The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • OOU students boycott lectures

    Academic activities were suspended last Monday and Tuesday at the Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State. No thanks to the directive by the leadership of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), which ordered students not to go for lectures.

    The action was taken to protest what the students called “exorbitant fee” they are paying.

    “It is obvious that the students are angry and are ready to engage the government over the fee,” one of the students’ leaders said.

    The union president, Olusegun Ifade, while addressing the students, said: “Let me say unequivocally that we will never be discouraged or succumb to any form of intimidation as we continue to engage the government peacefully to achieve our aims.”

    Olusegun said the union believed education was a right and not a privilege for the poor masses. He added that the fee was making education the right of the children of the rich.

    “Even though we understand that the management enjoy good level of funding from the government, we, in totality, reject exorbitant fees as we cannot continue on this inglorious path; transfer of government’s responsibility to our parents who have been subjected to economy hardship is not accepted,” he said.

  • Day of rage at UNICAL

    Day of rage at UNICAL

    Violence broke out at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) last week when the Electoral Committee stopped the Students’ Union Government (SUG) election. In the ensuing melee, a student was hit by a stray bullet and the election was cancelled. STANLEY UCHEGBU (Accounting) and FRANK EJEAGBASI (400-Level Medical Physiology) report.

    It all started peacefully. Amid fun and excitement, the University of Calabar (UNICAL) students went about casting their vote. Suddenly, the Electoral Committee stopped the Students’ Union Government (SUG) election and all hell was let loose at the 25,000-capacity Hogan Bassey Pavilion.

    Shots were fired to restore order. But, in the ensuing melee, Ndifreke Ukpong, a 400-Level Education Administration and Planning student, was hit.

    The Electoral Committee’s stoppage of the election, while many students were still on the queue to vote, sparked the unrest. The protesters accused the committee of trying to skew the exercise in a candidate’s favour.

    The university security personnel were ordered to take the ballot boxes to the Old Senate Chambers for counting with the candidates’ agents. But the disenfranchised students protested and started chanting: “We want to vote, we no go gree; we want to vote, we no go gree.”

    The aggrieved students trailed the security personnel, who tried to make a detour, on seeing that the Old Senate Chambers would not be convenient for the counting of votes. They turned towards the New Arts Auditorium (NAT), while the angry students kept following them and chanting.

    As they approached the Faculty of Social Science block, CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the security personnel fired into the air to scare the protesters. Some students defied the shooting and stayed behind to know where the ballot boxes were being taken.

    It was gathered a student was hit by stray a bullet, leading to a bedlam as people scampered for safety.

    An eyewitness, who claimed to be standing beside the victim, said: “The security man that fired the shot held the gun, facing down. The bullet rebounded and hit the student standing beside me. Even, the victim did not know he was hit; I drew his attention to his bleeding body. Then, people ran towards him and rushed him to the hospital. I thank God because it could have been me.”

    The incident heightened tension on the campus, with students raring for a showdown. Riot policemen were invited and a former SUG presidential aspirant, John Etim, was arrested. His arrest angered students, who hurled objects, including stones, at the policemen to free their colleague. John was later released.

    A Law student, who did not want his name in print, condemned the deployment of policemen to “deal with defenceless students”.

    The SUG president, Bassey Eka, pacified the annoyed students. Bassey pleaded with them to be peaceful, promising that the union would investigate the incident. He requested the students to follow him to the Hogan Bassey Pavilion to take a stand on how to go about the matter.

    At the pavilion, Bassey said: “We cannot employ violence to seek redress for a perceived injustice. We demand that the election be nullified until we know the condition of our colleague, who was shot.” Students agreed that the election be cancelled.

    The Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof James Epoke, who visited the pavilion to address the students, apologised for what he called “accidental discharge”.

    He assured the students that the victim would be taken care of and announced the cancellation of the election.

    At 6pm, the victim was brought back to the campus after treatment. He was taken round the hostel for students to know that he is not dead.

    The rescheduled election will hold tomorrow. Students are calling for transparency in the process.

    Dr Anozeng Igiri, the Electoral Committee chairman, said the management did not have a candidate in the election, promising the panel would follow constitutional provisions in discharging its functions. “We don’t have any interest in the process or whether any candidate belongs to a department or state of origin. We have the duty to conduct a free and fair election that will ensure a legitimate students’ union executive is presented to the students,” he said.

    The four cleared presidential candidates are Emmanuel Ajang, Faculty of Law; Justin Ilefa, Faculty of Management Science; Emmanuel Akobi, Faculty of Clinical Science and Nelson Akobi, Faculty of Science.

  • Respite for Sokoto varsity students

    Bridges linking the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) to town have been rehabilitated, bringing relief to students. The structure has since been re-opened, report IBRAHIM JATTO (Zoology) and HALIMAH AKANBI (300-Level Law). 

    There is a light at the end of the tunnel. The truth in this aphorism is captured in the rehabilitation of bridges linking the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) to town. Before their repair, staff, students and members of their host community virtually went through hell getting to town. Now, they are full of smiles, with the rehabilitation of the bridges.

    The structures were washed away in September 2010, following a flood that destroyed properties in the state and some parts of Kebbi State. The incident disrupted academic and commercial activities and the Federal Government promised to rebuild the bridges over River Rima.

    Before the construction, the government provided a military-type floating bridge as a palliative, while the eroded portions of the bridges were sandfilled by the state in January 2011. Students and residents of the communities whenever it rained.

    The contractor that handled the project moved to the site last November, several months after the project was approved. This led to the closure of the road, which caused hardship to students and motorists. The alternative Sokoto-Illela route takes 30 minutes to the university from Dandima Bus Stop in the town; this naturally made commercial cab operators to increase the transport fare to the school.

    Relief came the way of students as well as residents of the host communities when the concrete bridges were completed, reconnecting the university back to the Sokoto metropolis. The bridges were opened last month.

    Transport fares for commercial buses and cabs, increased during the period of rehabilitation, were immediately slashed, a development that lifted the mood of students.

    The Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr A.A. Aliero, said the development would rejig activities on the campus. He added that the management would complement the government’s efforts by rehabilitating the stretch from the university’s first gate to the Abdullahi Fodiyo Library Junction to make movement easy.

    A resident of Kwalkwalawa Village, close to the university, Mallam Ilya, a fish seller, said commercial activities were paralysed in the community while the construction was going on.

    “The construction dealt a big blow on our fishing business, because motorists were following a different route. The only customers we had were small-scale fish sellers, who take their goods to the other side to sell,” he said.

    Some students, who also spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, expressed delight over the bridges. Tole Adewumi, a 400-Level Political Science student, said: “It is a big relief to all of us. I give kudos to the government and the contractor.”

    Fatimah Baba Muhammed, a 300-Level Law student, said students could now save more money rather than paying exorbitant fare to commercial bus drivers. “Also, the rate of accident on the alternative route will be greatly reduced because the pressure on the road will be minimal,” she added.

    Hammed Lukman, a 400-Level Law student and caretaker chairman of the Association of Campus Journalists (ACJ) hoped the construction met the standard and would stand the test of time. He said: “I will advise that students and other road users should imbibe good culture of maintenance in order to ensure proper safety of lives and avert future disaster.”

    Immediately the bridges were open for road users, the commercial bus operators reduced the fare to N60. The reduction did not go down with students, who wondered why the drivers did not revert to “normal fare” of N30 before flood washed away the bridges.

    The chairman, Caretaker Committee of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), Al-Amin Wushishi, said the committee members had met with the chairman of Bus Service Management Committee (BSMC) and Dr Aliero, who, he said, assured that the matter would be looked into. “We hope they see to the plight of students as regards transportation challenges on campus,” Al-Amin said.

    When contacted, BSMC chairman, Dr S.D. Abubakar, said management took the decision to fix the fare at N60, urging the students to direct grievances to the “right quarters”.

    Dr Aliero, in a telephone interview, said: “This issue was brought to my notice. When I tabled the matter before the stakeholders, I was made to understand that the current fare is to the detriment of the bus operators, which made the management to intervene by subsidising the fuel. We do this to attend to the welfare of our students.”

  • O Pepe Nite excites poly students

    After a long lull in academic activities informed by the almost 11-month Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) strike, the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti (ADO POLY), last week, erupted in fanfare as artistes and comedians entertained students in a show tagged: O Pepe Nite, sponsored by the Students’ Union Government (SUG).

    The show was held at Aluta Republic, the Students’ Union Building, with performances from artistes, including Moscow, Pento Kelly, Gold, G-Gold, Arise.

    A fresher, who spoke with our correspondent at the event, said the event could not have been more entertaining. There was intermittent laughter as the comedians, including MC HRM and Indomie doled out jokes to thrill the students.

    Some students, who spoke with CAMPUSLIFE after the event, hailed the leadership of the SUG for the event. Tunde Adeboye, ND 1 Civil Engineering, described the event as thrilling.

    Femi Adeosun, a student of Quantity Surveying, said the fiesta would rejig students’ social life, praising the organisers of the show.

    The union’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Temitope Yakubu, said the event was to boost social activities on the campus, noting more of such event would be held as semester progresses.

  • Let there be light

    Let there be light

    Students of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaduna (KADPOLY) have won the Sahara Light up Nigeria Challenge, a contest organised by Entrepreneurship Action In Us (Enactus) in collaboration with the Sahara Group, with their power project, which brought a community out of darkness. WALE AJETUNMOBI and BALIKIS MOYOSORE report.

    TO residents of Butsen Gaya village in Kaduna State, the students are God sent. About 40 kilometres away from their campus, students of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaduna (KADPOLY) travelled to the remote Kaduna South Local Government to give the community light.

    The community had been without electricity since the state was created, but the students, who are members of Entrepreneurship Action in Us (Enactus) team in KADPOLY, have built a power turbine to light up the village.

    For the feat, the students emerged winner of the Sahara Light up Nigeria Challenge organised last month by the Enactus in collaboration with the Sahara Group.

    The challenge was instituted to inspire undergraduates, who are members of Enactus teams  in higher institutions, to explore opportunities in the value chain to generate sustainable electricity.

    About 29 teams entered for the challenge, but only five were able to develop projects that met the standards of the Business Development Unit of the Sahara Group.

    The five teams comprised students of the Federal University of Agriculture (UNIAGRIC) in Makurdi, Federal University of Uyo (UNIUYO), KADPOLY, Federal Polytechnic, Idah (IDAH POLY) and the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUTECH).

    The KADPOLY team tagged its project Renewable Energy Advance Project (REAP) and leveraged wind energy by constructing a turbine from waste materials, which converted wind energy to electricity. The electricity generated powered household appliances in the community.

    The UNIUYO team came second with its wind turbine to specifically power a healthcare facility, which hitherto depended on erratic and public electricity for its daily operations. UNIAGRIC was the second runner-up with an innovative fuel-less and sound-less generator that uses car battery and an alternator to generate electricity. The machine is built for small-scale business owners, who depend on a continuous supply of electricity to remain in business.

    According to the organiser, the challenge is aimed at engaging students to deploy their ingenuity and resourcefulness to become part of the solutions to the electricity problem facing the country, especially in remote communities which cannot afford alternative source of power, such as generators and inverters.

    The students took up the challenge and deployed their creativity and innovations in developing simple power models that could reduce production cost, encourage the broad utilisation of available energy sources, support businesses and improve people’s standard of living.

    Using the bottom up approach, the team of students deployed local and easy-to-use technologies that can either generate or conserve electricity.

    Enactus is an international non-profit organisation that brings together student, academic and business leaders to use their power of entrepreneurial action to improve the quality of life and standard of living of people.

    Guided by academic advisors and business experts, students of Enactus initiate and implement community empowerment projects around the world. The action does not only transform lives, it also helps students develop the talent and perspective that are essential to leadership.

  • Fashola pegs LASU fees back to N25,000

    Fashola pegs LASU fees back to N25,000

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), on Thursday announced the reversal of LASU tuition fee to N25, 000.

    Fashola, who said he had earlier met with the state executive council over the issue, ordered that the old rate takes immediate effect.

    The new auditorium of LASU which held the grand finale of its 19th convocation reverberated with joy at the announcement.

    Security and protocol officers found it difficult controlling the jubilant students who danced round the institution.

    Unable to control their excitement, some of them breached the protocol, rushed to the podium and prostrated before the governor as a show of appreciation.

    The news which soon filtered across the campus saw students embrace and gave handshake to one another. Many of them huddled up in groups under the Abe Igi, a popular students’ meeting point, discussing the development.

    Announcing the reversal, Fashola thanked the Students’ Union for their maturity and civility ever since they commenced protests to compel government to reverse the  fee which was jerked up from N25,000 to between N193,000 to N350,000 three years ago.

    “I want to appreciate the maturity of our students in the way they went about their agitation for reduction in their school fees. In the course of their protests, I invited them and they responded and we both arrived at a decision where the students submitted a position paper on what they feel should be recommended as fees. We looked at their (students’) position papers, and the adjustment they recommended and made appropriate reduction of between 34 to 60 per cent.

    “But they (students) were not yet satisfied.  They still came back to say the reduction was too high and wanted further reduction. We have therefore looked into their demand, and decided that their school fees must revert to the old rate henceforth.”

     

  • Science wins VC Cup

    The Faculty of Science, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, has been crowned champions of the seventh edition of the Vice Chancellor’s Cup for the 2014/14 academic session, after defeating the Faculty of Social and Management Science 2 – 0 on penalties in the final match.

    The grand finale, which was decided on Tuesday July 22 at the institution’s Sports Complex, went into penalty shoot-outs after 90 minutes of exciting football.

    The goalkeeper, Andy, took centre stage for the NASS team in the shoot-outs by saving for penalties as his teammates converted two out of four spot-kicks.

  • Students’ medical mission to Edo schools

    Students’ medical mission to Edo schools

    When the coastal buses that conveyed medical and dental students of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) stopped at the assembly ground of Ediaken Primary School in Benin City, pupils trooped out to welcome them.

    The students, decked in white laboratory coats, were urshered into their classrooms by the elated pupils.

    Unity Osakpamwan, a five-year-old pupil, asked: “Why are you people here? Hope you haven’t come to give us injection because we are not sick. I wonder why you people will leave your hospital and come after us?”

    There was an outburst of laughter. Like Unity, other pupils expressed the same fear as a similar version of the drama played out in other classes.

    The students were at the school for the annual primary school health campaign of the Christian Medical and Dental Association Students (CMDAS).The event, according to Win Efimueh, was organised to sensitise the pupils on prevailing health problems, ways of avoiding them and career counselling sessions.

    “As children, they are at the formative stage of development and any habit they pick up is likely going to stay with them. We are here to teach them the right health habit so they can inculcate them”, he stated.

    The students also presented gift items to the school and pupils who distinguished themselves in a spelling bee competition.

    Replying on behalf of the school, Mrs F.I Aigbehi, thanked the students for finding time to hold the programme. She encouraged the students to sustain the relationship between the school and association.

    Daniel Okpani and Mercy Imaro said they were happy to have partaken in the campaign.

    He said: “I feel happy because I have just mentored some pupils. The outreach also brought to my remembrance how I was 11 years ago, a feeling which inspired my empathy for the pupils.”

  • The Nation/AfricanLiberty.org essay winners

    We are pleased to announce the winners of TheNation, AfricanLiberty.org Essay Contest, which is powered by the Network For a Free Society. Based on the review of the submitted essays, the highest score is 77 per cent, while the lowest score is 3 per cent.  The general assessment shows an increase in the knowledge and spread of liberty in Africa. The content of the essays presents an evidence of positive impact the sponsors are promoting in Africa.

    The grading of the essays was based on four key criteria:

    • Understanding and discussion of the issues: This is to assess the level of understanding of key liberty elements by the writer. This carried 50 marks.

    • Organisation and conformity, which carry 15 marks.

    • Grammar, structure and creativity shown by the writer. This attracted 15 marks.

    • Originality: This assessed the use of other people’s works and idea, and whether the writers appropriately credited the source(s) of used intellectual materials. This attracted 20 marks.

    The details of the results are recorded below:

    PRIZES

    1st – Adeloye Olanrewaju Samuel, Department of Physiology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State. George Ayittey (Platinum) Prize: $1,000 and full scholarship to 2014 Students and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA) at the University of Cape Town Graduate Business School, South Africa from September 4 – 7, 2014. :

    2nd – Gracious Odala Balamu, Majoring Philosophy, Chancellor College University of Malawi. Anthony Fisher (Gold) Prize: $700 and full scholarship to 2014 Students and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA) at the University of Cape Town Graduate Business School, South Africa, from September 4 – 7, 2014.

    3rd – Olusegun Omoleye, Medicine and Surgery, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Derenle Edun (Silver) Prize: $500 and full scholarship to 2014 Students and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA) at the University of Cape Town Graduate Business School, South Africa from September 4 – 7, 2014

    4th – Shittu Oluwakemi Adeola, Department of Biology, Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo State; Uzuazor Precious Aghogho, Chemical Engineering, University of Benin, Edo State and Afolayan Monisola Ayowumi, Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. The Nation newspaper Media (Bronze) Prize: 70 per cent scholarship to 2014 Students and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA) at the University of Cape Town Graduate Business School, South Africa from September 4 – 7, 2014.

    Other Consolation Prizes: 50 per cent scholarship to 2014 Students and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA) at the University of Cape Town Graduate Business School in South Africa goes to:

    5th – Oloyede Deborah, Economics, University of Ibadan, Oyo State

    6th – Yohana Gadaffi Ouma, School of Law Parklands Campus, University of Nairobi, Kenya

    6th – Francis Wambugu Komu, Mathematics and Computer Science, The Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Kenya

    7th – Balogun Rilwan Opeyemi, Civil Law, Ahmadu Bello University, Kaduna, Nigeria

     

     

  • Group to hold rally for the blind

    To stem discrimination against visually-impaired persons, the Nigerian Society for the Blind (NSB) is set to mark its 9th White Cane Day awareness in Lagos with the theme: Fitness walk for sight.

    Speaking at a press briefing held last Monday at NSB Vocational Training Centre in Oshodi, the NSB chairperson, Mrs Biola Agbaje, said the walk was aimed at sensitising the public on the need to accord respect to the visually impaired and importance of the use of the white cane for the mobility of the blind.

    The use of a white cane, Agbaje said, is a symbol that a visually-impaired person is approaching, noting that no matter how trained they are, it is always difficult for the visually-impaired people to move around. “This is why they need our help and assistance in finding their way around,” she said.

    She also said the common practice that a visually-active person must be the one to take the visually-impaired around should be over.

    Agbaje, who was represented by the chairman, Organising Committee of the White Cane Day and Executive Council Member of the NSB, Dr. Olu Falomo, said that the white cane had been accepted globally as a symbol of the visually-impaired, adding that the awareness was to sensitise the public on the significance of the material.

    She said the event would encourage visually-impaired citizens to use the white cane, stating that in other climes, people with the same sight condition use trained dogs to move around.

    She, however, stressed that the event would be an avenue to keep participants fit, especially people who have obesity.

    Wife of former Lagos State Governor, Mrs Obafunmilayo Johnson, will lead the rally scheduled to hold on Saturday from 7am to 10am from the National Stadium in Surulere to Costain Roundabout and back to the stadium.