Category: Campus Life

Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education Oto/Ijanikin has planted trees on its premises to mark the yearly Tree Planting Day.

Its Provost, Dr Omolola Aina Ladele,  praised the Lagos State government which launched the initiative about 12 years ago, and backed same with commitment by ensuring annual compliance across board.  And with about a year and half left as target year, Ladele is optimistic that over 10 million trees projected by the government at inception would have been planted.

Appreciating efforts of tertiary education institutions (TEI) in the state in embracing the initiative over the years, Ladele said AOCOED will rather complement the United Nations green campaign. She also urged individuals, government and corporate bodies to domesticate the tree-planting culture.

“The college has started with an effort to power its street light by solar energy. This is designed to reduce its carbon footprint and integrate sound environmental practices within the college. We also believe that there should be direct, personal action on the part of students and workers to control greenhouse gas emission, not only on campus but also at home,” said Ladele who also stood in for Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

She continued: “Also as staff in the college, we could personalise tree-planting culture. As a worker, you could plant a tree to mark your promotion, birthday and other major events. You will have a cause to smile anytime you sight the tree. At the level of the college, tree planting could be included in the programme of some of its landmark events such as convocation, and conferences. Such trees could be tagged to indicate the events for which they were planted. By this, tree planting will cease to be only a yearly affair. It will also help maximise the potential benefits of tree planting such as providing beautiful shades under which we can enjoy cool breeze after a day’s work and enhancing the beauty of our campuses.”

Similarly, representative of the Ministry of Environment Mr Idowu Sunday, said the theme of this year’s event: Clean and green is our perfect dream, is ideal in view of government’s desire of transforming Lagos State to a ‘cleaner, healthier, greener and an environmentally-sustainable entity.

“It is important to note that no matter our economic status, we can still be a part of Lagos State development agenda by simple act of planting tree and nurturing it to survival,” said Idowu Sunday, an assistant director, Lagos State Parks and Gardens (LASPAK).

“I urge all Lagosians to be alive to their responsibilities on this nagging issue of sanitation and greening. When we make it clean, let us also make it green; and when we make it green, we have made it safer and healthier for the generality of our people. This is our perfect dream for a prosperous Lagos,” Sunday concluded.

Accord Concordia! That’s how the flamboyant Second Republic politician, the bombastic K. O. Mbadiwe, of blessed memory, would have described Wednesday, July 3, 2019’s landmark move towards resolving the almost 20- year-old feud between the University of Ilorin Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Union’s national body. Following series of fruitful consultations between ASUU Unilorin Chapter, led by Dr. Usman Adebimpe Raheem and the erstwhile splinter group of the Union in the University, an agreement was reached to bring an end to the crisis and fashion out a way of bringing all academic staff of the University back under the same union moving forward.

Everybody knew that the entente would eventually come, as no situation lasts forever. What nobody, however, knew is how soon it would come! But that it has finally come is a welcome development and a great pointer to greater things to come.

The feud, which started in 2001 as a result of internal disagreement between members of the local Union and its then executive council, culminated in the suspension of Unilorin ASUU by the national body, which sided with the latter. Laced with series of litigations and other belligerent tendencies, the long drawn dispute led to the complete ostracisation of not only the local ASUU EXCO but also the entire university by the national body of the union, which accused the university management of supporting the local chapter. Things got to a head when, in January 2017, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union imposed sweeping sanctions on the university in a move aimed at crippling its teaching, research and community service activities. The sanctions sought to further ostracize the university from the mainstream of the nation’s academic community. According to the ASUU NEC, “for the duration of the sanctions, academic staff of the University of Ilorin will no longer enjoy the cooperation, collaboration or participation of academics of other. Nigerian public universities in sundry areas of academic and related activities”. These include teaching, research and supervision of students; setting, moderating or assessment of examinations; external assessment for professorial cadre appointments or promotions; sabbatical, visiting, part-time and adjunct appointments; accreditation of institutions, colleges, programmes and courses; collaborative research; attendance of learned conferences, society workshops, seminars and other related activities; peer review of journal articles and patronage of journals and so forth.

To be sure, the almost two decades long feud has never been in the overall interest of the nation’s educational system, which required the concerted efforts of all stakeholders to pull out from the abyss into which it has sunk over the years. Even though the University of Ilorin has resolutely soldiered on, in the face of the crippling sanctions, to make substantial contributions to the nation’s educational development, becoming in the process the toast of admission seekers and attracting the commendations of policy makers, the resolution of the feud would no doubt bring additional developmental strides.

There is no doubt that the crisis dragged on for so long due partly to the countless litigations employed by both sides. As it is often said, “jaw-jaw” is better and more rewarding than “war-war”. That is why many peace loving mediators in the crisis had consistently dissuaded both parties from the path of needless litigations because rather than resolving crisis of this nature, judicial verdicts in many cases, no matter the side the pendulum swings, have the tendency to exacerbate some disputes

This is why we feel highly elated at the turn of events. We commend all those that were instrumental to the peaceful resolution of this crisis, especially the incumbent Vice-Chancellor of the better by far University, Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, whose series of mediatory roles, since his assumption of office, have proved him to be a veritable pacifist. The efforts and sacrifices of the Chairman of the Unilorin Chapter of ASUU, Comrade Dr, Usman Raheem, towards the resolution of the crisis, are also worthy of commendation. So are the untiring mediations of the Unilorin ASUU elders committee as well as all former leaders of the Union. Also worthy of commendation is the leader of the delegation from the national headquarters of the union, Dr. Ben Ugheoke, who brokered the peace talks that culminated into last Wednesday’s watershed agreement.

It was an exciting moment for students of the Foundation College of Technology, Ikot Idem in Akwa Ibom State, who  matriculated at the school convocation park.

The well attended event witnessed some personalities, including top management staff, parents, students and well-wishers among other guests.

Rector of the institution, Victor Bassey, re-echoed the school’s blueprints such as high standards and core values towards driving the college to greatness.

Bassey, an engineer, urged the new students to be above board and respect the school’s regulations.

He added that the new intake were offered admission into the school’s 11 departments, including Computer Science, Software Engineering, Accountancy, Science Lab, Technology, Electrical/Electronics, Estate Management and Building Technology, Business Administration, Mass Communication and Public Administration, among others.

The college proprietor, Mr Edet Ekanem said the institution was established primarily to bridge the gap between the academic world and employment market, designing them (students) to meet the requirements of employers by offering practical oriented skills linked to the demand of labour market.

Immediate past special adviser to Rivers State Government  on Inter Party Affairs, Mr Raymond Udoide, promised to table the challenge of bad road facing the college to the Governor. Udoide appealed to the host community to continue to support the institution through donation of land for development.

Acting Rector of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Dr Olawoye Olaniran, has  called on students who are on break to resume as lectures are set to commence in earnest.

Olaniran, a Chief Lecturer in the Department of Banking and Finance of OSPOLY, was appointed Rector in acting capacity by Osun State governor Gboyega Oyetola, following the expiration of tenure of the former Rector, Dr Jacob Agboola.

Unfortunately, at the twilight of Agboola’s tenure was the death of Shehu Aminu, an HND student of Food Science and Technology. Shehu allegedly died of being denied medical attention at the school’s health centre. The development irked the students, who in retaliation set the health facility on fire.

However, during an inter-religious prayers organised for members of the polytechnic community to mark the commencement of his administration, Olaniran promised to improve the standard of the institution. He equally assured that the school’s management would priortise workers’ and students’ welfare, adding that under his watch, necessary infrastructure would be put in place to ensure accreditation of the institution’s programmes by its regulatory body, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

Olaniran, who appreciated his predecessor’s efforts also thanked the state government for giving him the opportunity to administer the school.

In a statement by the school’s media relations officer, Mr Tope Abiola, the Acting Rector assured the aggrieved students that various contending issues would soon be addressed.

Responding, the Chief Imam of Iree community, Alhaji Sulaiman Adeyemo, enjoined Olaniran to be focused and dedicated to service in order to succeed.  He similarly enjoined members of the polytechnic community to support Olaniran’s mandate to deliver the institution.

Speaking on workers’ behalf, Registrar of the Institution, Mr. Busari Salawu assured Olaniran of management’s unflinching support, as well as cooperation from workers and students.

“We shall join hands with you to succeed,” Salawu assured Olaniran.

Olaniran hails from Gbongan  in Ayedaade Local Government Area of the state. He has Ph.D in Entrepreneurship from Jomo Kenyata University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya, Master’s of Science in Economics from the University of Ibadan and Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. Olaniyan had flourished in the corporate world befpre joining the services of OSPOLY in 1994.

While delivering a short talk to a group of students on the lessons of life recently, I mentioned my molue experiences when I was a young reporter years ago with the now rested The Comet newspaper. I got an almost blank response from about 95 per cent of them who said they’ve only partially heard about it and none ever boarded one.  Expectedly, my lecture focus took a different direction as I lectured them on the varied sides of my molue experiences and the lessons it taught about life.

I recollect how my colleagues and I used to board those rickety huge yellow buses that defined Lagos in the past, from different parts of the city to Ijora where the newspaper house was located. Molues are now relics of the past thanks to the introduction of BRT buses; first by the Babatunde Fashola-led administration and subsequent ones thereafter in Lagos State.

Inside the molue, you have superb ‘salesmen’ who can convince commuters to buy anything from perfumes, books, to clothes and even drugs. There are also itinerant preachers on board to minister to souls that need ‘divine’ assistance. Of these, the one that amazed me all through remained the ‘in-bus pharmacists.’ Some of these sugar coated ‘pharmacists’ sold drugs based on their colours! Strange as this sound, it’s true. They mix red, yellow, brown and white drugs together and the ‘resident pharmacist’ onboard then gives customers the ‘prescription!” Also strange is that you also find onboard drugs that cure all diseases – yes, ALL diseases – inside the molue.  There are still other drugs, when taken, ‘boosts energy’ and with it one can “run from Ijora to Ikorodu without getting tired!” In all these, one thing thrives inside the molue; crass ignorance.

Beyond the molue experiences, life teaches tremendous lessons that often come into sharp focus as we age. Life has taught me, for instance, not to confuse money with happiness because money can’t make me happy, but self-sufficiency gives me the freedom to share myself creatively, and explore ways of touching other people’s lives.

One key lesson I’ve learnt is being grateful for this moment because it is all there is. The source of most of our frustrations and anxiety are the result of living in the future, or the past. We sometimes glorify the past because things were ‘quite easy’ way back then or we simply envision a utopia future.

Talking about gratitude, what a United States-based Nigerian father, Evans Nwankwo did is quite instructive. He sent his 14-year-olds twin teen sons to spend their junior secondary school years in Nigeria to learn some gratitude. According to reports, the boys, Noble and Evan, attended Mea Mater Elizabeth High School in Enugu. There, they passed through the daily routine of waking up by 5 am for exercise and prayer, something they never experienced in the US. There’s also no help from mum on homework or washing clothes, either.

The elder Nwankwo explained why he took this route: “Adversity is important in somebody’s development in life, as far as I’m concerned, because there comes a time when the storm is going to hit you, and if you never had that to fall back on you’re just going to fall apart. I strongly believe that because it’s been important in my own development.”

Raised in Nigeria during the civil war, he was one of 13 children and the family was well off until the war changed everything when his father was killed. He eventually made it to the US and built a business. The report further said that people around the city of Cincinnati probably know Nwankwo’s work – his construction company is the go-to contractor that has worked on several sites, including Fountain Square, the Freedom Center and Washington Park.

Prior to the twins leaving the US, the Ebola outbreak was making headlines, as were attacks by the Boko Haram on schools – especially in northern Nigeria. The elder Nwankwo said he had “a lot of apprehension as they were getting ready to go, a lot of anxiety.” He however summoned the courage and allowed his sons to leave.

On his experience, Noble was quoted in the report as saying: “It was kind of eye-opening to see how much you actually have to work to get a simple bucket of water, and how you actually have to use your own strength to carry it back and forth. And it’s actually pretty tough to hand-wash your clothes with that amount of water. You have to really manage it.”

He added: “You have to be trekking all over the school just to get water to bathe with… Here you can just turn on the tap and there’ll be water flowing like it’s nothing. There, you’ll be struggling for it. Sometimes we would go without water for a couple of days.”

Since returning back to the US, their dad said he’s already seen a change in his boys. “I feel that the experience is one that will live with them forever, and they will be forever changed – maybe not on the immediate, but long term.”

The report said the twins agreed to what their dad said. “I appreciate the washing machine. I appreciate the running water. I appreciate the shower, so I don’t have to use a bucket of water in a bowl … I appreciate my parents a lot more because I realise how much – especially my dad – I really realise how much he had to do to get here,” Evan was quoted as saying.

Besides the actual experience, they said their dad taught them a lot as well. “He’s taught me a lot, and he’s made me go through a lot to make me a better person, to make me a person that can just endure,” Evan said.

I’m glad the elder Nwankwo was able to successfully teach his sons some harsh realities about life, it is also gratifying that it ended on a positive note; some have tried to do what he did but it ended in fiasco and the children come to hate their father for causing them to ‘suffer’ unnecessarily without understanding the underlying reasons.

Life teaches that some people want things to always go their way, but the plain truth is we cannot have things our own way always. Which is why pursuing happiness is not at all the same as being happy, which is a fleeting feeling dependent on momentary circumstances. Happy times pass, because time passes. This is something we rarely grasp at first.

The lifelong pursuit of happiness – on the other hand – is more elusive; it’s not based on a particular outcome.  What you are really pursuing is meaning – living a meaningful life.  It starts with your “why.”  (Why are you doing what you’re doing with your life?)  When your “why” is meaningful, ‘happiness’ follows.

There will be times when things go so wrong that you barely feel alive. And there will also be times when you realise that being barely alive, on your own terms, is better than living a lifeless existence for 50 years on someone else’s terms. In other words, happiness comes most easily when you know what you’re doing, believe in what you’re doing, and love what you’re doing (and who you’re doing it with), regardless of how things turn out.

Finally, life is too unpredictable for rigid expectations. When you stop predicting and expecting things to be a certain way, you can appreciate them for what they are. Ultimately, you will realise that life’s greatest gifts are rarely wrapped the way you expected. With a positive attitude and an open mind, you will find that life isn’t necessarily any easier or harder than you thought it was going to be; it’s just that “the easy” and “the hard” aren’t exactly the way you had anticipated, and don’t always occur when you expect them to.

Most of the time, life delivers the experiences that are most helpful for our personal growth.  How do you know it’s the experience you need?  Because it’s the experience you’re having.  The only question is: Will you embrace it and grow, or fight it and fade? The key, of course, is to accept that not everything is meant to be.