The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • Towards a safe environment

    Towards a safe environment

    Members of Entrepreneurial Action In Us (ENACTUS) have participated in a contest to promote environment-friendly innovations. HALIMAH AKANBI (200-Level Law) and IBRAHIM JATTO (400-Level Zoology) report.

    Entrepreneurial Action In Us (ENACTUS), Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) chapter, has evoked the innovative spirit of students through an entrepreneurship contest held at the institution’s auditorium.

    The competition featured the exhibition of innovative projects done by five teams. The projects were financed by First City Monument Bank (FCMB).

    The first team carried out an evergreen project, which involved the use of briquette – an environment-friendly biofuel that can be used in place of coal or charcoal – to reduce air pollution. The project was unveiled by the team leader, Friday Nwankwo, who explained the use of the substance. He said briquette was made from the mixture of saw dust and moist rice shaft moulded it into round shapes and used as fuel.

    The team approached residents of communities around the campus and taught them how to produce briquettes and use them in fueling energy-saving stoves. The project has economic value of saving the income that could have been used to buy firewood; the raw materials used in the production of briquettes are readily available.

    Members of Team B were trained by a couple in Sokoto on how to use animal skin to produce several leather products such as bags. The husband trained male students how to cut the material into various shapes and styles, while the wife trained female students how to decorate the pieces and sew them into varieties of bags and leather accessories.

    During the presentation, Team B explained that the vocation has economic value, which is to harness natural resources in the state to empower the people. The social value, it said, is the promotion of art and culture of the people of Sokoto. The project was said to be environmentally-safe as the raw materials used are hides and skin of dead animals.

    The project of Team C was tagged: “Rice Cereal for Infants (RCI)”, aimed at eradicating malnutrition in local communities. The team embarked upon a sensitisation programme in the university’s host communities. Afterwards, members came up with a cereal formula produced from rice, carrot and groundnut. The move was to reduce malnutrition in children and to save expenses of buying factory made cereals, which are not affordable to the poor residents.

    Team D’s project was Net School, which involved creation of a website for local schools to make communication easier between parents, students  and the school authorities. Teachers can also use the online medium to communicate students’ performance to their parents. The project was said to be environment-friendly, because it discourages the use of papers which is made from trees.

    The last team carried out tomato puree project, which involved grinding and boiling of tomatoes. The pulverised substance was stored in mayonnaise containers and exposed to intense heat by boiling the paste in the bottles in order to pasteurize it. The tomato puree can be safely stored for a period of six months.

    The idea was to prevent waste of tomato by peasant farmers, who could not store the produce because of their lack of adequate storage facilities. It would also discourage women to buy imported tomato pastes. The team estimated that 160 women would save ¦ N4 million every year. The project was evaluated to have environmental value as it would save people from littering the community with spoilt tomato paste.

    Before winners were announced by the panel of judges, Commissioner for Environment, Dr Jabbi Kilgori, praised the innovative spirit of the students in imparting on the people and empowering themselves. He also recognised the students’ effort to initiate environment-friendly projects to reduce pollution and environmental problems.

    The ENACTUS Staff Adviser, Mallam S.B Shamaki, said all the teams performed brilliantly and described all of them as winners.

    Team A, which carried out evergreen project, won the contest, while Team B with its leather project, came second. The winners were presented with trophies by the Dr Kilgori.

    The projects would be presented in national challenge of the ENACTUS  coming up in Lagos later this month.

  • Ex-governors and their states’ coffers

    The smile of heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregard the external rules of order and right which heaven itself ordained” – George Washington, first president of United States.

    In basic science, I was taught that a taproot is one of the most important roots that a tree needs for its nourishment. Apart from making a tree to erect properly, it forms a base from which other roots sprout; it makes the tree impervious to strong wind and taps soil nutrients a tree needs to survive.

    Being a chief executive of a state for four or eight years as the case may be, a governor functions as a tap root of some sort. Since he is in the best position to know the details of the finances of a state, the direction a state should navigate. And where there are leakages, the governor finds ways of blocking such. He is in better position to initiate policies and frameworks that will ensure the sustainable development and growth of the state even after he may have left office.

    However, when a chief security officer plunders the resources of a state, such action brings retrogression to the state and makes it worse. For tapping into the state resources, the governor constitutes himself into a poisonous taproot that kills the tree (state) instead of supplying it nourishment.

    I have the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Akwa Ibom State to thank for the controversy the retirement law in the state generated. The union attracted attention to the obnoxious law and kept it in public view and most importantly exposed some other states where such laws had secretly been passed in the past. But for that patriotic act, one would never have known that such a law even existed.

    The bill, titled Governors and Deputy-Governors Pension Law 2014, just shows how greedy and gluttony can political office holders in Nigeria can be. The law sought to provide N100 million health benefit for governors and N50m for deputy governors in Akwa Ibom State, among other provision.

    It is an open-secret that some governors live like kings. They drive choice cars; have lunch in the most exquisite restaurants, travel in first class flights to the finest of countries, shop in expensive store abroad, and spend like oil sheiks without thinking about the economy of the state they govern. They did not even give a thought to the standard of living of the people that elected them.  Isn’t it absurd that after all these and the loots they committed while in office, some governors still want to go away with their states’ treasuries as they leave office.

    Considering the fact that a few states can actually sustain themselves economically without the monthly stipend from the Federal Government, it is worrisome that governors would think of such laws that legally drain their states of the of much-needed funds for development.

    Though, Akwa Ibom State government bowed to public pressure and killed the obnoxious bill, several states are guilty of it. The bill empowers a former governor to earn the same salary as a sitting governor. Three-hundred percent of his basic salary would be paid as furniture allowance. It also made provision for eight police officers and two SSS operatives. After retirement, the governor gets entertainment, car maintenance, house maintenance and utility allowances with personal assistants.

    The law as it was passed in Rivers State provides for former governors and deputy governors to be paid 100 percent of their basic salaries, two houses in any location and three cars replaceable every three years. The law which was titled’ Rivers State Governor and Deputy Governor Pensions and Fringe Benefits Bill 2012’ also entitles former governor and deputy governor of the state to 300% funding for furniture, 20% for utility,10 % for entertainment and free medical care for them and their immediate families.

    In Kwara State, the law was passed in 2010 when Senator Bukola Saraki was at the helm of affairs. The bill was tagged Kwara State Public Office Holders Pension Bill 2010 ( KWHAB15) and provided for allowances, fringe benefits, and basic salaries of governors and deputies. After leaving office, governors and their deputies are to get accommodation in Abuja, a month vacation outside Nigeria, 300 per cent furniture allowance, free transport and house maintenance allowance. The duo are also entitled to domestic staff, free medical care for their immediate families, security, personal assistants, car maintenance, entertainment and 20 per cent utility allowance,  amongst other provisions too numerous to mention.

    These are retirement provisions for individuals in a country where, according to the World Bank report of 2013, 112 million citizens live below poverty line. Little wonder then why there is widespread poverty across the country when states receive huge sums monthly as allocation from the federal government. Bauchi and Benue states have also passed the law.

    With this retirement benefits, a clinic could be built and equipped to cater for the medical needs of a local community. A primary school could be built and a skill acquisition centre could as well be established. Part of this money could be given to a local farmer to enhance his operations. An artisan could be provided with the right equipment.

    The financial implications of these bills on the future of Nigerians yet unborn cannot be quantified.

    This is why I liken these governors to taproots that kill the tree.

     

    Philips, 500-Level Information Technology, MAUTECH

  • NANS aspirant makes case for free education

    A Vice-Presidential aspirant of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Oluwafemi Williams, has advised government at all levels to make education free. Oluwafemi said the present crop of leaders enjoyed quality and free education, but said none of them reciprocated the gesture to the generation after them.

    He said education was being seen as a privilege, which made managements of universities increase fees without considering the plight of the students. He said public institutions should be affordable for the poor.

    “This set of people that constitute the management boards were children of blacksmiths, hunters, farmers and so and became what they are today because of the cheap education they enjoyed. Now, they are big men and have failed to realise that all fingers are not created equal,” he said.

    He decried the poor standard of education in the country, saying: “It is a big shame for this kind of education to be made expensive. Why would you have over 80 students in a department and a lecturer teaching over 1,000 students in a classroom without teaching aids and so on? If this kind of education of little quality is made expensive, then I fear for the future of this country. Making it expensive should be termed extortion and corruption.”

    Oluwafemi urged other students’ leaders to rise against the problem of rising tuition in the country.

  • ‘Youths must give birth to a new Nigeria’

    The youths have been urged to promote national unity, regardless of their social or religious difference. This advice was given by the United States ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle.

    Speaking on the topic: Youth empowerment to forge a strong Nigeria at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), the US envoy said the youth must labour to create a new country despite the challenges of unemployment and insecurity.

    He said: “Your country faces a lot of challenges, especially in the areas of security and employment. But I fully believe that your country can as well overcome these challenges and move into a great future. Nigerian youths can play a role in ensuring political stability and security.”

    He added that the US was willing to partner with Nigeria to empower young leaders, saying: “The United States is committed to partnering and sponsoring on-going effort in public and private sector to empower youths because they are the leaders of tomorrow.”

    The envoy called on religious groups to preach the gospel of peace and harmony.

    He charged the youth to use their skills and talents for the growth of the country, adding that they must not be used as thugs during election.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Benjamin Ozumba, said he was optimistic that the visit would foster enduring partnership with the United States Government and her research institution.

    Beneficiaries of Fulbright exchange programme, Dr Chinenye Amaonyeze and  Chiamaka Echeta, 200-Level Pharmacy, praised the efforts of the embassy to promote education .

  • The dilemma of tertiary education (I)

    Two weeks ago, the mug shot of a felon in California, the United States of America (USA), Jeremy Meeks was posted on the internet by the police department’s Facebook page. A few hours after it went viral, the mug shot earned him hoards of admirers with mainly ladies commenting on how “handsome” he is.

    If that was the end to the story it would have been better; but wait for this, it secured him a Hollywood agent who is already negotiating modeling contracts for him even though he is a felon and still in jail! Can you beat that!

    Perhaps I need to point out that Jeremy Meeks was arrested as part of a sweep of gangs in Stockton, California, and faces a felony weapons charge. It was reported that the agent, Gina Rodriguez has signed Meeks, 30, as a client and he joins a roster of her other notorious celebrities.

    So what are the prospects for a modeling career for the “handsome” felon? “Jeremy has an amazing look and has received international attention which I feel can only help him flourish in the entertainment industry,” Rodriguez was quoted as telling ABC News in the US.

    Not done with her high hopes, she added: “Jeremy could make somewhere between $3,000 to $100,000 per month through endorsements and modeling. We are also speaking with several production companies about following Jeremy’s foray into the entertainment industry.”

    As “good” as this may sound, there is one big hurdle preventing any immediate modelling windfall; Jeremy is behind bars on $1.1 million bail. The story gets interesting when it was also reported that a woman claiming to be Meeks’ mother launched a “GoFundMe” campaign to raise money to pay for his release.

    In the description, she insisted that he has no gang affiliations in spite of the charges filed against him. “He has old tattoos…which cause him to be stereotyped. He’s my son and I’m just trying to raise funds to help him in any way. Please help him to get a fair trial or else he’ll be railroaded,” his mother Katherine Angier wrote. So far, they have raised over $5,000.

    You might be wondering what this has to do with tertiary education in Nigeria. I recounted this true story to drive home the fact that the postmodern society we live in is a complex one that defies logic and reasoning in some cases. I have discovered that society often place premium on things that in most cases add little or no value toward progress. The story I just recounted may have happened in the US, but some of the people that admired the “handsome” felon were Nigerian youths. The world is now a global village without barriers.

    For some time now, there have been rumblings in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector. From Lagos to Ife, Anyingba to Keffi and elsewhere students have taken to the streets to protest upward review of fees charged by their respective institutions. Authorities in some of these institutions have tried to give reasons for these reviews, but they often met a brick wall of resistance in the process. What then are the issues?

    In answering this question, I’d like to come back to the issue of the society. The society sees nothing wrong in building a multi-billion naira entertainment centre, but will struggle if asked to contribute to the building and equipping of a science laboratory. The same society will also see nothing wrong in the sponsorship of a beauty pageant, but will struggle if it comes to the sponsorship of a readers’ club, for instance. The list is endless.

    This was what made Oscar Wilde to say that we humans are not rational but sentimental beings. I quite agree. What would make young ladies “fall in love” with a character like Jeremy Meeks?

    Now back to the rational world. With series of strikes and other internal crises bedeviling the sector, there is little doubt that tertiary education is at a crossroad in Nigeria whether we choose to accept it or not, and we have to think fast on how to start putting it back on the right track otherwise we’d be doomed as a nation; some say we are doomed already.

    One thing is very clear here, we all seek a good education, because a good education is the root of a prosperous society, but how this “good education” metamorphoses is the million naira question. The dilemma we face in Nigeria is this: Do we want a cheap education that makes mess of progress or do we seek an expensive education that restricts access? That is the dilemma of tertiary education in this country. While we are grappling with this dilemma, hundreds of thousands of ill equipped and unemployable graduates are being churned out annually.

    While in the university, I joined fellow students as we marched to the office of the Dean of Student Affairs to protest hike in library and other fees – tuition was absolutely free back then, and the increase was not more than N100! The dean took his time to educate us that the paltry fees we pay were not up to a fraction of what he is paying for his daughter in kindergarten! You guessed right if you say the students almost stoned him. That mindset has not changed to date.

    Against this backdrop however, it will be pertinent to point out that all the great universities in the world are not cheap. But that they are not cheap does not foreclose the fact that indigent but brilliant cannot have access to them. There is a reason why they are accessible to the brilliant and ambitious: The government invests and the society plays its unique part in form of scholarships, infrastructure upgrade, provision of books and teaching aids alongside other sundry funds.

    While this is the norm in sane societies, ours is farther from the truth because those that often secure these scholarships are those ‘connected’ to the powers that be, no matter how dull they are. It will shock many Nigerians the number of foreign scholarships that are awarded in the country to people who least deserve them. Herein lay another dilemma.

    In Nigeria, the rich are not investing in our education because they claim they have no stakes, or where they have stakes, they invest for selfish reason of boosting their ego. They are least concerned because their children attend the Oxfords, Cambridge, Harvard or Yale of this world.

    While the rich shy away, the government is equally bereft of ideas on how to make education qualitative and to some reasonable extent affordable. Where the idea thrives, the “political will” to carry it out is a different ballgame altogether. In the US, for instance, many students have access to loans that often see them through the university. They pay back when they start working, President Obama paid off his loans when he was a senator! But I can hear you laughing and saying where is the work in Nigeria? I agree, but can we at least try it as a pilot project?

    Toward the end of last month, the Economist magazine ran a cover story titled “creative destruction.” It centers on how universities can reinvent themselves and remain relevant in a rapidly changing world. This goes to show that the problem is global and not restricted to Nigeria. But the difference here is that other are already thinking ahead of time.

    In the report, the magazine argued that a cost crisis, changing labour markets and new technology will turn an old institution on its head. Higher education – it rightly pointed out – is one of the great successes of the welfare state which most western societies adopted to cushion the harsh effects of unbridled capitalism. What was once the privilege of a few became a middle-class entitlement, thanks mainly to government support.

    It said that “in the emerging world universities are booming: China has added nearly 30m places in 20 years. Yet the business has changed little since Aristotle taught at the Athenian Lyceum: young students still gather at an appointed time and place to listen to the wisdom of scholars. Now a revolution has begun thanks to three forces: rising costs, changing demand and disruptive technology. The result will be the reinvention of the university.”

    Is Nigeria ready for such reinvention?

  • ‘It’s my duty to make environment safe’

    ‘It’s my duty to make environment safe’

    Ayomide Atitebi is making a difference in the society through his activities to restore the environment. The Nigerian Law School student is an ambassador of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), promoting TUNZA Eco-generation – a campaign for green environment in Africa. He speaks to CALEB ADEBAYO (500-Level Law, Obafemi Awolowo University).

    What is TUNZA?

    TUNZA is a Kiswahili word which means to treat something with care or affection. But it is an initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which is specifically designed to develop activities in the areas of capacity building and environmental awareness for children and the youth, who are called TUNZA eco-generation ambassadors.

    What is the task like?

    It includes planning, executing and participating in various environmental awareness programmes in Nigeria, which, of course, is the region I represent. I have the responsibility of presenting the environmental situation in Nigeria at international forum.

    How were you selected as ambassador?

    I applied but they discovered that I have confidence to deliver the objectives of the initiative. I demonstrated a convincing and sincere passion for environmental protection, which is deeply rooted in my knowledge of environmental law and contemporary global environmental issues. Also, my activity plans as I was later informed, were considered to be unusually impressive.

    Can you share some of the activity plans?

    One of them is to engage public personalities, who have acquired a large public audience and credibility to use their platforms to effectively spread the message to every nook and cranny of Nigeria. Also, I intend to start a number of green projects involving youth and children with the aim of providing palliative solutions to our common environmental challenges in a way that will inspire others to join the group. I have already initiated some of these projects.

    What is the message of TUNZA?

    We are preaching that humanity should stop breaking the environment if we cannot fix it.

    What solution would you proffer for environmental hazards in the country?

    First, there is need for us to acknowledge that our development is sustainable only if the environment is made a key part of economic policies. And that encompasses rethinking our activities on the environment and its adverse consequences. Our waste management laws and policies need frequent review to meet the basic waste disposal challenges of this era. Such laws and policies must be strictly enforced to abate environmental hazards that would occur due to improper waste management. But more importantly, governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) need to collaborate to promote eco-literacy among people in the grassroots, many of whom have little knowledge about the environmental consequences of their agricultural and domestic activities.

    Is there hope for Nigeria?

    Of course. Literally, we are not in absolute gloom and the darkness is not peculiar to our sky alone. I believe that despite the numerous challenges, there are quite a number of Nigerians who, in their various capacities, are fixing the nation for good. We must be hopeful.

    Do you think our environment affects our living and livelihood?

    That is incontrovertible. We are largely affected by environmental degradation and the truth is that we are seen through what we turn our environment into and what we make of it is a direct reflection of what we have become in order to survive. We cannot be oblivious of the impact of climate change, which is seriously affecting the quality and quantity of our food production, uncontrolled rural-urban migration, unpredictability of seasons, extinction of some species of flora and fauna and the monstrous effects of global warming. All these are the ways the environment is affecting our living.

    World Environmental Day was commemorated last month. What does it signify?

    It was a day to reflect on the state of our environment and what we must do as humans to protect it, not just for our immediate benefit, but also for the use and enjoyment of future generations. Every June 5, I organise Eco-photo and Design contest for the youth and children.

    Have you reached out to the government on how to engender policies that would promote good environment?

    I must admit that it has been challenging to collaborate with government for the purpose of facilitating and implementing good environmental policies and this is because of protocols and bureaucratic hurdles. But then, it is my duty to strive to break through the protocols and get the necessary government officials and bodies interested in my eco-friendly intentions.

     

  • VC lauds alumni body

    The Vice-Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Prof Bamitale Omole, has praised the contributions of members of alumni association to the development of institution.

    He spoke during the inauguration of the national officers of the association. Omole, who was represented by his deputy on Academics, Prof Ayobami Salami, called on other members to do everything possible to assist the Federal Government in improving tertiary education in Nigeria.

    During the election of the association, thousands of alumni gathered for re-union. Mr Segun Oke was elected as president. Also, Bola Oloko, Niyi Oduneye and Hakeem Olomowewe became Vice-Presidents for Southwest, North, and Southeast/South-south axes respectively.

    Lara Olanrewaju was elected National Secretary, while Lekan Odunjo and Bayo Adesida were elected first and second National Assistant Secretary respectively.

    Others were Fred Aburu, Legal Adviser; Angela Ukatu, Deputy Legal Adviser; Ronke Okoya, Financial Secretary; Bisi Adetifa, Treasurer; Ayo Adelugba, Publicity Secretary; Diran Ayanyemi, Welfare Secretary and Kayode Adeigbe, Editor-in-Chief.

    In his address, Oke appreciated attendees of biennial convention of the association, promising to run an all-inclusive and transparent administration. He urged other alumni to join his administration and take the university to greater heights.

  • Show right attitude to studies, VC tells freshers

    Show right attitude to studies, VC tells freshers

    No fewer than 3,600 freshers took matriculation oath at the Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State.

    The figure was calculated to be 20 per cent of applicants, who applied for admission in the institution.

    Vice-Chancellor Prof Femi Mimiko, represented by his deputy, Prof Rotimi Ajayi, congratulated the students and urged them to have the right attitude towards their studies to achieve academic success.

    He said: “I sincerely advise you to guide your admission jealously and avoid anything that may rob you of this golden privilege to study in the university. Your sole purpose of coming to the university is to achieve academic laurels and build your character so that you may become a more responsible citizen and be maximally useful to the society. Achieving this and coming out in flying colours start by having the right attitude to your studies from the beginning.”

    Prof Mimiko advised the students to shun social vices that might deprive them of their admission, adding that the university had zero tolerance for such practices.

    One of the students, Akinrolayo Olushola, Public Administration Department, expressed joy for his admission, promising to work hard to achieve academic excellence.

    The matriculation oath was administered by the Registrar, Mr Bamidele Olotu.

  • Curbing violence among youths

    From the recent violent activities perpetrated by youths, the future looks scary, notably in this age when our senses are bombarded with varying shades of crimes committed in our institutions of learning.

    The events seem endless. We have heard cases of oppression of students; students being robbed on their way to class; harassment of lecturers and the murder of lecturers and students in cold blood. There have been cases of rape, robbery, kidnapping and other forms of criminal activities which have given rise to considerable level of fear among students and members of staff of our institutions. This, inadvertently, gives credence to the fact that there is so much violence in the minds of some youths. It is infuriating, however, to hear that another lecturer has been kidnapped in one of our institutions. The bottom-line is that there is simply no regard for human life in the mind of the vicious youth.

    The ever increasing crime rate is assuming a dangerous dimension. These cruel youths are frequently reported in the news killing or seriously injuring people. The peril of that brutality dangles heavily in the air. Several of the tales are true. This is nothing but the influence of peer pressure and a certain need to “belong.”

    The management of different institutions of learning has continued to try their best in ensuring that the case of cultism is totally aborted. The disturbing fact is not just the growing rate of the violence but why different measures designed to put an end to these activities have failed.

    Non-Governmental Organisations and even individuals have, in the past, endeavoured to put an end to the hostility in tertiary institutions across the country. Different banners and leaflets have continued to adorn the public, yet the problems have not reduced. It has continued to increase.

    The logical question to ask ourselves in the midst of these cruelties is what then could be the cause of these hostile acts? Such enormous hatred and violence could only stem from a reason. After all, a river usually has a source.

    Essentially, the media is blamed for the cruelty. Whilst some have argued that the media has really helped in reducing violence, others have maintained that the true cause of violence lies in the media because of the publicity given to the violent activities of some youths. The general notion is that the media is responsible for the violence perpetrated by youths, going by the content of some of the movies we watch and the music we listen to. That may explain why in some homes, newspapers, televisions, radios or any form of media are not found because the parents in such homes have agreed that the less the children are exposed to such things, the less violent they would be.

    Looked from another angle, substance abuse may well be another cause of violence in the youth of today. I mean it has even got to the stage where all sorts of harmful substances are seen as a stimulus for performance. It is now commonplace to find kiosk or stores selling these substances inside or very close to institutions.

    Equally, peer pressure is also an important factor that necessitates aggression in these students. When someone interacts with the wrong set of people, his or her focus might be on how to live up to the expectation of his peer group, thus joining them in whatever activity they do not minding  how deadly or harmful it could be.

    Another equivocal factor is the alarming rate of broken homes. Courts are swimming with different divorce cases, and the ones who bear the brunt of these cases are the children. If not quickly helped, the children could grow up with a complex about life, thereby developing the mind of employing violence as a means to justify an end. Such person would have obviously forgotten the words of Abraham Lincoln who  said, “ Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another, but let him work diligently and build one for himself, thus by example assuring that his own shall be safe from violence when built.”

    Poverty, they say, is the worst form of violence, because poverty itself breeds violence in the minds of people. The issue of poverty today is also a significant cause of violence in our tertiary institutions.

    The type of neighbourhood one lives can also help fuel the flame of violence in our society. The government is easily blamed for violence everywhere, but it is important to know that intolerance itself is a form of violence. We all should learn to be more tolerant and respect each other. Students should also learn to be content with whatever is offered by parents or guardians. Some students are possessed by the need to buy everything and belong to the elite class on campus, forgetting that our parents are investing so much in us by sending us to school so that we can make a good individual out of ourselves in future and contribute to the family, community and national development.

    It is always said that, “to whom much is given, much is expected”.  We should not, because of the limited time we would spend in school, forget all about values and traditions that had been imbibed in us by our parents.

     

    Suliat, ND II Mass Comm., OFFA POLY

  • Student shot in UNILAG campus

    Student shot in UNILAG campus

    A student was reportedly shot in the head by unidentified gunmen on Monday at the King Jaja Hall area of the University of Lagos.

    The student who was identified as Sapara, a final year student of Philosophy, had his face covered in blood after a bullet was said to have scraped the side of his head.

    He was subsequently taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba and official report had it that he was in stable condition.

    The incident, however, led to chaos as students were seen running in different directions after the gunshot was heard.

    Eyewitnesses said they saw a car speed off after the shooting, noting that the perpetrators might have carried out the attack from there.

    Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, the Dean of Students’ Affairs of the University, Prof. Olukayode Amund, confirmed that Sapara was indeed shot and currently recuperating at LUTH.

    He stated that investigations had begun to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack, after which requisite actions would be taken.

    He said, “The events surrounding the incident are still unknown and by the time we conclude our investigation, the university authority will take the necessary and appropriate action. Our security operatives are working very hard to unravel the mystery and whoever is responsible will be held to account.”

    When asked whether the attack was carried out by cultists, Amund noted that though it was not yet confirmed, it was a likely possibility.

    According to him, only cultists are known to carry out operations of this nature.