The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • Calm after the storm

    Calm after the storm

    The row over the selection of the Vice-Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNZIK) in Awka, Anambra State, by the Governing Council is gradually disappearing, following the endorsement of the process by stakeholders. MMADUKA ODOGWU (Political Science) writes.

    There was tension at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, Anambra State as the tenure of its Vice-Chancellor, Prof Boniface Egboka, was about to end. Who would succeed Egboka? No member of the university community could tell, but all they knew was that the contest would be keen. No fewer than 35 professors, including the then Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Joseph Ahaneku, were in the race to succeed Prof Egboka, whose tenure ended.

    When their credentials were vetted by the  Governing Council, Prof Ahaneku was picked.

    The council, led by Air Vice Marshal Larry Koinyan (rtd), selected Ahaneku after the candidates were shortlisted to nine.

    Other contenders were Prof Benjamin Osisioma, Prof Ikechukwu Oluka, Prof Christian Ikpeze, Prof Gregory Nwakoby, Prof Azubuike Nwankwo, Prof Ifeoma Enweani, Prof Emeka Nwabueze and Prof Godwin Mbamalu.

    The joint Council-Senate Interview Board met with the contenders. Using a scoring system different from the template issued by the Federal Ministry of Education, it interviewed the candidates. Three of them – Prof Nwakoby, Prof Ahaneku and Prof Osisioma – were adjudged to have excellent credentials.

    As required by law, the report of the interview board was presented to the Council members for approval and adoption. The council used a voting method to select the VC from the three names submitted. According to members, they decided to toe the path of democracy to ensure transparency in the exercise.

    Of the 11 Council members who voted, eight chose Prof Ahaneku, three went for Prof Nwakoby, while Prof Osisioma had no vote. By this outcome, the stage was set for Prof Ahaneku to become Prof Egboka’s successor.

    The statement from the Council read: “The entire process was done in accordance with due process and provisions of the University Act.”

    But the selection method did not go down well with some of the contestants, especially the first runner-up, Prof Nwakoby. He reportedly called a press conference to proclaim victory before the official pronouncement of the winner by the Council. When Ahaneku’s name was announced, Nwakoby protested and alleged that he was short-changed by the Council members.

    A few hours before Prof Ahaneku took the oath, there was rumour of “massive protests” being planned by some aggrieved contenders to disrupt the ceremony. There was tension on the campus.

    A prominent member of the management, who did not want his name in print, said the process that brought Ahaneku in was “completely transparent”, denying that the process was against other candidates.

    However, the inauguration of Prof Ahaneku was witnessed by a mammoth of crowd of staff members, students and members of the university community.

    President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) Chinonso Ibe said students were in support of the new administration, urging the unsuccessful candidates to team up with the VC to move the school forward.

    Endorsement of Ahaneku’s administration also came from the most powerful union on campus – the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), UNIZIK chapter, whose members visited the VC to felicitate with him.

    Led by their chairman, Prof Harry Odimegwu, ASUU members said they were ready to work with Ahaneku. They canvassed improved welfare for academic staff. The union expressed confidence in the ability and technical competence of the VC to turn the fortunes of the institution around.

    Similarly, the institution’s chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) declared support for the new administration. Its chairman, Comrade Louis Okwudili, while presenting some of their challenges to the VC, noted that discipline, hard work, and commitment would remain the watchwords of the union to ensure the progress of the institution.

    With the support of major stakeholders within the university community, the storm gathered by VC’s selection is over. Will tranquility return to the campus?

     

  • Enterprising students

    Enterprising students

     

    The University of Lagos is widely regarded as the University of First Choice, which parades students with the biggest swag, while some students choose to get carried away with the swag and other transitory things, some other students choose to stay focus and strive to achieve a name for themselves. Tolu George (400-Level Finance) spoke to some UNILAG students who are active in business and their motivation, challenges, passion among others.

     

    It is not uncommon to see youths especially students these days involved in all sorts of atrocities ranging from smoking, drinking, partying and taking hard drugs to being call girls, sex slaves for people old enough to be their parents.

    Unconfirmed reports say that these girls are taken to the houses of politicians and top class in the society, where they sometimes entertain the politicians by dancing naked or even sleeping with themselves to the pleasure of these politicians.

    Internet scamming popularly called yahoo yahoo is also not a new phenomenon amongst students in the campuses as students now engage in it as a ‘legitimate’ source of livelihood, students who do not have the courage to engage in yahoo yahoo resort to scamming their parents of varying amounts of money, some raise the fees by a margin over and above 100%, some collect monies for non-existent textbooks, while some even go as far as lying against the school authorities all in the name of extorting their parents.

    Ask any graduating student what his/her plans are after school and most of them will give the cliché reply of wanting to work in an oil company or telecommunications company even when they have obviously not acquired the skills necessary for working in such companies.

    Some students have however chosen to set themselves apart, they’ve decided not to follow the norm, for these students there is obviously no time for engaging in activities like smoking, taking hard drugs, involving in internet scams, sex slavery and a host of other vices. These set of students cannot wait for a government that has so far not lived up to its promise of providing jobs for the people, these set of students do not also want to join the band wagon of undergraduates strutting the streets looking for jobs from place to place.

    They would rather be employers of labour than being employees.

    Their passion

    For Taiwo, 20, photography is life, “if it wasn’t photography I don’t know what I would have been,” she said. Taiwo said further ‘as a lady I should be spending my money on shoes, clothes and even bags, but I would rather spend my money on buying a very good camera.”

    Taiwo, a student of the department of finance decided to start photography during the 6 months Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike. Rather than sit at home and whine over the strike she decided to go to a photography school to learn about professional photography, “my brother really encouraged me during the long ASUU strike not to just sit at home but to do something with my life,” she said. ‘I did not even think that I would take photography as a career but my brother kept on encouraging me and telling me that I would make a good photographer and today I can confidently stand and say that I don’t think I am a liability to anyone.”

    TAIWO OLOYEDE THE PHOTOGRAPHER

    For Olumide Olagoke, it is a passion for entertainment. Olumide claimed to be the first comedian to make a vice chancellor (professor Bahaman Bello) dance on stage.

    On his passion for comedy, he said “I am talented and passionate about comedy and I am very sure that I would succeed in this game.’’

    Yomi, a makeup artist cum fashion designer says fashion designing comes from within for him. “It was a dream at first and then I followed it through,” he said.

    Koje brands, Yomi fashion label was launched in 2012, after he had undergone full and rigorous training to be a fashion designer.

    When he started the business in 2012, he was making little or nothing. “I would sew clothes practically on credit for people and they would pay me months later.” That didn’t deter him, all he was building back then was his brand and by the time he had done a lot of free clothes and people started to know him, he could now explain to them that they had to be pay before services.

    Tobechi and Braid’s new life health initiative seems to be moving at the speed of light despite the struggles and challenges they face. Tobechi, a graduate of Biochemistry and overall team leader started the New Life Health Initiative back in 2012, before Tamuno Braid keyed into the idea and later decided to join in the business. The New life health initiative started because of the need to make people aware of the many health diseases they face when they do not exercise or take good care of their bodies.

    As much as the initiative is a passion for both of them they also want to be financially free, Braid said he never wanted to follow the norm. “I knew that if I had followed the normal pattern of finishing school and then looking for a job, I may not really be free financially, I just wanted something different and I think this initiative has so far proved to be it,”

    Braid, a 400 level student of accounting says the drive to know more pushes and keeps him in the business.

    Inspiration

    Olumide said he likes to work with his audience as he draws inspiration from them, “I also draw inspiration from the things I see.”

    Taiwo’s inspiration however comes from nature and the environment. She also checks some of her previous photo shoots and works of some great photographers to draw inspiration.

    For Braid’s, his inspiration and driving force stems from the fact that he never wants to be so old and weak, “I want to be 100 years and still be able to walk the end of my street unaided.” Braid, thus tries as much as possible to influence people with his thoughts and believe so that they too can grow old and healthy just like he hopes to age.

    Yomi, who interestingly loved mathematics when he was much younger, said he gets his inspiration from nature, movies and children and also sometimes from within. According to him, “I don’t have to be in a quiet place to draw inspiration; I could be in a noisy place and still be drawing my designs.”

     

    Tamuno Braid....Team coordinator of the new life health initiative in UNILAG
    Balancing school life and passion

    Its tough says Olumide, “There are times when I have to miss classes because of this job

    Yomi tries to follow the principle of priority, as for him, school should come first at least for now, he also tries as much as possible to stay focused.

    Braid, who is also a teacher, agrees with Olumide that balancing school with ones passion may be tough. ’There are times I have to miss classes because of the training we regularly go for to equip ourselves”

    Braid however says that he has no choice but to balance the two as this his passion and must give it what it takes. Taiwo agrees with Yomi as she also says setting priorities right has helped her so much in balancing school with photography.

    Challenges

    For Olumide, a 300 level student of human kinetics and education, the major challenge is finance. “I tell you it is not easy, having to finance myself and also my younger brothers is tough but I am sure I will pull through.”

    On the other hand, Braid’s challenge; is that, people don’t yet understand the importance of taking good care of their body. “There have been times we were walked out of offices by security men after presenting our proposal.”

    For Taiwo, a street photographer, a challenge is having to combine school with photography and the fact that some of the jobs she gets are usually during exams or test. Another challenge to her is that most people want to take free photographs. “People think everything comes cheap and free,” she said.

    A major challenge to Yomi, was that the fact that didn’t have so much money when he started, so he had to struggle and also the fact that he was coming newly into the industry proved at that time, too big for him to climb. “I wasn’t really known so I had to do clothes for free just to convince people that they should give me a shot.”

    Benefits so far

    Yomi, who said he has made clothes for Denrele Edun, Praiz Adejo, Efe Tommy and other notable acts acknowledges that meeting people has really been a great benefit for him, ’I have a very large client base right now and this has really opened a lot of doors for me”. The fact that Yomi owns his own business and that he can also call himself an entrepreneur also gives him internal joy. Taiwo benefits so far are also meeting people. ’oh I have met a whole lot of great people through this photography’ she said. ‘The fact that people acknowledge our efforts and appreciate us makes me feel good and know that the whole concept is not a waste of time and efforts’ said Braid. He said some companies even go ahead to incorporate their advice into their organization plan and that gives him joy. Comedy has so far been of great benefit to Olumide, as with comedy he has been able to feed himself without depending on anybody. “I can now pay my own fees and also pay my brothers fees. The fact that people can call me from a place as far as India also gives me joy and happiness and makes me look with bright hope at the future.”

    Support from parents

    For Taiwo, her parents and family have been her pillar of support, without them she would not have made it this big in photography, “my family has been my backbone, the fact that they believe in me even more than I believe in myself has given me the confidence to continue in this line’ She said. Taiwo, who says that her brother bought her first camera, adds that her family keeps on encouraging her and putting her back on the right track anytime she loses focus. Olumide’s mother however did not support him in the beginning, ’The first time my mum saw me on the Television she was so happy and asked if it was comedy that took me to that stage and when I answered in the affirmative she was really glad and started raining blessings upon blessings upon my head, then I knew I had her support.”

    Yomi also found it hard to get his parents support in the beginning. ‘It was tough’. He says, ’my mum is a disciplinarian so there were so many rules. But eventually I won her support because she saw that I was making progress and started giving me some leverage.”

    Braid however has not told his parents of his involvement in the business, according to him he wants to make it a surprise package for them; he is however sure that if he tells them they will give him his full support.

    Dreams and Aspirations

    Taiwo, a lover of Aisha Kuta and her works said she would like to be the greatest woman photographer of all time. She also hopes that in the nearest future, some of her works would have been on world exhibitions. “I just want to be a popular photographer, I want people to really like my works,” she added.

    Braid dreams of working together with Dorothy to have a wellness centers across the nation where people can come to and seeks advice as to how to manage their health. “you can’t have all these information and keep it to yourself,” he said.

    Yomi said, he just wants to be fulfilled. “In the fashion industry you can’t afford to dream to a point as things change every now and then. I am not going to say I want to have 10houses or several clothing lines, I just want to be fulfilled,” he said.

    For Olumide, who also runs a small foundation called, Mc day foundation, his greatest dream is be to the world greatest philanthropist; ‘I want to be the richest comedian on earth and I also want to be able to impact people, because I know it’s not really about how much you have but how much you can give out.”

  • A foreigner’s thoughts on Nigeria

    A foreigner’s thoughts on Nigeria

    Nicholas Rolley, a Ph.D student of the University of California in Berkley, United States(U.S), is in Nigeria to research into West African languages at the University of Ibadan (UI). He shares his views about the country with STANLEY IBEKU.

    It is his second visit to Nigeria – Africa’s most populous nation. Nicholas Rolley, a doctoral research student from the University of California in Berkley, United States (U.S), first visited in 2009 when he came for a research into Ishan Language of Edo State at the Department of Linguistics and African Languages, University of Ibadan (UI). His stay was boring and basically spent on research work.

    If his first visit was boring, Rolley fell in love with African languages in his second visit. He is undertaking a special research on dialects in West Africa, especially on syntax and phonology. He came at the instance of Prof Francis Egbokhare whose research interest is similar to Nicholas’.

    Did he just find love in Africa? Nicholas said: “I became very interested in West African languages during my first degree programme at the University of Toronto, where I took a course called Field Methods. It was a course in which all linguistic students basically dissect a language from the basics and study the language without being a native speaker.”

    Since then, his interest in African languages started to grow. According to him, Nigeria is a linguistic goldmine because of its vast number of different cultures, languages and people. He said negative stories about Nigeria may have prevented foreign researchers from exploring the country’s goldmine.

    He said: “It is incredible the number of linguistic and cultural wealth that found in Nigeria. There is so much to be done and I think it is the negative stories and perceptions which hold researchers back. In the 1970s, there were so many foreigners who came to Ibadan not just to study but to live here. They also studied there. My supervisor was a visiting scholar to the University of Ibadan. There were people that did their research on Igala, Kalabari, Itsekiri, Hausa and Kanuri. But right now, because of security and power situation, there are fewer people coming here.”

    Rolley said it won’t be fair to compare Nigeria with the US in terms of the teaching facilities, noting that Nigeria’s status as a developing country should not be an excuse for the poor conditions of the facilities in higher institutions.

    On what he perceived about Nigeria, he said: “There is lots of news about the country, which are mostly negative. There are amazing people; there are also terrible people just like in America. But there is a thin line between anthropology and stereotyping. Generally, Nigerians are highly social. The country has cultures reflected in the linguistic diversity.”

    Rolley said his research work is mainly for the academommunity and for the promotion and preservation of Ishan language.

    Worried by the state of Nigerian universities, the foreign student urged the government to set its priority.

    “The most important thing in my mind is where the priority should be. Where specific Nigerian interest should be and also what students should pay more attention to. Electricity is still the problem in Nigeria but universities are in the business of developing knowledge and impacting it. It does not create wealth. Because universities are knowledge centres, it is important that we develop knowledge and use it to solve societal challenges,” he said.

    He wants Nigerians abroad to come back and use their expertise to develop the country while also advocating for more exchange programmes.

    He said: “It is good for Nigerians professionals to go abroad but they must return to their country to set the pace for its development. They must discourage brain drain. We should have ambitious, brilliant and smart Nigerians coming back to the country to help.

    Despite reports of kidnapping and terrorism, Rolley said he could settle in Nigeria but that has to be subject to his wife’s consent.

    He quipped: “I don’t know if my wife would want it because of kidnapping, armed robbery and Boko Haram challenges. Personally, these problems don’t worry me. My worry is the state of roads. Every time I am on the roads, I always hope to return back to my base alive. Now, I understand why Nigeria is very religious; why people pray to God 10 times a day. The roads are terrible. That, to me, will be one of the things pulling me back; that fear that I will be on the road and may never come back alive is always in the mind.”

    According to him, Nigeria is a country America should pay attention to. “It has cities bigger than anyone dreamt of. Some Americans don’t even understand that Nigeria is highly urbanised. They think Africa is a bush. They don’t understand ‘everyday Lagos’. They don’t understand traffic jams which involve 10,000 vehicles. They don’t understand how urban Nigeria is becoming and many other African cities and countries,” he said.

  • Don’t take part in malpractice, VC urges students

    Students of Adeleke University Ede, Osun State, have been urged to avoid all forms of examination malpractice at the 2013/2014 second semester examination.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Oluwole Amusan, said exams were to test the knowledge of students, adding that cheating must be avoided.

    The Registrar, Mr Olusegun Ojo, urged student to do their best and remain focused as they write their papers.

    Coordinator for General Studies, Dr Tobalase, said the examination in the school had always been free of malpractice.

    When CAMPUSLIFE visited the campus, students were seen reading in classrooms and library.

    Henry Ndidiaha, a 300-Level Economics student, urged his colleagues to show good conduct during the exercise.

  • Theatre of life

    The Theatre Arts Students’ Association (TASA) of the Imo State University (IMSU) has inducted freshers into the department. The exercise was reminiscent of the traditional initiation. CHIDIEBERE ENYIA (400-Level English and Literary Studies) and EKENE AHANEKU (200-Level Medicine and Surgery) report.

    It was a scene to behold. The girls, in a single file, came out of the renovated Arts Theatre Complex, looking radiant like beautiful brides. They were dressed in white wrappers without tops. The men also adorned white wrappers. All have Nzu (ash) painted on their faces, chests and toes.

    The procession was led to the shrine by the ‘Chief Priest’, who held an Omu staff and a bottle of gin. A drummer, who trailed them, sounded the beat to herald what would happen. Another played tunes from a traditional flute, in a manner that brought back Igbo tradition.

    The rite was the inducton of freshers of the Theatre Arts Department. They were led to the sacred places with Omu (palm frond) across their mouths. They were ‘initiated’ one after the other by their senior colleagues.

    In Igbo tradition, holding palm fronds in the mouth symbolises protection, so to the freshers, it was a sign that they are protected in the department.

    The initiation took place on three spots: under a mango tree opposite the complex, the front of the Vice-Chancellor’s office and an open space opposite the Faculty of Humanities building.

    These places are no-go areas for students, which is why Theatre Arts students consider them as hallowed places.

    The rite was performed to cleanse the freshers of fear, shame, timidity and fright on stage. After the initiation, the students danced round the campus with masqueraders, entertaining their colleagues in other departments.

    Members of the university community watched in admiration. At the Faculty of Humanities, the initiates formed a wide circle around a calabash of sacrifice for the ‘gods’ of art and creativity. They sat on the ground and sang praises of the ‘gods’.

    Their senior colleagues joined to educate them on the rudiments of theatre arts and stage performances. They were told to obey all instructions in humility, loyalty and endurance.

    Some freshers, who were not attentive to the rituals, were given slight whips by their senior colleagues, who were narrating Igbo folklores and stage performances. They were marched back into the complex to be taught stage acts, which they would need as they progress in their studies.

    President of the department Callistus Mbam described the initiation as successful, noting that it marked the inauguration of his tenure as a students’ leader.

    “I am honoured because today is also our inauguration as the Theatre Arts Department executive. I appreciate the support of my predecessors and my senior colleagues. I am proud to be a thespian,” he said.

    Eberechukwu Nnamoko, a 300-Level student, said the event offered the freshers an opportunity to learn what theatre was about. “It is also to encourage them to develop composure while on stage because theatre is all about expressing yourself in a confident way,” he added.

    Some of the freshers expressed joy over their admission into the department. Abuchi Nwosu said: “I am happy that I have passed the rites of induction, which is traditionally done for every students of Theatre Arts. It is a nice experience for me and I shook off shyness that could prevent from embracing the spirit of art.

    Sylvester Nwokedi, a Master’s student, who spoke on behalf of the Head of the Department, said: “The significance of the initiation is to make them understand the basics of theatre. Before now, the freshers could not do stage performance. Since they participated in the initiation, they would have picked a few traits that will make them to be bold on stage.”

    After the ritual, the students gathered at the Commassie Building, where they entertained their colleagues.

  • What you don’t know about playing

    As a child, I played a lot without restriction. But as I grew older, my perception changed; I began to see play as children’s pastime. From my environment, I learnt that a growing mind should get involved with activities that are meant for mature minds. I never knew that my perception of playing was absolutely wrong and that I was not being fair to myself until I got this information that I would love to share with you.

    However, there is a general perception about playing. In psychology, play is a range of voluntary, motivated activities normally associated with recreational pleasure and enjoyment. Play is most commonly associated with children and their juvenile-level activities. Play is what we all see as the business of childhood. They are the times we jumped about when we were children forgetting who we really were and what the whole world was about. We would usually just lose ourselves in the moment and have great fun with our friends, our dolls and toys or even have mummy and daddy joke around with us, allowing us free rein to experiment with the world around us and the emotional world inside us. We’d usually just assume different roles moving from superhero to daddy and mummy, to police officer with ease, experimenting with diverse identities, and explore a variety of scenarios and outcomes.

    Growing up has changed us and our perception about play. Children who play are believed to be calm and happy. Playing makes them smarter and open minded, intelligent and gives them the ability to relate better with their environment as they grow older. Play gives your child a sense of control, especially imaginative play as he interprets the dramas of everyday life and practices the rules of social behaviour. But as much as we believe that play is for children, play can also be a useful adult activity. Many of the most prominent researchers in the field of psychology (including Jean Piaget, and Sigmund Freud) have viewed play as endemic to the human species. These psychologists all had strong beliefs on how important play was on human development. Many research methods were performed to prove their theories. Play is often interpreted as frivolous; yet the player can be intently focused on their objective, particularly when play is structured and goal-oriented, as in a game. Play can range from relaxed, free-spirited and spontaneous through frivolous to planned or even compulsive activities.

    As frivolous and spontaneous as play can be, play drives some of humanity’s greatest achievements. Washington State University neuro-scientist, Jaak Panksepp, believes that diminishing classroom playtime could be what is responsible for the recent rise of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder which is a type psychiatric disorder in which there is a problem of attention, hyperactivity and acting impulsively in a way that is inappropriate for a person’s age.

    In the aspect of communication, in 1981 study showed that students in the pre-school level use more complex languages while playing make-believe than during ordinary conversation. Generally speaking, the larger a mammal’s brain, the greater its tendency to play, according to a 2001 Journal of Comparative Psychology study that correlated play with relative brain size, according to Pennsylvania State University anthropologist. Garry Chick, men act playfully to signal non-aggressiveness to a potential mate, while women do it to evoke youthful fertility. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, reported last year in nature that playing NeuroRacer, a video game designed for their study, boosted both long and short term memory in participants as old as 79.

    In young children, play is frequently associated with cognitive development and socialisation. Play that promotes learning and recreation often incorporates toys, props, tools or other playmates. Play can consist of an amusing and imaginary activity alone or with another. Some forms of play are rehearsals or trials for later life events, such as “play fighting”, pretending social encounters such as parties with dolls, or flirting.

    Modern findings in neuroscience suggest that play promotes flexibility of mind, including adaptive practices such as discovering multiple ways to achieve a desired result, or creative ways to improve or reorganise a given situation.

    While playing might look like a child’s thing, it has the potential to serve as an important tool in numerous aspects of daily life for adolescents and adults. Not only does play promote and aid in physical development (such as hand-eye coordination), it also aids in cognitive development and social skills, and can even act as a stepping stone into the world of integration. Researchers have found playing to aid in the aspects of problem solving, skill building, overcoming physical and mental challenges the individual might be facing in his or her life. Play builds the imagination.

    Playfulness has also been the basis of major scientific discoveries and some of humanity’s greatest achievements. Albert Einstein formulated his special theory of relativity after imagining himself chasing a beam of light.

    Conclusively, play is not for children alone. It has a lot to do in the lives of every individual ranging from mental and physical development to socialisation. At some points in our daily lives, we all feel the urge to live in the moment and have some fun by getting involved in some sporting activities like chess or just hang out with friends. one should always remember that restricting one’s self is detrimental to the health because playing relieves stress and aid positive thinking.

     

    Abibat, 400-Level Mass Comm., UNILORIN

     

  • NIJ observes break

    Students of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) in Ogba, Lagos, have ended the 2013/2014 academic session. The session which began on October, 7, 2013 ended on July 4, 2014, giving the students time to prepare for the next session.

    A HND II student, Idowu Taibat, said: “I am happy for this break. I am free from the stress I have gone through in the past few months, even though it is tailored a building us up for the challenges of life.”

    However, the next session has been scheduled to commence on October 13.

  • Lecturers eager to return to classroom

    Members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) have expressed readiness to return to the classrooms following the suspension of its strike.

    Some of the lecturers told CAMPUSLIFE that the striking lecturers said they were concerned about the quality of education being handed over to their students, saying that polytechnics needed to be empowered for global relevance. They explained that, contrary to the view that their demands were only centred on their salary, the welfare of students was paramount.

    The lecturers stressed that establishing a regulatory body instead of the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) would help to improve the condition of polytechnics in the country.

    A senior lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Wole Alawode,  said: “It is sad that the protracted strike is yet to be called off and I pity the students including the Nigerian populace. Many Nigerians think our demands are about salary alone, but that is not the case. We are talking about the technological advancement of a nation.”

    He explained that polytechnics were established mainly to promote adequate technical knowledge, adding that polytechnics needed a separate regulatory body.

    A lecturer from the department of Mass communication, C.J. Ayelabegan, said for the past nine months, none of the lecturers’ demands had been met. Mrs  Ayelabegan explained that the demands were about equal recognition for both polytechnic and university graduates and the creation of a polytechnic commission.

    “I am not aware of any part of the demands that has been met so far. The polytechnic commission will make us independent. Autonomy should be given to polytechnics the same way it was given to Nigerian universities because what is good for the goose is also good for the gander,” she stated.

    The ASUP Chairman of the polytechnic, Dr Shola Ojeniyi, said the lecturers were willing to allow d strike to be called off if some of their demands were met, saying “we don’t want our students to become rogues. That’s why we are eager to resume work. Suspending the strike is not the best we want. It should be called off in the interest of students.”

  • Dean seeks private sector-driven accommodation

    The Pro-chancellor and Chairman of Council of the Osun State University, Prof Gabriel Olawoyin (SAN) has expressed the need for the institution to make provision for campus accommodation through private sector participation.

    Prof Olawoyin made the remark while responding to the requests from the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof A.B. Alhassan, during the Governing Council’s visit to the faculty.

    Alhassan decried the low level of private sector partnership with the school, urging the management to explore strategies adopted by other institution to woo private investor to build hostels on the campus.

    He said university hostels was necessary for security of lives and conducive learning.

    The dean also called for the deployment of experienced lecturers to the faculty to handle relevant courses, saying it would help the university in its quest to produce world-class graduates.

    He charged the management to provide subject-based laboratories on the campus to aid effective teaching.

    In his response, Prof Olawoyin promised that the requests of the faculty would be considered.

    Olawoyin in company of council members also visited the palace of the Ajalaye of Ipetu Ijesa, Oba Adekunle Baderin.

  • Corp member’s scholarship for orphans

    Eleven orphans and less privileged children in Ugep community in Cross River State have benefitted from a free scholarship award by a serving corps member at Dr Okoi Arikpo Memorial Secondary School Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area, Charity Nwankwo.

    Charity said the gesture was aimed at reducing mass literacy among orphans and imparting the lives of the less privileged.

    “After over four months of observation, it came to my knowledge that some of these children roam the streets because nobody could pay their school fees. So I decided to place the burden on myself,” she stated.

    The award presentation, which held at Government Secondary School Ugep, was witnessed by dignitaries from across the state including State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Engr Nkereke Igbangha; Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Ugep chapter, Chief Enang Ibang and administrators of various schools in Ugep.

    In a remark, the Local Government Inspector of Biase/Akampa, Mr Emmanuel Odoh, advised beneficiaries to work hard and be serious with their studies.

    He praised the organiser for the gesture, urging other corps members to emulate her action.

    Ibiang admonished the beneficiaries to utilise the opportunity and stay focused in their academics.

    Highpoint of the event was the presentation of learning materials, including notebooks, dictionaries, pens, rulers, textbooks, calculators, mathematical sets and uniforms to the pupils.