The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • UNILAG VC prods students on N250m grant

    Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has advised students to take advantage of the N250 million grant given to the institution by the Bank of Industry to support creative and entrepreneurship ideas.

    Ogundipe spoke during this year’s Accounting and Entrepreneurship Summit for Students, organised by the Nigeria University Accounting Students Association.

    The event, with the theme: Technological advancement: The Nigerian economy and the future of the accounting profession, held at the main auditorium of the institution. It featured hundreds of students from tertiary institutions nationwide.

    Ogundipe, who noted that N50 million has been earmarked for training and renovations, added that the outstanding would be given as loans to start-ups among the students, depending on their proposal and cost required.

    He said: “We will be giving out loans between N1 to N2million to students that are able to come up with great innovative business ideas. We are also planning to register a limited liability company for our students while we will recommend experts to mentor them.”

    Ogundipe added that the summit was appropriate and in tandem with his vision as he concludes his maiden Professor Ogundipe Innovative Challenge (POIC) 2019.

    He boasted that UNILAG is well equipped to mentor and provide all the needed support for students with creative business ideas.

    He challenged participants to take advantage of the summit and the lineup of facilitators on ground to speak to them, adding that as youths, the future of accounting profession is in their hands.

    Head of Tax and Corporate Advisory Services of PwC Nigeria, Taiwo Oyedele challenged participants to open their minds, networks, share opportunities and be ready to diversify.

    He reminded the students that the accounting profession is a critical sector in every nation’s life, noting that understanding the economy, its complexity, trends and its opportunities, is imperative.

    Oyedele bemoaned the lopsidedness in the nation’s tax system which he said, favours the rich that pay less at the expense of the poor that pay more.

    A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN) Joseph Aborowa challenged the students to develop the art of integrity as they prepare themselves for the marketplace, saying organisations fall and rise due to the premium they place on integrity.

    Some of the sessions during the event were anchored on: tax sustainability of the Nigerian economy; leveraging technology for business growth; integrity, learning and excellence which are keys to remaining relevant in the profession: and excelling in entrepreneurship, among others.

    In his words, the President of NUASA, Opeyemi Oderinde, said the programme was aimed at helping accounting students to keep abreast of the latest trends and issues in the profession so they could be more equipped to stay ahead.

  • One year after, MAPOLY won’t release HND results

    When many of the immediate past Higher National Diploma graduates of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic gained admission about three years ago, they never thought they would spend three years on programmes that should have wrapped up in less than two years. Having resumed classes in November 2016, many had high hopes that by last November, they would have been mobilised for the mandatory National Youth Service Corp.

    Interestingly, some of them who previously gained employment and had started earning a living after the end of their National Diploma in 2015, returned to MAPOLY for their HND in 2016.

    None among them ever thought that the academic journey which took off smoothly would turn turbulent halfway. At a point, it required prayers and intervention of some powerful people before the students could write their second semester exam. That was almost a year after they had written the first semester.

    Unfortunately, the students’ challenges were further compounded by the conversion and rechristening of the institution as Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology, and the relocation of MAPOLY to Ipokia area of the state by the immediate past administration.

    The development created uncertainty, especially among lecturers, who felt they were not properly carried along and that a committee set up to oversee the transition marginalised them.

    However, amid government’s uncompromising posture, the lecturers, under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) of MAPOLY, embarked on a three- month strike. Unfortunately, the strike started on the day students were to begin their second semester examination.

    Even after what seemed like negotiations and resolutions between the government and ASUP,  things have not remained the same. The union appeared to be working on their own schedule and not in conformity with the academic calendar.  Since then, releasing of results, mobilisation of students for NYSC have become an herculean task.

    Some of the outgone students who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, lamented how the delay affected their NYSC mobilisation since they graduated in March this year.

    A student identified as Bolaji said: “I am tired of the situation of things, MAPOLY has failed to release our result. Management has failed to mobilise us for NYSC.

    “Nobody is ready to employ you without result. We don’t know the way forward, they should just let us go”.

    Another student who introduced himself as as Bolu said, “I am running away from people at home because they are already thinking I have extra year and that was why I have not gone for service.

    Bolu continued: “My parents are not ready to spend on me again and MAPOLY had failed to mobilise us.

    “Governor (Dapo) Abiodun (of Ogun State) should come to our aid so that we can do better things with our lives.”

  • Undergraduate gives borehole to community

    For the first  time in about 100 years, the serene Edonwick Village in Iko, Eastern Obolo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, was blessed with their first-ever clean water.

    The borehole, which threw the community into a bout of celebrations, was courtesy of Mary Remarkable Foundation.

    Its founder, Miss Remarkable Mary Akpan, said she came about the initiative because of her vision to add value to humanity by addressing issues that make society more humane and habitable.

    Inaugurating and handing over the project, Akpan, who is a 200-Level Political Science and Public Administration of the University of Uyo, recalled her tortuous journey in the quest to find an ideal location for her project.  She  remained thankful to God for granting her the grace to complete the project.

    Describing the project as ‘this great testimony and possibility’, Akpan said the story of Edonwick Village was one that questions the heart of man and the place of a constituted authority.

    Despite being an oil-producing community, Akpan said the village never had access to electricity,  school, medical centre, or even a structure made of block, describing the community’s predicament as  ‘deplorable,’ ‘pathetic’ and ‘unacceptable’.

    Akpan said her foundation travelled by road and water for several days and spent countless nights just to make this happen. She, therefore, said the successful execution of the project was worth the challenges encountered.

    Miss Akpan, who said she believes humanity survives on the premises of love and compassion, noted that her foundation counted it a great privilege to have been called to serve and contribute towards addressing societal challenges.

    She thanked those who contributed towards the fundraising, noting that their massive support made the success story possible.

    Responding on behalf of the community, Edonwick Village head Chief Edwin Nte said the water project was the first of its kind in the community’s over a century of existence.

    He expressed appreciation to the donor for the kind gesture and the risk it took to locate such a far-flung village for the purpose of blessing them with borehole water.

    Edwin, who charged corporate bodies and individuals to learn from Akpan’s humanitarian mind, said the borehole would improve the health of inhabitants of the village as the stream and waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the villages had relied on for years, have been polluted and poses a serious health threat.

    The high point of the event was the inauguration of the project by the donor. The event also featured singing and dancing by women and youths of the community who thronged the venue in excitement.

  • As the new frontier beckons

    Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman, World Economic Forum made this opening statement in 2016 about the new frontier the world is venturing into: “We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before. We do not yet know just how it will unfold, but one thing is clear: the response to it must be integrated and comprehensive, involving all stakeholders of the global polity, from the public and private sectors to academia and civil society.”

    We now live in an age where the impossible is becoming possible. Barriers are being broken down; innovations are coming out rapidly and dizzying rates. Older innovations are being fine-tuned and getting crazier and man is pushing the boundary of nearly everything, all because of technology.

    The world has witnessed three industrial revolutions and the process of the fourth has begun in earnest. Where are our tertiary institutions – and our policy makers – in the scheme of things? Are we prepared to embrace this revolution? What is the rest of the world doing right that we’re not?

    At the global level, industries and governments are innovating and changing their old ways of doing things. There’s no doubt that the pace of technological innovation going on around the world will pose enormous challenges to people, companies and economies as they are fast changing the way people learn, work, live and even stay alive.

    Schwab painted a vivid picture of the revolution we’re looking at today. He drew a parallel between Detroit (USA) in 1990 to Silicon Valley in 2014. In 1990, the three biggest automobile companies in Detroit – General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler – had a market capitalisation of $36 billion, revenues of $250 billion and 1.2 million employees.

    Fast forward to 2014; the three biggest technology companies in Silicon Valley had a higher market capitalisation of $1.09trn and generated $247Billion. But wait for this; they had about 137,000 employees! The implication is that more people would be out of jobs as the revolution gathers momentum.

    Underdeveloped and developing economies like ours would be the hardest hit. In the US where there is effective data, the expected fourth industrial revolution is projected to affect 49% of the workforce. From a historical point of view, technological changes bring with it disruption of the old system and challenges of adapting to the new because of the often superior technology involved in the processes.

    For example, the “New Deal” of Frank Roosevelt after the Great Depression of 1929 brought about state welfares and social safety net which was the peak of democratic standard in the 20th century. But this new revolution is about to make labour and trade unions irrelevant, big government spending on recurrent expenditure will definitely be affected. This should also serve as a wakeup call to the organised labour movements in Nigeria.

    The fallout from the 2016 summit in Davos, Switzerland was the all-important emphasis placed on the entrepreneur and an ‘Entrepreneurial Economy.’ I am aware that some universities in the country now have entrepreneurial centres, but how “entrepreneurial” these centres turn out to be is what matters in the long run. Also of importance is the ability of the economy to absorb the emerging entrepreneurs.

    For a nation that hardly plans, this emerging scenario can be scary. There were warnings in the past that crude oil price will crash and Nigeria needed to build buffers, but it was ignored and today, the economy is facing challenges because early warnings were not acted upon. We have now been forced to go back to the drawing board, but policy makers are facing challenges on the direction the economy should go.

    This notwithstanding, we have no choice but to face the hard task of positioning Nigeria to benefit from the revolution. Is this going to be easy? It may not because one of the most critical sectors that drive this revolution globally is lying prostrate in Nigeria. The government should move quickly with all sincerity to revitalise the education sector, because that is going to be the bedrock of the knowledge economy.

    It has been said repeatedly that we need to invest more in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education – other nations have added the arts and creative sector to the mix. Expectedly, the government should be the driver of this policy; all the tiers of government should invest part of their budget in projects that have technology outlook, especially in the area of research and development consistently in the coming years. The organised private sector should be encouraged to invest in research because they stand to gain even more than the government.

    We also have to face the frightening fact that jobs will be lost, especially routine jobs. This is a wakeup call for everyone to equip and retool himself as the present monetary policy would be jettisoned because an entrepreneur focuses on performance and result. In the long run, Nigeria may come out stronger if we understand how to positively use the high concentration of young people in our demography. It is easy for young people to learn new skills and it is the responsibility of the government to create the enabling environment toward building an entrepreneurial economy.

    This can be done by learning from Switzerland which laid down a plan that took off in July, 2016 to attract tech start-ups by providing financial resources and incentives. The country designed a policy called “Kickstart Accelerator” which attracts start-ups from around the world to live and work in Zurich where they will get $24,000 in ‘seed funding’ and $1,500 for living expenses. This concept allows for innovation and technology transfer to Swiss nationals.

    The Swiss read the global barometer right and they know too well that the disruption currently taking place around the world will focus on five critical areas of human endeavours: manufacturing, education, health, transport, agriculture and information technology. These are where most disruptions in the 21st century innovation will take place.

    Our government should not shy away from investing in hubs where start-ups all over the world can come and birth there innovative ideas. The United Arab Emirates has also done this with the Dubai “Internet City” and Dubai “Health Care City” initiatives. The strategy is simply to lure start-ups who through their presence will create jobs and wealth for the economy. It is instructive to note here that Nigeria are facing skill deficiency in critical areas of the economy like construction, manufacturing and innovation.

    At the World Economic Forum’s Summit on the Global Agenda 2015, held in Abu Dhabi, technology-thought leaders warned of the impending challenges posed by innovations in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, nanotechnology, robotics and 3-D printing, among others. The question asked at the forum is very relevant to the Nigeria situation today: “Are we investing enough in institutions that enable the platforms to accommodate different perspectives?” asked Diana Farrell, Chief Executive Officer and President of JPMorgan Chase Institute in the US. “We need a common platform to connect the dots. But we are so far away from that.” Governments can take a long time to produce legislation and implement major programmes, and once they do, the policies may already be obsolete, Farrell reckoned.

    Politics can get in the way too, she noted. “We have a disconnect between people who are trying to address real problems and the political show. Having closer accountability and judging politicians on their jobs rather than random political narratives would help a lot.” How apt.   Nigerians must come to the reality that the developed world is moving from physicality to a data-based world, even in warfare with the use of unmanned drones.

    The first Industrial Revolution used water and steam power to mechanise the production process from a largely agrarian system. The second used electric power to create mass production. The third used electronics and information technology to automate production. The fourth is building on the third, the digital revolution that has been occurring since the middle of the last century. How prepared are we? Only time will tell.

  • RUGIPO to begin degree programmes

    From next academic session Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO), Ondo State will begin degree programmes in at least 16 courses.

    The institution will also introduce additional 29 ND and HND courses if approved by its regulatory body, the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE).

    The Acting Rector, Mr Gani Ogundahunsi, dropped the hint with CAMPUSLIFE in his office.

    Ogundahunsi said RUGIPO was partnering the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife in the award of the degree.

    He said the move was perfected at a deliberation attended by the Vice-Chancellor of OAU, Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede; and representatives of the National Universities Commission; NBTE and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, (JAMB).

    Ogundahunsi said: “Let me tell you, one programme that people will be very happy about is the linkage of our HND and BSc degree programmes of OAU. The partnership (with OAU) is fashioned to take the same form of collaboration between Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo and OAU.

    “This one has reached an advanced stage, the Vice Chancellor and I met with National Universities Commission, National Board for Technical Education and JAMB. We have discussed with the executive councils of these bodies.”

    He said the school authority has sent recommendations to NBTE, expressing optimism that the board would give approval before the next academic session.

    Ogundahunsi said though certificates to be awarded will bear the name of OAU, but the students will be receiving their lectures at RUGIPO.

    Ogundahunsi said the degree courses will be in areas such as Agriculture, Engineering and Environmental Sciences, where RUGIPO has comparative advantage.

    He said the new but yet-to-be-announced new courses for ND and HND are included. He noted that the institution would not stop its ND and HND programmes. He said: “Courses like Insurance, Cooperative Studies, Tourism among others, will be introduced,” Ogundahunsi added.

    “We want to expand our school, we have brought to fore about 29 new programmes, we have tried to redeem, re-tool and re-engineer the place.

    ‘’The mandate is for us to make our programmes relevant to our immediate society.”

    He said RUGIPO FM will come on air very soon, following the operating licence granted by National Broadcasting Commission.

    The Acting Rector said the entire 37 programmes run by the institution were recently presented for and re-accreditation, adding that they all scaled the hurdle.

  • 17-year-old wins talent hunt

    Seventeen-year-old Orhu Abigail Nneka, a Mass Communication undergraduate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), has won a singing contest organised as part of the activities for the yearly Mass Communication Week.

    The event, held on the second day of the week-long activities, saw Orhu clinching a N10,000 reward amid encomium from friends and mates.

    “I feel blessed and it’s God’s grace that found me. Honestly, I’m actually happy for the platform and I’m super excited,” Orhu said.

    It was excitement galore as various acts thrilled the crowd with their performances during the week themed: “Unleash.”

    Orhu, a 100-Level undergraduate of the department, recalled how she started her music career while in secondary school because of the passion she has for the profession.

    President of the department Funke Ademola-Aliu said the Talent Hunt was to showcase various talents in the department, adding that prospective contenders were allowed to pay for air space to showcase their talents.

    She said: “This is a platform for students, especially the shy ones, to come and showcase their talents. This would help them build their courage to apply for bigger competitions.”

  • FUOYE: NANS secures students’ release

    National President, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Danielson Bamidele Akpan, has secured the release of two students arrested by the police, in connection with the crisis in the wake of a protest by students of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) last weekTuesday.

    The two students, Ogunlana Olabisi, 200-Level Electrical Electronics and Adeniji Oluwasegun, 300-Level  Agric Education, were to be arraigned in court on Monday before NANS’ intervention secured their unconditional release.

    Interestingly, too, students allegedly extorted by the police have identified the officers that demanded cash from them to facilitate their bail.

    Comrade Akpan also secured the release of the Students’ Union bus which was seized by the police and handed over to the FUOYE SU.

    The students’ body had earlier threatened to shut down the entire Ekiti State by what it described as ‘mother of all protests’ before eventually reaching a compromise with the police and Ekiti State government.

    On Tuesday last week, the students protested against poor electricity supply in Oye Township. They blocked the Oye and Ikole campuses, barring students and workers from gaining entrance into the school premises.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the protesters blocked the wife of Ekiti State Governor Erelu Bisi Fayemi while returning from a tour of the 16 local government areas of the state, where she had furthered her empowerment programme.

    The otherwise peaceful protest erupted in crisis as the police attached to the First Lady attempted to smuggle her via the surging protesters, a scenario that eventually deteriorated, and leaving two students dead, vehicles vandalised,  and several others injured.

  • UDUS student attacked

    A 100-Level Law student of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), Aliyu Saleh, has been attacked by hoodlums.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that Saleh was on his way to Bakassi Hostel last Wednesday, when the assailants attacked him with machetes around 11pm.

    The victim was walking along the snaky and often lonely Faculty of Veterinary Medicine road that leads to Bakassi Hostel where he resides.

    Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Saleh narrated how his attackers cashed in on the porous security at the aforementioned route to unleash mayhem on unsuspecting students.

    He recalled how he decided to stroll out of the Bakassi Hostel at nightfall to make some calls, owing to poor network within the hostel, before the hoodlums intercepted him and made away with his mobile phone as he made to return to his hostel.

    Said Saleh: “At around 10:30pm, I left my room at Bakassi Block B, to go and make some calls as well as read because of bad network. So, I took that straight road connecting Bakassi with the main road where the new Faculty of Veterinary Science was built close to the signboard at the edge of Bakassi Street.

    “After the calls, I made to return to the hostel. Then, I realised a motorcyclist with two other passengers pulled up behind me. One of the passengers disembarked while the two others stopped close to the sign board.

    “Another guy who I initially thought was a fellow student came behind and enquired what the time was and I answered him. In a flash, the guy pounced on me trying to drag my phone. I fought back and before I could say ‘Jack’, a machete landed on my left shoulder.

    “I raised alarm as I took to my heels.  I then alerted some securities officials who also gave them a hot chase. Unfortunately, my attackers escaped using their motorcycle.”

    He thanked the security officials who thereafter rushed him to the school clinic for first aid, before he was later transferred to university’s teaching hospital for proper treatment.

    Aliyu further advised students to be very vigilant while walking at night around the school premises.

    He said: “To fellow students I would say, if they are going for any affairs whatsoever at night, should walk in group. Once you don’t trust a person at night, keep your distance, because it seems these criminals are not only after mobile phone, but lives.”

    One of Aliyu’s intimate friends, Sheu Shamsudeen, also a 100-Level law undergraduate drew students but particularly management’s attention to the growing insecurity on campus.

    “And for students, avoid walking alone during the dark hours of the night, walk in groups,” he recommended.

  • Three years after, CAMPUSLIFE reporter collects witheld certificate

    Abdulsalam Mahmud, a CAMPUSLIFE reporter, graduated in 2016 with a distinction from Fati Lami Abubakar Institute of Legal and Administrative Studies (FLAILAS), Niger State. However, it was only last month, August 28, that he collected his Diploma certificate. The institute held on to his certificate for three years, following a story he published in CAMPUSLIFE section of The Nation n1ewspapers. OLUWAFEMI MUBARAK, MASS COMMUNICATION graduate of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, reports

    On October 6, 2016, Mr Abdulsalam Mahmud, then a CAMPUSLIFE reporter and Mass Communication undergraduate of Fati Lami Abubakar Institute of Legal and Administrative Studies (FLAILAS), Minna, Niger State, wrote a story on the CAMPUSLIFE cover of The Nation with the title: ‘Varsity applicants battle institute for results’.

    Pronto!

    Mahmud’s report jolted the management to do the needful immediately. However, FLAILAS  management debunked Mahmud’s claims, and considered the story ‘offensive’, ‘false’ and ‘injurious’ to the image of the school. And before anybody could say ‘Jack’, Mahmud was slammed hard with a punishment: his certificate was witheld for more than three years.

    It was, therefore, a victory for Mahmud, when the management  issued him his certificate on the school premises.

    Mahmud, CAMPUSLIFE gathered, dwarfed others, bagging a Distinction with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (cgpa) of 4.57. Interestingly, Mahmud was the only Mass Communication student who got Distinction among his classmates, an accomplishment which earned him the department’s best of his set.

    Mahmud, who started writing for CAMPUSLIFE in July 2015, has published over 93 reports and articles in the weekly pull-out of The Nation. In 2015, he received the ‘Most talented intern’ award from Newsline Newspaper after completing his media internship at the organisation’s office in Minna.

    A source, who was abreast of the incident, recalled the victim’s journey to his predicament.

    “The reason why Mahmud’s result was not issued to him immediately after he graduated was crystal clear,” began the source who pleaded not to be mentioned.

    He continued: “It was about the article he wrote on the plight of his classmates, especially the final year students. Mahmud published a story which the school management considered to be malicious, baseless and defamatory. But, actually, the report was not a falsehood, neither was it aimed at defaming the reputation of the institute.

    “The reporter (Mahmud) indeed carried out a thorough investigation and interviewed parties involved in the matter. He thereafter published a factual story on the plights of some students who missed their Direct Entry screening tests as a result of the delay by the institute to release their final results. That ugly development resulted in some of the 2016 graduating students missing their DE screenings, with some being denied admission that year.

    “The interesting thing was that barely 24 hours after Mahmud’s report was published, management quickly released the results of the graduating students, which enabled some of them to participate in DE screenings and post-UTME tests of their preferred tertiary institutions. There were a couple of the graduating students I know, who eventually got admission into universities that same year.”

    However, a day after Mahmud’s story was published, his name, matriculation number and details of his results ‘miraculously disappeared’  from the result sheets pasted on the notice board of the Department of Mass Communication.

    Shocked by the development, Mahmud had promptly drawn the attention of his Head of Department (HoD), Mallam Musa Gbage, who told him the error might have occurred during computation of the final results. Gbage assured Mahmud that the issue would be resolved

    “However, both the HoD and the school management didn’t actually address Mahmud’s complaint for weeks, until management sent a rejoinder that was also published in the same medium on 16 of November, 2016,” added one of Mahmud’s bosom friends, Umar Abdulkadir.

    Further, Abdulkadir explained that Mahmud was pressed into seeking justice in the court following several interventions by some eminent personalities with the Provost and other top principal officers of the institution, to no avail.

    A lecturer, who does not want his name mentioned, dismissed the assumption that Mahmud was victimised over the publication, saying some students and workers did not seem to understand Mahmud’s  true character and ‘uncultured attitude’.

    The source stated that on several occasions, Mahmud was warned by management against publishing stories that were not only injurious to the image of the school, but could also instigate riot on campus.

    The lecturer stated that the victim was in the habit of writing negative reports about the school, without cross-checking his facts.

    “As a young reporter learning the ropes through the window of campus journalism, it is expected that he adheres strictly to the ethics and tenets of news reportage. He should not be passionate about reporting issues without first gathering facts and doing thorough investigation. That was not the case with Mahmud. He authored several stories that dented the image of the institute even when he was yet to graduate from the school. A good student should also be a good ambassador of his or her alma mater. It should not be that you are destroying the image of your school,” the lecturer said.

    The lecturer, who attested to the fact that Mahmud has a very bright future in journalism, advised him to draw lessons from the ordeal by henceforth reporting issues objectively, and in such a manner that would not incite violence.

    Another source told CAMPUSLIFE authoritatively that the issue was eventually resolved in June this year when the victim’s lawyer and counsel to the institute both resolved that the matter be settled out of court.

    “Two lawyers made a gentleman agreement. Mahmud was prevailed upon to tender an unreserved apology in writing to the school over the said story, while the school management should also accept his apology and issue him his certificate.

    Miss Amina Ibrahim, a former classmate of Mahmud, described her friend’s victory as ‘a long walk to freedom’.

    Going down memory lane,  Miss Ibrahim recalled how the 2016 graduating students of FLAILAS, especially the DE applicants who knew Mahmud published a report about their plights, were deeply saddened on hearing about Mahmud’s dilemma.

    “I know Mahmud to be a very brilliant student. He was the best student in our department. Mahmud is a creative writer and a fearless campus journalist. While in school, Mahmud regularly filed in stories and other interesting events by students on campus for publication,” noted Miss Ibrahim.

    “He was the first Mass Communication student in the history of the institute that wrote stories and got them published on national dailies. He regularly contributed reports for The Nation, and some other national dailies. His numerous stories, especially inside CAMPUSLIFE pull-out projected the image of the school positively,” she added.

    Ibrahim admitted that even though there were some of Mahmud’s reports which did not sit well with the management; yet there were many which similarly projected the institution in good light.

    Garba Ismail, a 2016 law graduate of the institute, debunked claims by management that the victim was acting someone’s script by publishing some ‘harsh’ stories which sought to smear the reputation of FLAILAS.

    Ismail, stated that Mahmud, who was then the president of the school’s Creative Writers’ Club (CWC) of their set, should be proud that his writings motivated and spurred key authorities into action in addressing major problems facing the institution.

    He said: “Mahmud was the one that pioneered campus journalism at FLAILAS. He wrote stories of great impact. In the wake of the of the looting of the equipment of  Mass Communication radio studio of FLAILAS in November 2015, Mahmud wrote a report in The Nation which prompted  the Niger State government and Ministry of Education  to re-equip the facility.”

    Also in his reaction, the victim’s lawyer, Mohammed El-Surur, expressed delight that their legal intervention finally yielded fruit with the successful release of Mahmud’s credential.

    El-Surur, advised his ‘client’ to be wary of writing stories that may appear offensive to ‘powerful’ authorities, and which can truncate his academic pursuits or even terminate his life. The lawyer urged him to remain focused and continue to pursue his passion of becoming a seasoned journalist in the nearest future.

    In a chat with CAMPUSLIFE, Mahmud expressed gratitude to Almighty Allah for giving him the emotional strength to continue writing stories for CAMPUSLIFE and also practise journalism, even when his school certificate was withheld.

    The CAMPUSLIFE reporter, who said his travail was just like a flash in the pan when compared with what many famous journalists had experienced, described the entire experience as a ‘baptism of fire’ on his path to becoming a celebrated reporter.

    “Let me register my profound appreciation to my lawyer, my parents, lecturers at FLAILAS, my friends and several others well-wishers who stood by me and still believe in me, when I was denied my certificate.,” Mahmud began while thanking everyone.

    He added: “I also wish to thank the management of FLAILAS for pardoning, and issuing my result. I will forever remain indebted to them. Many thanks also to my lecturers who groomed me. The ordeal I passed through has only strengthened my courage as a pen pusher,” Mahmud added.

    Early this year, Mahmud won the ‘Upcoming writer of the year’ award at the annual Campus Journalism Award (CJA), hosted by Youths Digest at the Sheraton Luxury Hotel in Abuja.

    Prior to his ordeal, Mahmud had repeatedly told his friends and course mates how, upon graduation from FLIALAS, he had hoped to use that certificate for DE to a university of his choice. With his credential now ‘discharged’ Mahmud can now further his academic dream.

  • Fuoye: Falsely accused students seek justice

    • Demand N50,000 compensation each, clearance
    • No room for compensation, says mgt.
    • Police: Investigation ongoing

    A student of the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Eze Christopher, and his friend, Daramola Olamidotun, an ex-student of the university, are demanding justice for being falsely accused of sending a threat message to one of their teachers. The duo had been arraigned in court before the police eventually arrested the prime suspect, who is a female student of FUOYE. AJALA SAMUEL OLALEKAN, 300-Level History and International Studies and AYOBAMI OLU-TAIWO, 300-Level English and Literary Studies of FUOYE report:

    Two members of the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) are crying for justice over what they described as an ‘injustice’ done to them by the management of the university.

    The duo, Eze Christopher, a 200-Level Criminology and Security Studies undergraduate, and his friend Daramola Olamidotun, a former student of the institution, are demanding  financial compensation to the tune of N50,000 each as expenses  incurred to sort out their bail. Besides, they  are  urging the management of FUOYE to direct the stoppage of the litigation, which has been adjourned to September 30.

    Similarly, the National Union of Nigerian Students (NANS) has waded into the matter, calling for justice for their colleagues.

    However, the management said it would not pay compensation as it did not prompt their arrest.

    Last month, Christopher and Daramola were arraigned in court for allegedly sending a threat message to the Head of the Department of Criminology and Security Studies, Dr Chiedu Abrifor.

    Although the police has since tracked and arrested the culprit, who is currently under investigation, that was not until the two initial suspects had appeared in court, pleading not guilty before being granted bail.

    The Beginning

    CAMPUSLIFE investigation showed that the Ekiti State Police Command where the matter was initially lodged, tracked the number of the message sender to one Faleti Mujibat Temitope, a 200-Level student of Peace and Conflict Studies in the institution.

    Upon being invited for questioning, Temitope shocked the police by showing them the same threat message she received from an unknown number the same day Abrifor received his.  Upon further enquiry on who she suspected, Temitope mentioned Christopher, her former friend, with whom their affair ended on a sour note.

    Although Daramola was once a 100-Level student of the same department before crashing out due to financial constraints, his involvement may not be unconnected with how he and Christopher led their colleagues on a rebellion against Abrifor over a departmental wear.

    Row over departmental wear

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that all departments have a peculiar wear which all students must put on every Monday. As it is the tradition in FUOYE, students’ departmental association usually handles the departmental wear. When the Department of Criminology was established a few years ago, the students’ association was not formed immediately, so Dr. Abrifor took up the responsibility of producing the departmental wear. When the students’ association was eventually established earlier in the year, Abrifor relinquished the fund in his custody for the association to produce the uniform. Unfortunately, the students’ body could only do a handful which did not go round despite that majority of the students paid N2,500 each for the uniform.

    Abrifor would have none of it as he slammed N200 fine on students who refused to wear the mandatory wear every Monday. Abrifor’s action appeared to have irked many of the students, who felt their HoD was merely punishing them for an offence they were not culpable.

    It was after this that the aggrieved students decided to give Abrifor a cold shoulder.

    “He (Abrifor) forcefully collected this amount (N200) every Monday from 100 and 200 level students who were in casual dress. After a while, the students got tired and discussed the matter on their whatssap group. Majority of the students then agreed that none of them should put on the wear the following Monday. So, the following week, most of us flouted the directive, save a few others that did not have whatsapp access phone,” Daramola recalled while trying to prove his innocence.

    On his part, Christopher said he never knew his offence until he was confronted at the police station that a female course mate mentioned him as a suspect.

    “I did not know what led to my arrest until the IPO (investigating police officer) told me it was a threat case; and that I was threatening my HoD and a lady  (Temitope) which I did not do,” Christopher began.

    Going down memory lane, Christopher recalled how Temitope once called him while with her parents in Lagos, drawing his attention to a threat message she received from an unidentified number.

    Christopher continued: “I asked her if she would come to school and make a report at the police station in Lagos. Later, we both chose the option of her reporting the matter to the police as soon as she got to school.

    “On  August 7, I was at  home when I noticed the presence of armed men in the front of my room. This has never happened before because it is unusual to see my friends knocking on my door before coming in. I initially escaped, but later appeared at the police station the following day because everyone in my room was arrested the previous day.

    “It was at the station I discovered that I have been named a suspect by two people, my lecturer and a friend. I was locked up that day with my friend (Daramola) and released on bail the third day.”

    Why they were singled out

    Christopher and Daramola’s ‘toxic’ contributions on the departmental’ whattssup group chat, seemed to have been the nemesis that eventually returned to haunt them, CAMPUSLIFE learned.

    During the protest against the departmental wear, Christopher was accused of being the ringleader, an allegation he denied outright. Dotun on the other hand was arrested based on some utterances and voice recordings he sent to the group chat.

    Dependable sources informed CAMPUSLIFE that there are certain fifth columnists who spy on individual’s information on the group chat and relay same to Dr. Abrifor.  Incidentally, Abrifor had access to various messages and voice recordings sent to the group chat during deliberations over the departmental wear and contributions from Christopher and Daramola appeared most noticeable and vehement.

    Interestingly, Temitope who roped in Christopher has suddenly remained taciturn following the arrest of the prime suspect. When CAMPUSLIFE reached out to her, Temitope declined comments, saying she has been ‘instructed’ not to speak further on the issue.

    “I cannot say anything because the security had earlier warned me not to,” Temitope said.

    Suspects arraigned in court

    The first court proceeding was held on August 19, and adjourned to 30th of this month. Both were granted bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties.

    NANS demands justice

    Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has waded into the matter, demanding that the two students charged to court be compensated and all expenses they incurred in the course of perfecting their bail be refunded.”

    A statement titled: “Defamation and harassment of Nigerian students in FUOYE”, and signed by vice chairman of NANS Ekiti, Comrade Raji Sobur, demanded transparency across board on the matter. Sobur also asked both the police and management of FUOYE to formally apologise to the students for defaming their character.

    The students’ body equally chided the police for jumping to conclusion by stampeding the suspects into court when it was yet to perfect its investigation.

    NANS said: “As it was reported, those students were charged to court as suspects without any evidence linking them to the allegation. Meanwhile, at the court, the investigating police officer (IPO) confessed that they are yet to unravel those who perpetrated the evil.

    “The question is: ‘Why were the students charged to court without establishment of fact? This clearly shows the manner management has perfected to victimise our members.”

    HoD: The students are innocent.

    Dr. Abrifor has since declared the students innocent. Abrifor equally denied ever taking the suspects to court.

    He said: “The issue started when I received a threat message from an unknown number and I immediately forwarded the message to the CSO (chief security officer of FUOYE), Director of Administration (of FUOYE) and my wife.

    “The CSO then asked me to write a memo to the vice-chancellor which I did on Saturday, August 24 because the incident happened the previous day. After reporting to the vice chancellor, I was advised to report to the police.

    “Even in my report to the VC, I didn’t mention anybody’s name. I did not intend to unduly indict anybody.

    “I then lodged my complaints at the police station. After writing my statement, the DPO enquired from me if I suspected anybody, but I said no’’.

    He said the police then tracked the number of the sender and from there discovered that that number had a link with Temitope.

    Abrifor continued: “I now assumed since both numbers linked each other, that means the caller and the receiver were both familiar.

    “So the university invited Temitope to the Security Unit for preliminary investigation. There, they discovered that the student also received same threat message the same day I received my message.

    “So from there it became confusing.  I wasn’t even there when (police) interrogated Christopher and Daramola, only for them to inform me that Temitope indicted Christopher. I then wondered if both Chris and Temitope ever had an argument before.  The police also asked me if I had issues with Christopher but I said no. I told the police that from what I knew about Christopher, he was just a boy exhibiting youthful exuberance, that  I had repeatedly called and advised him that he is in FUOYE to study and not to cause problems.  That was all.

    “So on Thursday when the police was to arraign them in court, something came to my mind. At the time, the number that we initially tracked was no longer trackable and as an experienced person in security matters, I strongly suspected that the sender had removed and destroyed the sim card.

    “I now said, but we can still track the IMEI (international mobile equipment identity) of the phone because it’s easy for an individual to use a phone and SIM card and throw the sim card away and continue to use the phone

    “In fact, I did not want those guys to suffer for what they did not do. That was how I tracked the IMEI number, because I was interested in getting to the root of the matter

    “How can I pick students up without notifying the school or students? But to my surprise, some people started calling me names, that I sued the students to court. Of course, I know I followed the right channel I communicated to the university and the university asked me to report to the police and the police began their investigation.

    “I’m happy that the police have gotten the number using the phone and they have arrested the culprit .To my surprise, nobody is even talking about the threat message sent to me. My family is in disarray.

    “We are walking with fear in my house. Nobody is even bringing that up.

    “The investigation didn’t point to the two students. I don’t know why they took them to court .You know normal police case of litigation, just to present them to the court.

    “The culprit is now with the Commissioner of Police in Ado-Ekiti. The police are aware that those students are not involved. Those students are innocent.”

    Investigation on course, says Police

    Police Public Relations Officer,  Ekiti State Police Command, Caleb Ikechukwu, declined comments on the matter. According to Ikechukwu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, investigation is still on course. He added that details would be made public as soon as police wrap up investigations.

    No compensation for victims, says mgt

    Chief Security Officer of FUOYE Paul Ogidi, said the two victims could approach the police and not management, should they feel they deserve compensation.

    Ogidi said Abrifor has the right to approach the police in order to safeguard his life and that of his family.

    The security chief said as a rule, issues bordering on criminal matters are within the purview of the police and not FUOYE management.

    “When there are criminal cases such as kidnapping, cultism, robbery threat to life, among others on campus, we refer the matter to the police.

    “I remember this matter (threat message) was reported to the management in writing by Dr Abrifor, and a copy was sent to me so that I can monitor the situation. At the time, Dr Abrifor opted to personally report the matter to the police, which was normal because of his own security; the university only followed up to ensure the right thing was done.

    “The police then commenced investigation, made some arrest; and because police cannot detain suspects beyond 24 hours, they charged the matter to court. Now that the prime suspect has been arrested, it is only the police that can clear them and also pay them compensation, if need be.”

    Nonetheless, Ogidi expressed the willingness of the institution to work with the police to terminate the matter in court thereby removing the negative tags on the students.