The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • ‘Oral literature preserves history, morals’

    A professor of Oral and Comparative Literature, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai (IBBUL), Niger State, Ker Apegba, has argued that oral literature has the capacity not only to entertain and educate, but also to uphold morals, preserve traditional knowledge and keep history alive.

    Apegba delivered the 14th inaugural lecture of the university with the theme: The dynamic of change: The oral artist and the survival/preservation of the oral form.

    “Most pieces of oral literature convey, in a beautiful and lively manner, what they encourage as good and decent behaviour, what they discourage as bad and improper behaviour and what they would like members of such a society to do. Thus, performances of oral literature have the potentials of making us responsible members of the society by instilling in us beliefs, morals, concerns and aspirations of our societies,” noted Apegba during the lecture held at the main auditorium of the school campus.

    Apegba added that oral literature genres collectively enhance the didactic role of arts in an appealing and effective manner.

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    “It is necessary for us to bear  in mind that by its very nature, oral literature tries to promote the progress of humanity by the way it champions values that promote peace, prosperity and dignity of all human groupings. Through oral histories, narratives, songs, riddles and proverbs, people appreciate the functioning of vibrant communities with values anchored on understanding, collaboration and interdependence. Oral literature makes us aware of ourselves, other human beings, our environment and our history. Oral literature also mirrors closely the historical and political development of a nation,’ he added.

    Apegba explained that the oral artist’s task is majorly to reflect, highlight and sometimes seek solutions to some of the problems that face the society.

    “Through this process, human beings’ consciousness within and around their environment is aroused, and they are better prepared to accommodate or react to the social changes taking place in their ever-changing society,’’he added.

    He emphasised the need to carry out oral literary research with the aim of collecting, transcribing, translating and documenting for posterity, while also enhancing the much-needed unity in diversity among Nigerians.

    Apegba added: “There is an aspect of reviving our various cultures that we as individuals can implement/do without looking up to government or external support. This is in the area of teaching our children, wards and young ones about our cultures, and this begins with using our indigenous languages as media of communication.

    “It is very sad but true that, many ‘educated’ parents shy away from speaking to their children in their indigenous languages. Consequently, many of such languages are endangered, while some are already at the brink of extinction,”

  • Police arrest members of Vigilante group for killing 400L OOU student

    The Ogun State Police Command on Wednesday paraded three suspects who allegedly murdered one Ahmed Obisanwo, 400-level student of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye.

    The Command also recovered guns from the suspects who claimed to be members of local community Vigilante group.

    The Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, who paraded the suspects at Eleweran, the Command’s Headquarters, said the three suspects Idowu Ayodele, 53, Segun Ogunsanwo, 53, and Akeem Salisu, 55 would be charged with   murder.

    Makama said the suspects invaded a hotel in Ijebu-Igbo, the Headquarters of Ijebu North Local Government Area of the State on August 8, dispossessing people of their valuables during the attack.

    The Police boss in the state added that  the suspects also seized two young men while the robbery lasted, stressing that one of the victims  escaped from the suspected criminals, while the other remained with them.

    He said: “These suspects went into a hotel and told everyone to lie down, dispossessing them of their valuables. They seized two people and didn’t return them. After a while, one of them came back and said he had escaped. When we asked him about the second person he was abducted with, he said, he was dead. It is six weeks today, that person has not returned.

    “There was a complaint and we worked on that which led to the arrest of these people and the recovery of these weapons. On further interrogation, they said the other person that was taken had been killed. They said he had been thrown into a river. We asked them to identify the river so we can go there and conduct a search and recover his remains.”

    “One of them claims to be a member of safe corps but the boss has out rightly denied that. One of the weapons is painted in police color. They will be made to face the full wrath of the law.”

    But one of the suspects, Akeem Salisu told reporters that he didn’t kill Obisanwo.

    Salisu claimed the Vigilante group where he is part of, was constituted by the community to rid the area of cultists and thugs.

    According to him, his group usually arrests cultists and thugs in the community and drop them at the Police Station in order to ensure peace and security in the area.

  • Ex Ogun governor underscores entrepreneurship

    Former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has appealed to youths to remain focused and be tenacious in pursuing their dreams and entrepreneurship ideas, adding that fortune only favours the brave.

    Daniel spoke at the third annual Young Leaders Entrepreneurship Conference (YOLEC) organised by Sparklight Entrepreneurship Show which held at the Afe Babalola Hall, University of Lagos.

    The event tagged: ‘An entrepreneurial mindset: A solution to the high unemployment rate in Nigeria’ brought together hundreds of students, youth corps members, and unemployed graduates within and outside the university system.

    It featured a seminar, breakout sessions, CV Review, mentoring session and sessions on digital skills and technologies like data science and analytics, cyber-security, cloud computing, block chain.

    Daniel, who praised the organiser for putting the event together, mentored youths on the importance of leadership training and how youths could be financially independent as entrepreneurs.

    “Above all, if you look at the lives of successful entrepreneurs in the world, there is one thing that’s common to them all- perseverance. None of them gave up at any point in time,” he added.

    He noted that challenges and obstacles will always come but successful entrepreneurs are people who never give, but are rather tenacious in achieving their dreams.

    Earlier, a lecturer in the Department of Business Administration and Acting Director, Entrepreneurship and Skills Development Centre, University of Lagos, Dr. Sunday Adebisi, said the University of Lagos has turned all its courses to entrepreneurship.

    He said:”We have started to support entrepreneurship ideas among the students and provide the needed institutional support to grow those ideas. Our desire is to create as many Mark Zukerbrg in UNILAG,” he said.

    He, however, stressed the need to create an eco-system that will make entrepreneurship to thrive in Nigeria as the rising spate of unemployment is mind blogging.

    He said Nigeria is the second country with the highest rate of unemployment in Africa with over 46 million active citizens unemployed or underemployed.

    He called for a national entrepreneurship policies that would guide and give the youths the impetus that their ideas and aspiration are been supported.

    “We need an entrepreneurship starts up bank that will provides soft loans with less encumbrance for five years. This will help to develop the skills ideas and accelerate its benefits within a short period of time because the eco system is favourable,” he said.

  • Phony group dupes FUOYE students

    About 140 students of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), who applied for scholarship scheme have been left in the cold. More than a year after parting with N2000 each, to acquire e-passports scheme, they could neither access the scholarship nor be refunded their money, AJALA SAMUEL AKINDELE, a 300-Level History and International Studies of FUOYE reports.

    • Firm, NGO promise ‘spurious’ scholarship
    • We are not aware, says school management

    Hopes of scholarship for over 140 students of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), may have been dashed more than a year after they staked N2,000 each to access a scholarship fund.

    The purpoted scholarship is courtesy of JK Consulting Nigeria Limited, a consulting firm that served as an intermediary to a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Fortress of Hope Foundation, which initiated the  Educational Youth Development Fund scholarship valued at N15,000 and above.

    Findings by CAMPUSLIFE revealed that in July, last year, one Mr Benjamin, representing JK Consulting firm in Lagos, encouraged students to apply for the scholarship via e-passport with the hope of getting at least N15,000 as scholarship package. Potential beneficiaries of the scheme, about 140 students, were asked to pay N2,000 for do e-passport, a prerequisite for participating in the scheme.

    Online checks revealed that Fortress of Hope Foundation  does not have a website, but a Facebook page. After a thorough check on its facebook profile, it was discovered that the foundation is not registered at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

    Further investigation showed that one Reverend K C Williams of Pastor of Christ House Church, in Oye-Ekiti, introduced the scholarship scheme to his church members and FUOYE students. Interested participants were asked to payN2,000 for e-passport as a pre-condition for becoming beneficiaries.

    Victims share experience

    However, more than a year later, students, who met the conditions and participated in the scheme, are yet to get a feedback from the organisation, or a refund of their money.

    Some of them have expressed their disappointment.

    A 300-Level History and International Studies student, Pastor Ooss Omobolaji Israel, recounted how Rev Williams introduced him to the scholarship scheme and collected N2,000 for electronic passport from 30 other students. Israel, who also doubles as the president of the university’s campus fellowship, said he later introduced the scheme to others.

    “Sometime last year, a certain man of God told me about an opportunity that was available through a certain non-governmental organisation called Fortress of Hope Foundation,” Israel began.

    He continued: “He told me they have a certain programme of giving scholarship to students in all campuses in Nigeria.

    “He (Williams) said we only needed a paltry N2,000 for e-passport, which, according to him, is big enough.  He said the NGO intends giving scholarship valued at between N15,000 upward, but we don’t need to pay for any registration or whatsoever. All we need do is pick the form and register.

    “We were told part of the things we needed to present for the registration is an e-passport. In FUOYE, we don’t use e-passport, but the cleric told us that is the condition in other campuses. So, he advised that each of us could contribute N2,000 with which he would process the e-passport and submit the forms on our behalf in Lagos, thereby saving all of us the stress of having to travel to Lagos to submit individually.”

    Israel also lamented how he used his influence as the campus fellowship president to persuade 30 other members of the fellowship to opt for the scholarship scheme.

    “What I want is that since the scholarship programme is not working, he (Williams) should simply give us the electronic passport or return our money,’’ he added.

    Another student, Emmanuel Animasahun, a 200-Level Educational Management undergraduate, narrated how he parted with N2,000 together with four other friends to get the electronic passport.

    “According to what we heard, the scheme is a Federal Government initiative that was being undertaken by an organisation. They came to FUOYE through Pastor KC Williams, so we all registered when we heard about it. The programme is for undergraduates. We were supposed to get N15,000.00 or N30,000.00 as education support from the programme. To be a beneficiary, we were asked to pay N2,000 for an e-passport, which we did; but for over a year now we have not heard anything,” he said.

    Gift Moore, a 300-Level undergraduate from the Department English and Literary Studies, narrated how she borrowed money from a friend to register for the scholarship.

    She said: “An organisation came to FUOYE sometime ago and promised us scholarship if we could provide an e-passport. That inspired my interest and I just did everything to ensure I participated. We were asked to pay N2,000 to get the passport and other things.

    “Though I was interested, I had no money. I had to approach friends, who lent me N2000. It was something I didn’t actually plan for. I just had to raise the money as the form would be closing the next day.

    “Later on I kept following the (Fortress of Hope) Foundation. I went to Pastor (KC) Williams to register as he was the one that introduced most churches into it because churches around here knew little or nothing about it.

    “We went there (Pastor KC’s church) for the registration. We were told the vehicle of the organisation got spoilt so they were unable to come to the venue. None of us met any official of the organisation. So, we could only do the registration in the church. We were then asked to come back the following day to meet the officials of the foundation. We went back there the next day but we didn’t see anybody.”

    “Now I’m just wondering what is going on. Is it that the organisation was a fraud? I think a responsible organisation shouldn’t do such. You don’t just come out and proclaim what you can’t do.”

    Another victim, Anebi Veronica from the Department of History and International Studies, narrated how she collected money from her mum to register.‘

    “I participated in the scholarship. I actually heard from a close friend, who happened to be the pastor of our campus fellowship,” Anebi said.

    “I trusted him and my trust became stronger after he told me the instruction was from Pastor Williams. Since it had something to do with the church, I was very hopeful that something good would come out of it.

    “So when he told me the cost of registration was N2,000, I just called my mummy and explained everything to her. Mum promised to get back to me and within two days she sent me the cash. Other participants and I quickly rushed to the church because it was on a Sunday. From there we went to Pastor KC’s church at Civic Centre, Oye-Ekiti, where we all did the registration. Since that time, there has not been any feedback, nothing like a message or mail up till now,” he said.

    Corroborating Anebi, Mary from the same department, expressed how difficult it was for her to raise the N2000 cash. “After we were told to pay N2,000 for e-passport, I went online to find out more about the e-passport. So, I discovered that it will be useful for me later even if the scholarship stuff didn’t work out, I can still have my e-passport.”

    “That was how I paid the money which wasn’t convenient for me at the time. So, I just felt I had to do it because that stuff (e-passport) will be useful for me later in future.”

    Williams owns up

    When contacted, Rev Williams confirmed that he instructed students to register for the scholarship scheme.

    He said part of the requirements was the electronic passport, which was a pre-condition for registration.

    He revealed that one Mr Benjamin from Fortress of Hope Educational and Youth Development Foundation introduced him to the scholarship scheme meant to benefit Christian students.

    “He asked me to get people that could do electronic passport. I made calls to Lagos and I was told it would cost N5,000. I was like students cannot afford that money. Later, he (Benjamin) then introduced one Mr Abubakar Shuaibu that would undertake the e-passport for N2,000.

    Out of the N2000, Williams said he paid N1,700 to Shuaibu for the e-passport; another N100 for physical passport of each applicant, while his aides who helped him to coordinate the process collected the outstanding.

    “I paid the first part of the money about 120,000 to the man’s (Shuaibu’s) account. The second part was the balance of N87,000, which I also paid into his account. About 140 students registered for the stuff. We have made calls and we have not gotten feedback,” Williams said apologetically.

    He continued: “He, himself (Mr Benjamin) introduced me to this and gave me an address in Ikorodu opposite LASPOTECH (Lagos State Polytechnic). I went there and realised the office was non-existent. I couldn’t even locate the building.

    “I asked for JK Consulting from people around the area, but I was told nothing like that existed there. I called him (Benjamin) and he was not picking my call. He has not been responding to my whatsapp chats since then. He told me he has been sacked.

    “That guy sounded very convincing and intelligent to me that I didn’t even entertain any iota of suspicion. He still posts on whatsapp and I usually view his status,” he added.

    When CAMPUSLIFE contacted Benjamin, he made it clear he no longer works with the firm. Nonetheless, Benjamin insisted the firm is JK Consulting Nig Ltd, adding that it is located in Lagos.

    “I don’t work in that firm again and I made this clear to the participants,” said Benjamin.

    “I didn’t know the person (referring to Williams), who introduced students and other members to apply for programme. I never knew him from Adam . I got his status on social media, and I just liked him. He told me about the pressure he has been facing from students and I promised to look for a way to pay him back for the loss or financial inconveniences.”

    However, when Benjamin was asked who his boss was, he kept mute.

    Meanwhile, Mr Shuaibu, who was paid to produce the electronic passport, also refused to open up when CAMPUSLIFE contacted him. Several attempts to reach him again on phone or via text messages proved abortive.

    Firm reacts

    CAMPUSLIFE investigation has shown that JK. Consulting is a registered private company in Nigeria under the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990, with registration number 627261.

    The company is engaged in the provision of high quality professional consulting services backed up with a wide spectrum of experienced professionals.

    However, when the firm’s head office located in Abuja was contacted, its Manager Mr. Yomi Adetila, refuted all allegations and distanced the company from the purported scholarship scheme.

    “No, it’s not us. I don’t know about any Fortress of Hope Foundation. Please, it’s not us. Send me the details so we can get to the root,” Adetila said.

    We are not aware, says FUOYE mgt.

    The university’s chief security officer (CSO) and the public relations officer (PRO) Messrs Paul Ogidi, and Godfery Bakji, both denied ever being aware of the scholarship scheme.

    Similarly, in a whtassup message sent to CAMPUSLIFE, Dean of Students’ Affairs Dr Dosu Malomo, corroborated the duo. Nonetheless, Malomo said the authority would be willing to lend the affected students a helping hand provided they could lodge official complaints.

    “As at now, we have no information (regarding the scheme), but we can investigate if the students can come individually to make complaints,” Malomo stated in the text.

    And until the school authority wades into the matter, the hope of over 140 students retrieving their N2000, or accessing the scholarships, still hangs in the balance.

  • ABUAD hosts Southwest medical students

    The second edition of the Southwest regional convention of the Nigerian Medical Students Association (NiMSA) might have come and gone, but the connections, bond, inspiration and great friendship among participants would endure for long.

    The three-day event, organised by the Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) Medical Students Association, had in attendance over 150 medical students drawn from all medical schools across the southwest.

    The event with the theme: ‘Access to healthcare: The doctor, the patient, and the government’, kicked off with an opening ceremony, which was graced by the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof Micheal Ajisafe as well as Provost and Dean of the ABUAD Medical School, Prof  Joseph Olurotimi Sanya, among others.

    In his opening speech NiMSA Southwest regional coordinator, Oguntade Tobilola, said the event was an avenue for medical students within the Southwest region to foster friendship and brainstorm on ways to improve the health sector in Nigeria.

    Ekiti State co-ordinator of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr Clement Lugala, who delivered the keynote address, emphasised the need for a multi sectorial action to achieving the universal health coverage (UHC) in Nigeria. According to him, it is sad Nigeria still has less than 10 per cent coverage of UHC while smaller countries like Rwanda have achieved over 90 per cent.

    “Despite the poor health indices in Nigeria and problems facing access to healthcare in the country, I am charging you these day as medical students to brace up for the challenge upfront. We can’t continue to lament. I encourage you all to prepare yourself and be adequately read to solve the challenge head on,” Lugala said.

    Founder of Doctooora, Dr Debo Odunlana; Founder HelpMum Dr Adeyemi Abiodun and Co-Founder TREP Labs Abdulwaheed Alatande, equally delivered various presentations on ‘Digital health technologies: The future of medicine’.

    The trio agreed that the future of work has changed and there is the need for medical students to be tech savvy.

    “With the way the world is evolving, if you don’t have tech skills as doctors, there is the possibility of you not being able to function, Alatanda warned.

    The event ended with a movie night for participants.

  • UDUS mourns ‘student-friendly’ lecturer

    Lecturers and students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), were thrown into mourning at the weekend when the news of Malam Sulaiman Ibrahim Gatawa’s death spread across the campus.

    Until his death, Gatawa who reportedly passed away following a brief illness, was a lecturer in the Department of Modern European Languages and Linguistics (MELL).

    The deceased, CAMPUSLIFE gathered, had been battling an undisclosed sickness for over a month before he died on Sunday morning. He has since been buried at his residence in Gagi Area of Sokoto, according to Islamic rites.

    Tributes have continued to pour in from all corners on the virtues exemplified by Gatawa while alive.

    A lecturer in the Department of Modern European Languages and Linguistics, Isah Muhammad Galadima, expressed sadness over the incident. Galadima described the deceased as an epitome of humility and friendliness.

    “He (Gatawa) was an elderly mentor and a dedicated colleague UDUS would forever remember. My heart goes out to the entire colleagues of UDUS and to his family,” Galadima said.

    “Mallam Gatawa was a great colleague with whom I shared same office for about six years. He has been an elderly mentor and a colleague who has been there for me all the time and in all circumstances. He is one of the sincere, dedicated and committed lecturer UDUS would forever remember,” Galadima added.

    Some students of the deceased also took to their social media accounts to register their condolences.

    A  200-Level undergraduate of Literature in English, Ayobami Tijani, said the deceased would be remembered for the passion he inculcated into teaching.

    “He taught me last year. His skills in lecturing are indescribable. We, students of Modern European Languages and Linguistics, sipped well from your fountain of knowledge.

    Rosheedat Suleiman, a final year student of Modern European Languages and Linguistics, described Gatawa as ‘a father’. She recalled her last moment with him and relayed how the deceased promised to vet her ‘project’ once he got over his illness.

    “What a great loss. Must it be this lovely and caring man? I could remember during Eld-el-Fitri, I visited him and jokingly asked for my Salah gifts. He joked that his students should be the one to feed him. He gave me N500 and promised to attend to my project despite that he wasn’t feeling well.

    Former Students’ Union (SU)president, Ibrahim Shehu Kalgo, also registered his condolence.

    One Abubakar Kyari’s facebook post read thus: “We lost him (Galatawa) to death. Malam Gatawa is one of the friendliest, gentle and brilliant lecturer we had. May Allah make Jannatul Firdaus his final abode.”

    The incumbent SU president Faruk Barade, also condoled with the bereaved-family and the university community over the loss.

    Barade described the late Gatawa as “a dedicated and vibrant lecturer.

    Dean Students’ Affairs and colleague of the deceased, Prof Aminu Mode, equally described the deceased as a detribalised fellow, who related with everyone irrespective of tribes or religion.

    “It is not only me; everyone has one or more to say about him. He is highly diligent and reliable. His death will leave an irreparable scar. He was very hard-working and committed. In fact, he was a father to all and a great colleague as well,” he said.

  • MAPOLY Radio set to go on air

    Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) radio  is set to begin transmission in three week.

    Its Rector, Dr Samson Odedina, said plans were underway for smooth take-off of the medium, which will be christened ‘MAPOLY Radio’.

    Odedina said this on the sidelines of the 2018/2019 matriculation, which held at Otunba Gbenga Daniel Hall for both full time and part time students. The matriculating students were both national and higher national diplomas.

    He said the broadcast regulatory body, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has granted MAPOLY a license for the station with frequency 99.7FM, noting that management has also set up a committee that would ensure a smooth take-off.

    “I can tell you that we have a licence and the equipment are already secured. We have a committee that has been given four weeks to come up with modalities for bringing MAPOLY Radio on air.”

    He said plans were also on to offer two new programmes-Agricultural Science and Fishery as from the 2019/2020 academic session.

    Odedina said the new Polytechnic Act, which now places the institution at the verge of becoming a degree-awarding, has further empowered it with a new mandate to graduate high-level manpower.

    He said: “We’re sitting on more than 9,000 hectares of land. At present, we’re not running any agricultural program. We are keying into government policies of agro-based job opportunities. I can tell you that in the next six months, we’ll be inviting NBTE (National Board for Technical Education) to inspect our facilities for agricultural technology and fisheries. That’s where we’re starting from and then we move to Agricultural Engineering. It’s a sure way to go for us.

    “And if you look at the new Polytechnic Act, polytechnics are not meant to graduate middlemen manpower again, we’re now at liberty to be at par with the university to graduate high level manpower. I can boldly tell you that at MAPOLY, we’re at the verge of becoming a degree-awarding institution.”

    He described MAPOLY as a reference point in the entrepreneurial, scientific and technological industry, adding that the institution’s graduates have over the years proven to be job creators and role models.

    He urged students to be focused, committed and ensure discipline in order to graduate in flying colours.

  • Why emotional intelligence matters II

    We now live in a world unlike that of any era in history where it’s increasingly easier to be exposed to deceptive ideas or ideology. This era has bestowed upon us the notion of “alternative facts” where truth is skewed to fit into often wrong narratives. It is therefore not surprising that the phrase “post truth” was coined; you are thus free to define “truth” as you deem fit.

    I am of the opinion that when we fail to engage in serious contemplation of life’s dominant issues, we place ourselves and our entire society in a precarious position. This is true because by relinquishing these reins, we bestow on less notable minds the privilege of constructing a worldview for which we might all pay the consequence in the long run.

    In the first part of this article last week, I focused on some traits that an emotionally intelligent leader is expected to possess. This does not however limit emotional intelligence (EI) skills to leaders alone. No; it is a skill meant for everyone which is why it is now a vital skill in being employed by serious organisations bent on making progress and impacting on society.

    The EI leader leads with the heart. Leaders who have passion show their emotions and vulnerability, and they connect with many citizens/ employees on an emotional level, too.  Many leaders are analytical, but if they are just cold and calculating, there may be too much distance between them and their subordinates to truly be on the same team. Even though it wasn’t known then, the late Sir Winston Churchill, Britain’s WWII leader, deployed EI to rally his demoralised countrymen to stand against Nazi dictatorship. Britain and the western powers eventually prevailed in the end. I must add that this doesn’t mean a leader with heart is a pushover or puts up with inappropriate behaviour either, it means addressing a subordinate with warmth. Detached directness without empathy is brutal.

    If a leader is serious all the time, then it creates a very austere environment. Some leaders are afraid to be light, because they want to be taken seriously. It’s usually a sign of insecurity. An EI leader presents balance – he must possess a sense of humour. People tend to work harder and smarter when there is a sense of fun. Morale is linked to productivity, and as a leader, this means to instill a positive energy to the workspace.

    As a leader, there will be crisis when things are not moving forward; this is where confidence moves in. It’s important to not fall into overwhelm or overreact. People look to the leader for cues on how to respond to the circumstances and if a leader is confident while taking care of issues, it will help keep the team feeling the same. Great leadership is about having the confidence to make decisions and not second guess them. Those who inspire others to follow into the unknown, do so possessing self-confidence. Again, the example of Churchill will suffice.

    Intuitive leaders make quick decisions based on a lifetime of accumulated wisdom and understanding. Leading a country/team through new territory, without a map, means everything is uncertain, and the higher the risk, the higher the pressure. Logic is important, but can’t be the only determining factor for making a decision. A leader who trusts his or her gut will take the necessary measures that inspire others to do the same. Former president Barack Obama of the USA did this when he had to make a decision whether to order the raid that killed Osama Bin Ladin in Pakistan. Offered a 60% probability ratio of a successful raid by his security chiefs, he relied on his gut feelings to order the raid after excusing himself and taking a short walk.

    In a study conducted by IBM, 200 CEO’s stated: “Today’s business environment is volatile, uncertain and increasingly complex. Because of this, the ability to create something that’s both novel and appropriate is top of mind.” Not all decisions are cut and dry, it’s about being able to deviate from the set course and look outside of the box for a different option. Collaborative brainstorming with no holds barred can bring an entirely new and creative solution to a challenge. Innovation is the result of creativity. An EI leader, who confidently promotes diverse creative thinking, will arrive by taking quantum leaps that create innovations.

    The Churchill and Obama examples shows that leadership still requires an authority over vision, but it must be intertwined with putting citizens and their needs first. This acknowledgment from leadership creates happier, more productive compatriots and more effective managers – executive, legislative and judicial arms of government.

    In the business world, many organizations with a seemingly endless supply of technical know-how and years of experience continue to struggle because they lack EI. These businesses also encounter difficulty preventing employee turnover. Alternatively, companies with high EI enjoy many advantages, including better team engagement. Teams that feel a negative attachment – or no attachment at all – to team leaders or their teammates disengage and, therefore, fail to capitalise on the inherent benefits of working as a team. EI thus acknowledges the team dynamic and gives everyone a voice.

    Imbibing a “culture” is also of paramount importance. Organisations often talk about how great their company culture is, but without EI, what you think your culture is might differ from what your employees actually feel. Edgar H. Schein and Peter A. Schein write in Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust, “In our view, leadership is always a relationship, and truly successful leadership thrives in a group culture of high openness and high trust.” Leaders with EI encourage stronger relationships and open communication, which moves people closer to the culture the company likely wants to achieve.

    This is achieved through trusted employees, whose emotions are valued and who aren’t subjected to the negative, unfiltered emotions of their superiors. They produce high performance-driven results. These benefits all have something in common: the enhanced EI leaders have developed produces positive results in their employees. As Robert Johansen writes in The New Leadership Literacies: Thriving in a Future of Extreme Disruption and Distributed Everything, “If leaders are going to thrive in a future of extreme disruption, they must not only manage their own energy, they must encourage, model, and reward positive energy in others.”

    The benefits people and organizations can realise from emotional intelligence are undeniable. The two books I cited above are excellent models of how EI can transform good leaders into great leaders, and how those great leaders can subsequently transform their organizations.

    They mentioned the servant leadership model which emphasises the responsibility of leaders to serve employees instead of the other way around. EI leaders put aside ego and self-promotion to empathise with others, which ultimately builds respect and sets up workers for success. Another, the humble leadership model, details how humility and collaboration fosters trust between leaders and subordinates, to the benefit of the entire organization. Relationships thrive when leaders make the effort to truly understand their employees. EI can provide the backbone of that understanding that strengthens team building, productivity, morale, and more.

    Last Monday in Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari told then ministers-designate that they must work as a team, stressing that his administration would rely on them to implement policies and programmes to lift Nigerians out of poverty. The president also described as frightening Nigeria’s “looming” population status, which he put at 200 million today but has been estimated by the United Nations (UN) to rise to 411 million by 2050.

    He told them that “working as a team demands that we know what the next person is doing.” He implored his audience to cultivate the team spirit, educating them that even though they have been chosen from their various states in line with the dictate of the constitution, it is necessary for them to work as Nigerians by engaging in open communications as lack of communication leads to sub-optimal performance.

    In a way, he subtly charged them to be emotionally intelligent as they would be responsible for policy development and implementation in their various ministries, departments and agencies in conformity with government priorities.

  • Armed policemen to intensify patrol on UI campus

    Armed policemen from the Oyo State Police Command will compliment the Campus Security Service in patrolling the entire University of Ibadan Campus with immediate effect.

    This statement was made known on Monday, after the University Security Committee met to review the current security situation on the Campus.

    The Vice-chancellor, Prof. Idowu Olayinka disclosed that some key decisions were taken after reviewing the security situation which were;

    READ ALSO: UI: Premier university at the mercy of outlaws

    “All business outfits, including restaurants, should close not later than 9 pm every evening.

    “The Campus Security Service will embark on random checks of staff quarters to identify unauthorized occupants of university residences.

    “The Physical Planning and Project Management Unit will embark on demolition of illegal structures in residential areas.

    He reiterated that measures were taken in order to ensure the safety and security of life and property on campus.

  • Furore in ATBU over students’death, infrastructure

    • Management: we won’t join issues with you

    The death of three students on the main campus of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi last week Monday has pitched the students against the institution’s management. While the students are blaming the management for the incident, among other issues, the authorities have absolved themselves of any blame, ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA, DAVID ADENUGA (BAUCHI), and GBOLAHAN LATINWO 200 -Level Department Department Agric Engineering Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife report

    All  is not well at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi. Its management is not happy with criticisms levelled against it on the social media over the death of three students in ‘avoidable’ circumstances.

    Besides accusing the management of being responsible for the incident, the students blamed the ATBU management for poor welfare, security, water supply, and bad state of infrastructure in the institution.

    The deaths occurred when a pedestrian bridge on the main campus of the university in Gubi, on the outskirt of Bauchi, collapsed due to a heavy current of the flood underneath.

     

    The victims

    The Nation reported that three students Joseph Akoh Isah (100 Level) and Salmat Aliyu Akpaojo (200 L) indigenes of Kogi State, as well as Blessing Godfrey (200-Level), an indigene of Benue State, died in the incident, while seven others were injured.

    A colleague to the late Joseph recalled how he (Joseph) had volunteered to teach his colleagues some courses they were to take in the examination.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that Salmat’s last post on her WhatsApp revealed how tired she was and her desire to go to bed.

    Though the management had declared a break for the students and directed them to vacate the campus, the SU has pleaded to allow them stay in their hostels because some of them come from as far as Edo, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, and other distant places, and they have no means of travelling.

    CAMPUSLIFE learnt that the management had started the construction of a new bridge , but the students are not satisfied. The incident provided them the opportunity to demand the provision of amenities.

    They insisted that the institution should also give them a better welfare package. The students debunked their Vice Chancellor (vc), Prof Prof Muhammad Abdullazeez’s report, attributing the collapse of the bridge to the weight of 30 students taking selfies on it.

    Students, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE and their posts on social media, indicated that long before the incident, they had drawn the management’s attention to the fragile state of the bridge to no avail.

    A student, Emmanuel Anka, criticised the  VC. “Your carelessness in taking up responsibility led to the death of our colleagues; but all you could say to the media is propaganda,”Anka stated in a Facebook post.

    “Why don’t you tell the President (Muhammadu Buhari) of the non-functionality of our clinic in Gubi. You also forgot the poor security measures in Gubi with over 500 students,” Anka added.

    Another student, Stephen Lar, asked: “So, it’s the cumulative weight of the 30 students that collapsed the bridge?”

    He continued: “If we take the average weight of the students to be 70kg; that will be 2,100 kg, which is believed to be less than a truckload of yams. Can you hear the comment from our management?”

    “We need a lot of changes; you don’t care about our pains.The only thing you care about is the construction of a new bridge,” said Godwin Ebebe on his Facebook page.

    Similarly, another student from the Department of Chemistry Education, who simply introduced herself as Medinat, maintained that the VC was being ‘economical with the truth.’

    “Our vice chancellor wasn’t telling the truth about the incident. The bridge at the Gubi Campus, linking the academics area to hostel area, is very bad. We’ve pleaded with the school management several times but they turned deaf ears,” noted Medinat, who also claimed to be a friend to one of the victims.

    In a WhatsApp chat with CAMPUSLIFE, a  Department of Chemical Engineering student, Adamu Mohammad, said it was an ‘avoidable natural disaster’

    He said: “As we commiserate with the family of our departed fellow students and wish the dead a peaceful rest, there are a few things that I must point out about the incident at the Gubi Campus and the predicament of students generally.

    “I have been to ATBU Gubi Campus as a student and I must tell you that the level of negligence of the bridge and students’ welfare is too bad.

    “The basic needs of students are not sufficiently provided. The hostels were designed in such a way that water will flow through the pipes of the toilets and rooms but overhead water tanks are not provided for this. Students have to take water from dirty reservoirs and tanks to a two-storey building.

    “Snake and scorpion bites are common at ATBU Gubi Campus. There was a case of a student who was bitten by a snake while defecating in the bush. This is due to the bad condition of the toilets in the hostels.

    “The Gubi Campus clinic is not equipped for an emergency, such as snake or scorpion bites, accidents or natural disasters. Some of the students who were actively involved in the search and rescue of those who fell into the bridge know what they experienced that night.’’

    Another student, who claimed anonymity so as not to be victimised by the school authorities, said the memory of the incident would linger in the minds of students, especially those close to the deceased.

    “Many students, especially the females, who lost their friends, will be traumatised for a very long time.

    “We had a right to be angry because we (students) found Salmat dead in one of the farmlands that (Tuesday) morning.

    “The Students Union, which is supposed to be our mouthpiece, is occupied by those who have constituted themselves as stooges to management, ’’  the source told CAMPUSLIFE.

     

    Our stance, by management

    ATBU Director of Public Relations Dr Andee Iheme told CAMPUSLIFE that the university, which declared a week of mourning in honour of the deceased, is still in a sorrowful mood and that it identified with the students, many of who were still mourning their late colleagues.

    He said: “As I said earlier, the university management does not intend to join issues with the students as we all are mourning the loss that befell us.

    “Remember that VC and I are also parents. We have grown-up children and no parent would be glad to lose their loved ones and in such an unfortunate circumstances.

    “But I must tell you that what the VC said were some of the information we gathered from some of the students who were there when the incident occurred.

    “That bridge is a pedestrian bridge built about five years ago and we’ve never had any problem with it. The stream underneath the bridge is seasonal, so much that once it dries off, student can easily walk across it without climbing the bridge.

    “Remember that last year, we also had almost everywhere flooded due to the downpour occasioned by climate change. The flood affected our library, research centre, with over 20 electric poles lost, but nobody made any noise because we did not lose any students. However, this years’ rainfall is phenomenal.

    “So, when the students were returning on Monday to their hostels after a heavy rain, the whole bridge was flooded. Some of the students then found the flood so exciting and then decided to team up to take a selfie with their phones. So, they started from two and before you could realise it, there were more than 30 students on the bridge standing, and that bridge was not meant for people to stand. This constituted a heavy load coupled with the strength of the water which eventually collapsed the bridge.

    “The (Governing) Council had immediately summoned a meeting over the matter. We’ve also had a high-powered delegation from the Federal Government, the Police, Army, Bauch State government and the Ministry of Education, among others.

    “Now a new bridge is being constructed to avoid future occurrence. Management would have done this long before now, if we had all the resources to do it. Management had to shelve the idea because of its huge financial implication. That was why that bridge was built as a temporary palliative.”