were mobilised.

“My results have been released in early January because I have spilled over two times before I graduated this year. Yet, the department kept telling us to wait for others before we could be mobilised because our notification of result hasn’t been released by the management,” he said.

Muhammad Jamiu Muhammed from the Department of Public Administration, also bemoaned that many of his contemporaries could not be mobilised for the first batch.

He said: “Sincerely, the delay experienced has little or no effect. Nonetheless, what I can say is: the delay denied virtually all of us the opportunity of making the Stream 1, while only a few of us were lucky to make it.

“A very larger number of us will now have to wait for Stream 2, and it all boils down to the unnecessary delays in vetting of our results  by the Senate.”

“As fresh graduates, there is this euphoria in you realising that soon, you’ll be putting on NYSC khaki, but all that has been killed by the delay in the mobilisation. Virtually, all my colleagues have in one way or the other expressed their sadness over the delay.”

“To the best of knowledge, many departments submitted their results for vetting since December but nothing was done up till January. From my point of view, the delay in the mobilisation is not the fault of some departments but management.”

However, Lawal urged the management to look into the proble, saying it is now becoming a recurring decimal.

 

 Management reacts

The Dean of Students Affairs Prof Mode, has reacted to the students’ plight.

Prof Mode described the process of vetting of results as ‘too cumbersome’, noting that the essence is to protect both students and management from being exploited.

Mode further absolved his unit and by extension management of the delay of results. He explianed that what management does is to receive the results from the Senate and mobilise the students for NYSC.

He said: “Students’ Affairs is only concerned with NYSC. We don’t have control over results.

“Students’ Affairs is not concerned with compilation of result. When a student gets his/her result, it’s then he will fill form for NYSC. However, you should know we have more than 70 programmes and it has to be done one after the other because that is how results are being processed. Every student of this university will go through a process that ensures both the university and the management are not cheated.”

Also speaking, the Dean Faculty of Science, A.D Bakko, told CAMPUSLIFE that the results of the graduating students have been sent to the Senate for vetting and approval since January.

Like Mode, Bakko equally absolved management of the delay in mobilising the graduates.

Defending himself, he said: “We have sent the list of the graduating students to the Senate for vetting and approval since December 2019, but I don’t know the cause of delay in notification of results and mobilisation of graduates after we have done our part.”

Meanwhile, the university’s Director of Examination Dr Musa Yelwa Abubakar, said the procedure for vetting and approval of results are not as easy as students thought.

“As far as we are concerned,” Abubaka began, “there is no delay in notification of results. The process (for the vetting) is that if the faculty is done with results, it will ensure all results are uploaded. The lecturer will submit the results to be compiled by the department that will meet to consider the result for moderation.

“Once they are done, the department will send it to be considered at faculty level; and once that’s done, final year results will have to be sent outside for moderation by external moderators.

“Afterwards, the results are uploaded. Once that is done, the Senate will bring it to Academic Office that will send it for vetting to ensure that those courses students registered for are enough to forestal complications with the results.

“It will then be sent back to the Academic Office which will compile everything together. We will thereafter meet at the Senate Bureau of Examination where the results will be forwarded to the vice chancellor for approval.”