The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • Students’ body suspends national action against JAMB

    An umbrella body of Nigerian students, the National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS) said it has suspended its planned national action against the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), for eight weeks. 

    NUNS had earlier accused JAMB of extortion of Nigerian students seeking admission into higher institutions of learning. 

    However, in a statement signed by its President, Comrade Salahudeen A. Lukman, NUNS said the suspension came after a meeting with the JAMB Registrar, Professor Isiaq Oloyede, who promised that, “All JAMB payable fees shall be reviewed downwardly in the next 8 weeks. 

    According to NUNS, “Following an Extensive meeting held today at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria senate Building between Jamb Management ably led by Prof Isiaq O Oloyede and Students leaders which includes National Association of University Student’s NAUS Rep by Senate President Comr Falola Okikiola, National Association of Polytechnic Students NAPS rep by Senate President Comr Adekanbi Sunday, National Association of Nigerian Colleges of Education Students NANCES rep of Acting President Comr Badiru, Student Union Government Presidents and NUNS National Executives and Senate Principal officers, we have suspended our planned national action against JAMB. 

    Read Also: Scrapping JAMB not the answer

    “The meeting which lasted for over 3 hours with heated debate, and comparison of fact and figure from students and the board.

    “The Registrar dispelled the allegation of being Arrogant Public Servant which he said is one of the major reason he offer to meet the student leaders delegates on campus instead of his usual office as this mark first of its kind in the recent.

    “It was resolved that Regularization shall end from this session 2017/2018.

    All JAMB payable fees shall be review downwardly in the next 8 WEEKS as the process has commenced.

    “On this note, the National Action is hereby suspended for 8 weeks after which the outcome of the National Council on education meeting where the review is to be decide will determine the our next line of action.

    “We sincerely appreciate the solidarity support enjoin from all and sundry on this struggle so far so good has well pledge to be more committed to the course of justice, equity and wellbeing of Nigerian Students at all time.” NUNS said. 

  • Nigerian varsities and global ranking

    It is increasingly becoming glaring that knowledge is fast replacing other resources as the main driver of economic growth. With this development, education has become the foundation for national and individual prosperity as well and social mobility. “Skilled human resources and knowledge resources,” write notable Harvard Business School author and scholar on strategy Michael Porter, “are two of the most important factors for upgrading national competitive advantage.”

    This is the singular reason higher education worldwide has moved from the periphery to the center of governmental agendas. Universities are now seen as crucial national assets in addressing policy priorities, and as sources of new knowledge and innovative thinking. They are also seen as providers of skilled personnel and credible credentials; contributors to innovation; attractors of international talent and business investment; agents of social justice and mobility; contributors to social and cultural vitality; and determinants of health and well-being.

    However, it appears Nigerian varsities are far from realizing or fitting into some, or most of these because of the perennial crises that has, and is still rocking the education sector in the country. However, in the throes of discouraging news from our education sectors there is at least reason to cheer a bit today. Three Nigerian universities have been ranked among the top 1,000 in the world. University of Ibadan, Ibadan (UI), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and Covenant University, Ota, (CU), made the 2019 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings list.

    Prior to the 2019 rankings released last week, only UI made the top 1,000 list last year. Nigeria has only UI in Africa’s top 10 lists while South Africa has 6. The list, which was launched at Times Higher Education’s World Academic Summit at the National University of Singapore, featured 86 countries, up from 81 the previous edition.

    Covenant University – the only private university – is ranked 601- 800, out of more than 1,250 higher education institutions on the list, same with the University of Ibadan. University of Nigeria, Nsukka, is ranked 1001+. This is a slight improvement for Nigeria, compared to last year’s ranking where only the University of Ibadan made the list and was ranked 801–1000. Covenant University and University of Ibadan occupy fifth and sixth position respectively on the table of all the 28 African ranked institutions for the 2019 ranking. University of Nigeria, Nsukka, is 23 on the African table.

    South African institutions – University of Cape Town, ranked 156; University of the Witwatersrand, ranked 201–250; Stellenbosch University, ranked 301–350; and University of KwaZulu-Natal, ranked 401–500 – occupy first, second, third, and fourth position on the African table.

    Another three South African universities – University of Johannesburg, ranked 601–800; University of Pretoria, ranked 601–800; and University of the Western Cape, 601–800 – sit below Nigeria on the African table, occupying seventh, eighth, and ninth positions respectively. Only one university in Ghana – University of Ghana – is included in the 2019 ranking. It is ranked 801–1000 and occupies the 12th position on the African table.

    Globally, Oxford University, United Kingdom, for the third consecutive year, is at the number one position. Another university in the UK, Cambridge, retains the second position, while Stanford in the U.S. holds steady in third.

    Among the top 10, are Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S., fourth; California Institute of Technology, U.S., fifth; Harvard University, U.S., sixth; Princeton University, U.S., seventh; Yale University, U.S., eighth; Imperial College London, UK, ninth; and University of Chicago, U.S., 10th.

    What the latest ranking has shown is that if the government and relevant stakeholders put in more efforts Nigerian varsities can rise up and be counted among the best in Africa and indeed the world. “Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings, said Phil Baty, editorial director of global rankings, “is the most rigorous there is, and this is our most globally competitive listing to date.”  I agree with his assertion.

    Now in its 15th year, THE grade varsities in core areas like teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook For now, THE Rankings are the only global performance tables that judge research-intensive universities across all their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. THE uses 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons, trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry and governments.

    To further give credence to the rankings, the performance indicators are grouped into five areas: teaching (the learning environment); research (volume, income and reputation); citations (research influence); international outlook (staff, students and research); and industry income (knowledge transfer). However, varsities can be excluded from the rankings if they do not teach undergraduates, or if their research output amounted to fewer than 1,000 relevant publications between 2013 and 2017 (with a minimum of 150 a year). Varsities can also be excluded if 80 per cent or more of their research output is exclusively in one of the 11 subject areas.

    In the area of data collection, institutions provide and sign off their institutional data for use in the rankings. On the rare occasions when a particular data point is not provided, THE enters a conservative estimate for the affected metric. By doing this, it avoid penalising an institution too harshly with a “zero” value for data that it overlooks or does not provide, but they do not reward it for withholding them.

    Moving from a series of specific data points to indicators, and finally to a total score for an institution, requires matching values that represent fundamentally different data. To do this, THE uses a standardisation approach for each indicator, and then combine the indicators in the proportions indicated.

    The standardisation approach used is based on the distribution of data within a particular indicator, where a cumulative probability function is calculated and evaluated: a particular institution’s indicator sits within that function. A cumulative probability score of X in essence tells us that a university with random values for that indicator would fall below that score X per cent of the time.

    For all indicators except for the Academic Reputation Survey (ARS), THE calculates the cumulative probability function using a version of Z-scoring. The distribution of the data in the ARS requires it to add an exponential component.

    The metrics used are: Teaching (the learning environment) – 30%, Reputation survey: 15%, Staff-to-student ratio: 4.5%, Doctorate-to-bachelor’s ration: 2.25%, Doctorates-awarded-to-academic-staff ratio: 6% and Institutional income: 2.25%. The most recent ARS (run annually) that underpins this category – according to the THE – was carried out between January and March 2018. It examined the perceived prestige of institutions in teaching. The responses were statistically representative of the global academy’s geographical and subject mix. The 2018 data are combined with the results of the 2017 survey, giving more than 20,000 responses.

    Furthermore, they are also concerned about how committed an institution is to nurturing the next generation of academics, postgraduate research students and the provision of teaching at the highest level that is attractive to graduates and effective at developing them. This indicator is normalised to take account of a university’s unique subject mix, reflecting the volume of doctoral awards by discipline.

    That three Nigerian varsities passed through this thorough and transparent criterion is worth celebrating even though it might just be what I term a drop in the ocean. However, this should further spur other varsities to “put their houses in order” and learn from these three by strategically thinking out solutions on how to move forward despite dwindling government funding, especially for public varsities. Thought it is still a long way home but a bold step has been taken. But the challenge will remain maintaining or improving on the rankings next year.

     

  • Don laments death of ceramics firms

    A professor of Ceramics and Industrial Art at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Okpan Kalu Oyeoku, has lamented the death of ceramics firms despite high demand for ceramics products in the country.

    While delivering the institution’s 143rd inaugural lecture titled: Growing the ceramics industry in Nigeria, Prof Oyeoku said in the past 15 years, the sector had gone moribund following what he called an “unabated epidemic”.

    Notable among the liquidated ceramic companies, according to Oyeoku, are Quality Ceramics in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Modern Ceramics, Umuahia, Abia State, Ceramics Manufacturers in Kano State, Richware Ceramics in Lagos State. He added that Plateau State Ceramics is stillborn

    The companies, he said, folded up despite the fact that 100 per cent of their raw materials could be sourced locally.

    “Furthermore, the trouble with Nigerian ceramics cannot be anchored on technical or technological handicap because the industry can be sustained on low level technology”, the Don said.

    Oyeoku identified lack of favourable industrial climate and harsh government policies, especially in land acquisition, sourcing of capital base and patronage as setbacks to the growth of ceramics industries in the country.

    He further blamed the woes of the industry on poor management, resulting from over employment of administrative staff and bureaucratic interference which affects the production and distribution of ceramic products.

    Oyeoku however identified Nigergrob and Royal Ceramics as part of the few ceramic industries that were still in business.

    “This is probably because they are run by Chinese and Indians and not Nigerians,” Oyeoku cited as the reason for their survival.

    The don called on all stakeholders, including the government, entrepreneurs, ceramists, industrial chemists and engineers to initiate a rescue operation that would save the surviving companies from collapse and revive the moribund ones.

    While commending the government for setting up Raw Materials Research Centres across the country, which, he said, had helped in the development of ceramics technology, Oyeoku called on the government to exempt young ceramics industries from paying company tax for the first five years of operation to allow the companies stabilise and amortise investment loans.

    He said: “Government should not narrow the local content law enforcement to oil industry but should extend it to all areas of development, including the ceramics industry where 100 per cent local content input is available.”

    Prof Oyeoku called for a synergy between universities, research institutions and the ceramics industry in order to harness the potentials of the ceramics industry.

    “What we go to India to import, we have here in Nigeria; but massive importation is still going on because there is a missing link between the industries and the universities and the research institutes,” he said, adding that Nigeria had spent over $600 million dollar in the importation of ceramics in 2018.

  • ‘Foreign languages useful to promoting local cultures’

    The English Scholars’ Association of Nigeria (ESAN) has held its 34th conference at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), where participants stressed the need for Africans to employ foreign languages in promoting local cultures and dialects.

    Speaking at the opening of the conference held at the Princess Alexandra Hall, ESAN President Prof Sola Babatunde said local cultures and identities’ survival  was predicated on the prominence given to them in communication.

    The event, with the theme: Emerging trends in cultures and identities in English studies in Nigeria, was hosted for the first time by the Department of English and Literary Studies. It drew scholars from within and outside Nigeria.

    Declaring the conference open, UNN’s Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, represented by his deputy for Administration, Prof Charles Igwe, said English Language was a powerful tool to propagate a culture, urging the attendees to utilise experience garnered at the conference to address the challenges facing local cultures.

    “Since 1914 when the colonial masters created the country,” the VC said, “English Language became part of the history of the country beyond being taken as lingua franca and language of instruction at schools.” He urged agencies of government to fund the “language research” in tertiary institutions in order to achieve rapid growth in teaching and learning.

    Keynote speaker and Godfrey Okoye University in Enugu VC, Prof Christian Anieke, stressed the need for expanding extra-curricular activities in tertiary institutions. This, he said, will give students a balanced education as well as helping them to be good citizens wherever they go. He expressed satisfaction with the attendance of the scholars despite the economic imbalance. He also said the association maintained good relationship with the school in achieving a great country.

    Senator Shehu Sani, represented by his media aide, Dr Godwin Ichimi, said English Language is a tool for fast-tracking development and prerequisite for intellectual development, innovation and job creation.

    He assured that his office would continue to give young people opportunities that would make them have faith in education.

    He said: “For Nigeria to be one of the leading counties in Africa, the country must invest in the promotion of English Language and international collaborations. As a lawmaker, my office would do everything possible in supporting quality education and eradicating illiteracy.”

    The conference organising chairman, Prof Sam Onuigbo, described the event as “an eye opener” for participants from other institutions attending it for the first time.

    The event featured a lecture about problems of teaching and learning of English Language and prospects in Africa. Participants also got certificates for attending the event.

     

  • Eight battle for soccer trophy

    Eight universities have reached the quarter finals after first round in a soccer competition organised by Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL). Sixteen universities showed up for the maiden edition of the soccer league, which started on September 19.

    Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM) in Benue State and University of Jos (UNIJOS) are facing other tertiary institutions in the quarter final to decide the last four teams to qualify for the Semi finals.

    CAMPUSLIFE spoke with students from participating universities, who confirmed their excitement in the soccer contest. They urged HiFL and its partners to sustain the competition, describing it as a huge platform for talent discovery and national integration.

    HiFL, Nigeria’s foremost varsity football league, is organised by PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing Limited in partnership with the Nigerian Universities Games Association (NUGA) and sponsored by Stanbic IBTC.

    The top 16 universities from NUGA-member institutions are competing in over 30 games over a period of 14 weeks in a return leg elimination style, with the final four billed to compete for the first prize at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

    The winner of the HiFL will represent Nigeria at the 2019 International University Sports Federation Games in Naples, Italy.

  • Hurdles against Not-Too-Young-To-Run law

    There was a time, when only at the age of 32, a citizen of Nigeria can become the leader of the country. Former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon assumed the mantle of leadership and became Nigerian leader in 1967 when he was 32.

    At 44, the legendary Zik of Africa, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe of blessed memory, became Nigeria’s first ceremonial president. The memories of the iconic General Murtala Muhammed, who was murdered in a bloody coup, shall remain fresh in our annals. Needless to say, it was at the age of 37 that providence foisted on his shoulders leadership responsibilities.

    In this respect, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, erstwhile civilian president, first piloted the ship of the country as Head of State while he was youthful. History has it that in 1976, when he succeeded the late Murtala Muhammed, he was barely 39.There are still some precedents. The current President Muhammadu Buhari also belongs to the league of personalities who became Nigeria’s leader in their youthful age. In 1983, the 41-year-old Daura-born military General became the Commander-in-Chief after toppling the civilian government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari.

    Suffice to say, it was after the Buhari/Idiagbon junta regime was dethroned that General Ibrahim Babangida came into national prominence at 44. No doubt, they all emerged as leaders—at different points—through military putsch, and not via ballot box. Most of the celebrated nationalists who stoically campaigned and fought for the country’s sovereignty were youths in their 30s and 40s.

    There are many Nigerian youths, who have, and are still making waves in several fields of human endevours. Even beyond the shores of the country, we’ve seen extraordinary accomplishments of young, enterprising, resilient, talented and innovative Nigerians, who attained enviable feats and sterling successes recorded in sports, education, business, sciences, literature, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and music, to mention a few.

    Sadly, the narrative about the Nigerian youth in politics and governance since 1999, when this republic took off, is anything but gratifying. Our youths, who desire to be lucky as old leaders, wish they were privileged to be in political leadership position as their peers across the world. They are enthralled by the story of the 40-years-old Emmanuel Macron, who became French president at 39. They marveled at the reality of a then 31-year-old Sebastian Kurz, emerging as Austria’s Chancellor.

    It also baffled them how Emil Dimitriev, born in March 1979, is presently the acting Prime Minister of Macedonia. It also beggars their belief that the punk hair-styled Kim Jong-Un, North Korea’s supreme leader, in his 30s, could be offered such opportunity to lead his country and Justin Trudeau, the 43-year-old Canada’s Prime Minister.

    To address the political marginalisation of the youth in Nigeria, the #NotTooYoungToRun campaign, a social movement by a group of youths, aimed at widening the political space for visionary young people, was birthed last year. Though, an advocacy bill, but perhaps its principle resonated with Mr. President’s mantra of ‘Change’.

    Thereafter, the bill enjoyed presidential assent at a colourful event in the Villa and it was signed into law.

    It is hoped that the new law would spur young Nigerians to throw their hats in the ring of political contest, with the eligibility age for presidential aspirants now lowered to 35 from 40; and that of governorship hopefuls and federal and state legislative houses pegged at 30 and 25.

    Indeed, the euphoria that greeted the historic assent was indescribable. But, it seems it might be short-lived. As the general elections draw close, the prospects of greater political participation envisaged by the #NotTooYoungToRun law is becoming a mirage. Take for instance, the sale of Expression of Interests (EOI) and Nomination Forms by the dominant political parties; the exorbitant costs were greeted with mass hysteria. Nigerians of sincere goodwill, in their unison, lampooned the political parties.

    The repulsive nomination fees to be paid by aspirants on major political parties were intended to disenfranchise competent youths from vying for elective positions. Many young people may perish their ambitions, because to lack of financial war chest. Soon, it became manifest that the parties do not care a hoot about young and creative problem-solvers—who will proffer workable solutions to the myriads of socioeconomic woes bedeviling the country—but for moneybags and corrupt politicians bereft of sound ideologies. Many analysts have attributed the desperation to retain power by ‘old breed’ politicians to the juicy perks and mouth-watering freebies accruing to their political offices.

    The action of Nigeria Consolidation Ambassadors Network (NCAN)—a political group composed mainly of youths—who purchased the APC nomination form for Mr. President to seek re-election, is the most senseless and irritating. Indeed, nothing shows how unserious the youths are than their penchant for crowd funding the purchase of nomination forms for some senators, governors and presidential hopefuls. Meanwhile, civil society activists should rise and advocate for a legislation that will peg nomination forms at reasonable amounts, and within the reach of every intending aspirant.

    It is time the youths have a deeper thought about their role as agents of social change and societal rebirth. This would help us identify attitudinal and behavioural flaws, with the singular objective of righting age-long wrongs, while also charting a progressive course for the nation. With rational thought and judgment, young people must, henceforth, resist being turned into political beggars, campaign mobilisers and tools in the hands of desperate politicians. The youth should see it as an obligation to sponsor and support young politicians with clear vision, impeccable integrity and intimidating leadership credentials.

    As youths, we must show their readiness in demanding a generational power shift. Otherwise, our quests for leadership roles and relevance would remain a tall order.

     

    • Mahmud is a student based in Niger State

  • Playing on the world stage

    Two young Nigerians – Gideon Olanrewaju and Miss Omotoke Olowo – got the rare opportunity of leading strategic conversations on education at the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States. They are among those selected to engage world leaders on how to deliver quality education to the world’s 260 million out-of-school children. WALE AJETUNMOBI writes.

    ABOUT 260 million children and young people, globally, are being deprived of education, according to statistics by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF). The statistics showed that some 400 million children have only primary school education, with no incentives to study beyond that level.

    Propelled by the statistics, the UNICEF warned world leaders of the growing threats to education. These threats,  it said, did not arise from lack of schools, but because of the rising trend of disaster, violence and insecurity, which led to the displacement of families.

    The report noted that failure to provide learning opportunities for the uprooted children has profound consequences for individuals and nations. This deprived population is scattered across conflict zones, with most of the victims in Africa.

    In 2015, more than 28 million children were forced out of their homes because of violence and insecurity; some 27 million children of primary and lower secondary school age were said to be out of school in 24 conflict-affected countries.

    With these statistics, can Africa surmount the challenge of poverty and improve access to quality education in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN)?

    Some young activists, including two Nigerians -Omotoke Olowo and Gideon Olanrewaju – proffered solutions to these problems before world leaders at the ongoing United Nations  General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City, United States (U.S.).

    The activists engaged leaders in drafting the plans to deliver quality education to the 260 million out-of-school children.

    Omotoke, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Autism Awareness in Nigeria, and Gideon, founder of Aid for Rural Education Access, are attending the UNGA as part of education charity aimed at propagating the #WritetheWrong campaign, which they started from Africa, to the world.

    “The #WritetheWrong campaign aims to tackle the growing global education crisis,” said Gideon at the UNGA forum on education, which was attended by high-level business executives and dignitaries.

    They included former United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister  Gordon Brown, the UN Deputy  Secretary-General, Mrs Amina Mohammed, and a foremost humanitarian and former First Lady of South Africa Graca Machel.

    At the meeting, which was hosted by the Global Business Coalition for Education, Gideon said: “The world is at the crossroads, going by the statistics that over a quarter of a billion children and young people are not in school. If this problem is left unaddressed, education crisis could leave half of the world’s 1.6 billion children and young people out of school or failing to learn the most basic skills by 2030.”

    He warned world leaders that young people would hold them accountable for their actions or inactions to move education forward.

    Gideon said: “Where I grew up, most people simply did not have access to quality education. In rural communities like mine, which is many miles away from big cities, the government simply didn’t seem to consider education a priority. Where they did, often there wasn’t funding available to make quality education delivered to everyone who needed it.

    “This did not happen in a small or poor country; this happened in Nigeria, which has one of the highest GDP in Africa. It was when I went to England to study that I was able to dedicate my time to organisations like Theirworld, and to my own education programmes through which I am helping to provide quality education to marginalised communities in Nigeria and South Africa.

    “I am lucky to be able to do this. But, there are millions of children and young people in Nigeria, and hundreds of millions worldwide, who are being denied the opportunity to learn and contribute to the growth of their communities and the world.

    “At best, this is condemning future generations to poverty, denying them the skills needed to improve their lives and their communities. At worst, this is leaving them vulnerable to forced labour, forced marriage, trafficking, armed conflict, and terrorism. These are problems not just for them or their communities, but for the world.”

    Omotoke said: “The world can attest to the fact that Mr Gordon Brown and his wife, Sarah, are passionate about helping children and young people get the education needed to live independent and poverty-free lives. Personally, I have been impressed by their commitment to help marginalised children and those with learning disabilities, who have previously been forgotten in the global education debate.

    “Sitting in a meeting with you to discuss challenges facing education and driving conversation to proffer solutions, I am sure, would bring about more action to address the problems in most of the disadvantaged countries and regions.

    “The higher costs involved in supporting children with special educational needs have been a barrier for many governments. I hope the increased funding for global education that charities such as Theirworld, Plan and Save the Children, are calling for will be used to support every child to get educated.”

    Gideon urged the forum to consider the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO’s) recommendations, saying increasing finance remained essential to closing the annual funding gap needed to support education which the low and middle-income countries (LMICs) face.

    During the session tagged: Global Business Coalition for Education, Gideon also addressed leaders of topmost educational organisations and funding partners, including UNICEF, UNESCO, Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Education Cannot Wait, Dubai Cares, and World Bank among others.

    Gideon said: “We must be united in our belief that next-generation thinking and next-generation partnerships are required to achieve the 2030 global goals for education, what tangible actions, innovations and new ways of working can create disruptive, systemic change and unlock the potential of young people in the wake of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

    “All points raised by the Director General of UNESCO, John Fallon, Head of UNICEF and Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Cares are important. And I would like to make sure that as we seal partnership and take actions we can take. My peers are the youth generation and my friends are the ones who are facing an uncertain future and lack of investment in skills.”

    The proposed International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd), Gideon said, is a fund that will provide more affordable stream of finance for LMICs that want to invest in education. He added that the UNESCO’s proposal for generating multi-billion dollar fund for education was aimed at drawing $10 billion dollars for education by using donor guarantees to leverage lending from multilateral banks.

    Over 1.7 million people worldwide have signed a petition in support of IFFEd. Top-notch UNGA attendees also spoke in support for the finance facility.

    The UK Minister for International Development Penny Mordaunt, said: “The UK stands ready to support this important work,” urging influential politicians attending the General Assembly to “get the job done”.

    Ms Machel described the initiative as “the single largest investment in human capital history”, while Jim Yong Kim, the head of the World Bank, signalled the bank’s support, saying: “Make no mistake – investments in education have much bigger returns on investment than investments in infrastructure.”

    Despite significant advances in education across the globe, experts at the General Assembly argued that over a quarter of a billion children were out of school, revealing statistics, which said one in five children don’t have a basic education.

    Sarah Brown, president of Theirworld, a global children’s charity organisation, said: “Many people are simply not aware of the scale of this crisis. Children out of school face a dire future of exploitation, child labour and early marriage. If leaders fail to act now an entire generation will miss out on an education.”

  • Ajasin varsity starts compulsory environmental sanitation

    Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) has introduced a compulsory monthly sanitation.

    The exercise will be held every second Wednesday of the month. In a memo from the office of the registrar, said the exercise was introduced following a report  submitted by the Committee on Environmental Sanitation.

    The registrar, Mr Sunday Ayeerun, said: “I write to inform members of staff, students and other members of the university community that the management, after considering the report of the Committee on Environmental Sanitation at its meeting held on July 17, 2018, approved that second Wednesday of every month should be set aside for university-wide sanitation exercise between the period of 9am and 10am, effective from September 2018.”

    The registrar said members of staff, students who are resident on campus and business operators in the school’s commercial areas will be involved in the monthly sanitation exercise.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that shop owners around the school also started compulsory sanitation because of heavy rainfall witnessed in the community. Residents lamented that constant rain had littered the area with filthy materials from the drainage as a results of poor waste management.

  • Students pledge support for Buhari

    A group of students has declared its support for  President Muhammadu Buhari in next year’s  election. The students, under the aegis of Buhari Students Support Group, passed a vote of confidence on the President at a press conference in Lagos with the theme: In defence of democracy.

    They promised to mobilise students in all tertiary institutions for Buhari’s re-election, saying the president’s efforts to put the country on a good foundation should be supported by the youth.

    The group’s leader and Lagos State University student, Dhikrullah Aasim, said: “As the 2019 elections draw close, we deem it fit to pass a vote of confidence on our dear President Muhammadu Buhari, given the avalanche of achievements recorded by his administration and how he has successfully maintained the state of the nation.”

    Dhikrullah noted that the emergence of President Buhari in 2015 brought hope to the country, because people believed he would rescue the country from the maladministration of previous governments, revive the economy and enhance security.

    “For the first time, those who diverted public funds are not finding it easy,” Dhikrullah said, adding that Buhari’s administration recorded rare feat in security, which the previous administration could not do.

    “This administration has secured the release of some Chibok girls and their Dapchi counterparts abducted by Boko Haram,” he said.

    Stating why the support group was formed, Adelowo Adewale, a student of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, said members of the group believed Buhari’s integrity remains intact and helped him to set a good precedent in the fight against corruption.

    A student of the Fountain University, Lawal Muhammad, said the sole aim of the group was to help the President realise his re-election dream. “We are not in support of any party; we’re being straightforward in supporting Buhari,” he said.

    Urging Nigerians to vote Buhari in 2019, Adelakun Tufayl of LASU said: “Our Permanent Voter Card is our power; we should get it, and go out en masse to vote this man of integrity, so that he can continue with his work of change and transformation.”

  • Of the game of politics and politicians

    When two brothers are locked in a battle against each other, over a material property (just anything material), people say devil is at work. But, the devil may say he has no business with whatever that may be causing the disagreement between them. Because, when one of them successfully dispossesses the other of the material they were fighting over, the ‘victor’ won’t give a share to the devil.

    This simple analogy goes to say it is our desire, not the devil, that dictates the tone of the battle we are engaged in over a material thing. At the end, what we get benefits us, and not the so-called devil.

    This piece is written against the background of the just-concluded election in Osun State. While the election has been contested and won, there are other fallouts that attended the process which should be of great concern to the people of the state. To be sure, this writer is from the state, and my concern goes beyond who eventually won the election; my concern is, how do we make peace between brothers who became enemies in the build-up to the election?

    Dejare and Deleke are described as brothers from the same town. They are friends, flocking together like birds of a feather. They lived in happiness without suspicion. They were good friends until election came on stage and pitted one against the other. Both wanted a prized public office or wanted their preferred choice to be elected into the office. Because of difference in choice, Dejare accused his brother of betrayal, saying he shouldn’t have shown interest in the public office in which he equally had interest.

    Since Deleke is richer, Dejare believed he was a threat to his own ambition. Hostility moved in, leading to a rain of hatred. The harmony between the two families turned to bitterness. They disagreed in their agreement and never agreed on disagreement. Then, the people of the town said devil was at work, but I say political desire was the reason not the devil.

    I believe devil has no business in this affair; politics is at work. Our politics is no more ordinary; it is extra ordinary. Politics has turned the world upside down. The devil may have since stopped hypnotising people to do something ungodly after uncountable accusations, it is the turn of politics to hunt humans. If it is about ambition, it is politics. Political desires set brothers against one another and create lifelong hostility. Brothers of the same bloodline become sworn enemies. They moved in opposite directions. This is the politics we practise in today’s world.

    We should ask ourselves, does it really worth it? There are many ways to serve our society. Must it be through political post or politics? Gone are those days when leaders are chosen based on character and charisma. Leadership was not given on a platter of gold, but was earned through values and virtues. But, the modern political system has changed the settings of leadership. Leadership is no more earned, it is taken – by fire, by force. Politics is no more about service; it is now a lucrative business for the ambitious.

    A leader should be a servant. No, it is indeed a servant, says Prophet Muhammad. A leader should serve the community, not that the community should serve the leader. Public office holders are ordinarily described as public servants. Is it the case in Nigeria?

    Where do we see a servant overriding his master? One should be concerned when a supposed servant lords it over with the people that put him or her in a position of authority. Public servants are no more accountable to people. They plunder people’s wealth and use the ill-gotten materials to oppress the people.

    In our politics, it is the survival of the fittest and of the richest. In Nigerian politics, the richest are the fittest.

    You will know a deceitful politician and the one playing deceit in politics. You see them when election comes near, they come on stage.

    Their action is comic but not a relief. It is annoying sometimes. They go on street and hawk with petty traders. They go and fry bean cake with the village women. Days before elections, they pay salary arrears o workers.