The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • Corps member lifts widows, trains youths

    Corps member lifts widows, trains youths

    Residents of Etioro in Akoko South-West of Ondo State have praised Godwin Afiene, a corps, for donating materials to widows in the community.

    Godwin, who is serving at the Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), also organised skills acquisition programme for youths in the community and donated two first-aid boxes and exercise books to indigent pupils.

    Speaking after the presentation of the materials, the community head, Chief P. A. Adewumi, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, said: “Many corps members had served in this community, but this is the first time a corps member has done these remarkable things.  Godwin has impacted on our community positively. We are happy and we appreciate you.”

    He also lauded the skills acquisition programme of the corps member, saying the gesture had encouraged the youth and added value to their lives.

    Godwin thanked God for inspiring him to contribute to the development of the society, expressing determination to continue to make meaningful impact on humanity.

  • UNIJOS mourns seven blast victims

    UNIJOS mourns seven blast victims

    Seven final year Medical Laboratory Science students of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) were among those killed in the twin blasts of May 20 in the Plateau State capital. ESTHER MARK (UNIJOS graduate) reports.

    · Two nursing mothers among the dead

    Jos, the Plateau State capital, was in the news last week, following the twin blasts at the Terminus Market. No fewer than 118 people, mainly traders, died in the blasts; scores were injured.

    The University of Jos (UNIJOS) lost seven final year Medical Laboratory Science students – Francisca Nwafor, Oluwadolapo Komolafe, Vivian Chioma Obilor, Mike Ogbole, Millicent Yusuf, Monday Wingak and Doris Udegbunem.

    That fateful day, the late Mike called out Christian faithful in the hostels for prayer – he had been doing this for years as a member of the G-Force Fellowship. After the prayer, he left for lectures. By 1pm, he was done and he headed home to eat. That was the last his classmates saw of him.

    The late Millicent was said to have got up early to prepare her eight-month-old baby for the crèche. She left for school afterwards. By 1:30pm, the lectures were over. The late Millicent, according to her classmates, left the school immediately to take her baby and return to her off-campus hostel.

    The late Francisca, the late Lydia, the late Vivian, the late Monday and the late Doris also had one or two things to do that day. They might have looked forward to returning home to rest, but they never had that chance. About 30 minutes after Haematology lecture, they left for the Terminus Market, close to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), where medical students receive lectures. They all died in the blasts.

    Some of their colleagues were still in the classroom when the incident occurred.

    Following the blasts, CAMPUSLIFE gathered that Daisy Odey, the victims’ classmate, told others that the deceased would have been on the scene. She mobilised others to search for their seven classmates.

    The late Mike, who hailed from Benue State, was described as a “dedicated Christian” by hostel mates, who were still in shock when they spoke to our correspondent.

    His close friend, Hendrick Idajo, who was in tears, said: “If I were to receive virtues from you, I would have your zeal to serve God, moral decency and wisdom to handle issues. I love you, Mike, but God loves you more.”

    A classmate of the late Mike, who did not give his name, wrote on the board: “Mike, to think you are no more is rather shocking. What a life you have lived. Since our paths crossed in 100-Level, you became my Bible teacher. It was just like yesterday. It is so hard to believe you are gone. You were an icon; the bearer of the light. I will continue to remember you until we meet to part no more.”

    Mike’s remains were buried last Thursday in Benue State.

    The late Monday was also a member of the G-Force Fellowship. The late Francisca was described as a “beautiful scientist” by classmates.

    Unlike others, the late Doris and the late Millicent left behind babies whose ages are between eight months and one year. The duo got married before their final year.

    While others seem to have accepted their fate, friends and family members of the late Vivian  believe she is not dead. To them, she is missing and admitted in a hospital where she has not been identified among the charred bodies removed from the scene.

    Chizaram Orji wrote on the late Vivian’s Facebook page: “My sister cannot die now. It is not yet her time. I believe she is somewhere. She is not dead. She is still alive. May Almighty God protect her and make her to find her way back home, in Jesus Name. Amen.”

    In honour of the late students, the UNIJOS management declared last Friday a lecture–free day. The  Students’ Union Government (SUG) urged the Federal Government to find the masterminds of the blasts, urging proactive steps in dealing with the rising menace.

    The Deputy Registrar (Information), Steve Otowo, urged members of the university community to be security-conscious.

  • Osun varsity wins debate

    Osun varsity wins debate

    The Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has emerged the second runner up in the 2014 Africa Regional Inter-University Debate Competition organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Institute for African Culture and International Understanding in partnership with the Centre for Human Security and Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.

    The university was represented by Temiloluwa Ogundele, a 200-Level Law student,  and Olusegun Faleyimu, a 200-Level Languages and Linguistics student.

    The objective of the debate was to enhance communication and literary skills of African students and provide a scholarship platform with a long-term benefit of promoting African unity and derive solutions to developmental challenges facing African countries.

    Thirteen African countries, including Benin Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Niger Republic, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Nigeria participated in the debate. Crawford University and Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone won first and second positions respectively, while UNIOSUN came third.

    Temiloluwa was adjudged the best speaker in one of the sessions. The award was presented by the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Centre for Human Security, Professor Akin Mabogunje.

    The event was attended by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof Hassana Alidou, Director of UNESCO Regional Multi-Sectorial Office for West Africa, Dr Minkailu Bah; Minister of Education, Science and Technology in Sierra Leone, Prof Juma Shabani, Prof Tunde Babawale, Prof Peter Okebukola, Dr Mary Khimulu and Dr Christopher Kolade.

  • Students bemoan ‘double fee’ as varsity resumes

    Students bemoan ‘double fee’ as varsity resumes

    Kogi State University (KSU) in Ayingba has just resumed session but students are not happy with the fee regime introduced by the management.

    They describe it as anti-student. Some of them, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, said the new fee was not in the interest of students.

    A 300-Level student, who did not want his name in print, said management disappointed students with the increment, saying: “I think it is not a wise thing for the authorities to increase the fees at this period because things are not easy for us.”

    He urged the management to be considerate.

    A fresher said the management was ripping off students through “double charge” for one item.

    “I don’t know why this people decided to increase the fees at this critical time. I was told that the fees that fresh students used to pay was tN35, 500.  I don’t know how it became N57,500 for those of us that are indigenes. We are also paying departmental fees and association fees even after they have been included in the school’s fees.”

    However, a student, James Yusuf, said the fee increment was in order, noting the new fee was affordable compare to the fees being charged in Southwest universities.

    He said: “Look my brother, the increment is considerate enough, owing to the fact that if you look at it, other institutions are collecting even higher fees. Other universities collect as high as one hundred thousand and above, even for their students. Consider the Lagos State University, for instance and others in the West.”

    While some kicked against the fee increment, others commended the school for the upward review of fees, saying its in line with realities of the 21st century education.

    It was gathered that the Students’ Union Government (SUG) met with the school’s Visitor, Governor Idris Wada, following rumour that there would be fee hike, but the government said it was untrue.

  • Aunty Ngozi: Forever is thy memory

    Aunty Ngozi: Forever is thy memory

    Philip James Bailey, an English poet, rightly observed that “it matters not how long we live, but how.” An anonymous writer also said: “What will matter is not your success, but your significance. What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone. What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you. What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what. Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.”

    I totally agree with these opinions.

    Exactly two years ago, student-writers across campuses woke up on Democracy Day and got a shocking news of the death of Mrs Ngozi Agbo, who was fondly called Aunty Ngozi by CAMPUSLIFE correspondents. Like a wild fire, the news spread across campuses and higher institutions were almost shut as though, she was the Visitor to all Nigerian schools.

    Aunty Ngozi’s demise dealt a terrible blow on students’ collective psyche. The matriarch of our much-cherished pen family, we learnt, had kicked the bucket on Monday, May 28, after giving birth to a baby boy. We were sad and, indeed, we almost thought an end had come for the well-thought CAMPUSLIFE project.

    However, two years after her departure, it is heart-warming that her brainchild, a weekly pullout in The Nation, is still making impact across campuses.

    Since its inception, CAMPUSLIFE has been a veritable platform for students in higher institutions to make their voice heard, and has given them a rare opportunity to practise journalism, as it were, regardless of their disciplines. Her Page 30 column – Pushing Out – spoke volumes about her passion for youth development and rebirth of the country through morality and spirituality.

    Like I wrote in my piece titled: Good night, Aunty Ngozi Agbo, published on this page on May 31, 2012, “she (Aunty Ngozi) was an Amazon; tall and strong. She bestrode the journalism firmament like a colossus, armed with a tall dream and a strong determination. Her dream was to salvage the future of the Nigerian youth; to raise role models in a depraved society through the instrumentality of the media. So, she launched into her dream, believing passionately in its reality and efficacy. And then she hit the ground running.”

    It needs to be repeated here that the late Aunty Ngozie was not only a trailblazer as her brainchild – CAMPUSLIFE – became a template for several other newspapers, she was also a mentor, a teacher, a source of inspiration, a friend, a change agent, and an enabler of dreams to many young persons, not only to those of us in the pen family.

    The fact that Wale Ajetunmobi, one of her mentees in the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), has been coordinating the affairs of CAMPUSLIFE since her demise speaks volumes about Aunty Ngozi’s efforts at mentoring and building young people for the good future she dreamt about. Wale, who observed his National Youth Service at The Nation, worked closely with her for two years until her “leap into the dark”, apologies to Thomas Brown.

    To be sure, the story of my journey into journalism as a career, after a hard-earned strong 2:1 degree in Accounting, cannot be complete without a mention of the impact Aunty Ngozi made in my life through CAMPUSLIFE. The first time I met her in 2009, my passion for writing literally shot up because her advice boosted my confidence in honing my writing skills.

    Like I wrote in 2012, “she will eternally be etched in my memory because she made positive indelible impact on me.” And I know there are many young people, who are very grateful that they met her because she left them better than the way she met them.

    “A teacher affects eternity,” said Henry Brooks Adams.  “He can never tell where his influence stops.”

    Although Aunty Ngozi is no more, her impact is very much alive. It is alive in me and many others who are poised to make the society better in our own unique ways.

     

    Femi, a former CAMPUSLIFE reporter in Ekiti State University, is a reporter with a Lagos-based finacial newspaper

     

  • Our girls must come back alive

    “It won’t be out of place if the whole nation marches up to the insurgents to demand for the release of the youngsters”- Zainab Okino, Executive Editor, Blueprint Newspaper.

    There are the 276 schoolgirls kidnapped on April 15 at the Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State? This is a question the authorities have not been able to answer for the agitated citizens since Boko Haram insurgents kidnapped the helpless pupils. For weeks, there have confusion in the land. There have been protests and mourning everywhere; ceaseless outcries, uncomplimentary remarks and severe criticism of the Federal Government’s inability to rescue the girls.

    Given his handling of the abduction, many people had urged President Goodluck Jonathan to take after the South Korean Prime Minister, Chung Hong-Won, who threw in the towel 11 days after a ferry carrying school children on a field trip to the Island of Jeju capsiszed, killing over 300 people.

    Hong-Won said: “I offer my apology for having been unable to prevent this accident from happening and unable to properly respond to it afterwards. I believed I, as the Prime Minister, certainly had to take responsibility and resign.”

    But many, who had expected the same expression from President Jonathan on his inability to rescue the abducted girls, were disappointed when the Nigerian leader flew to Kano for a political rally. This generated criticisms but the presidency explained away the action as one to “shame Boko Haram” that wants to bring down the government.

    However, with the unabated killings by Boko Haram in the Northeast, it appears nobody is safe again in the country. Critics have said Nigeria is fast becoming a banana republic.

    Weeks after the much-publicised security meeting was held in the Presidential Villa, the whereabouts of the abducted girls is still unknown. Already, we are beginning to hear different stories about the teenagers’ wellbeing. There is a rumour that the girls are being taken away from Sambisa Forest, where they were kept to unknown destinations.

    A report said some of them have been married off with N2,000 bride price. Another report said the helpless girls have been scattered and are being taken to neighbouring countries, such as Chad, Cameroon and Niger Republic. In case of full war against the insurgents, the girls would be used as a shield. This would make rescue operation by government and allied forces ineffective.

    It is becoming worrisome and frustrating that the exact figure of the abducted girls and how many of them that escaped are not known. With this inaccuracy, the agony of the girls’ parents would be compounded.

    The reason for the abduction of the girls has been said to discourage girl-child education. Some said, perhaps, the Boko Haram fighters are in desperate need of wives, which may have informed the comment by Abubakar Shekau, the sect leader, who said the girls would be married off?

    In her article titled: These schoolgirls must not die, Zainab Okino observed: “It is criminally repulsive and no responsive and responsible government watches and allows this kind of things to happen to one or two teenage girls, not to talk of almost 200… My heart goes out to these schoolgirls and their parents. It is understandable to lose a loved one, but to think of them as hostages in the midst of mindless insurgents is incredulously ludicrous…”

    The psychological trauma the girls and their parents are going through cannot be quantified. It disturbs every sane human to imagine what the gun-wielding criminals would be doing to the innocent girls. But, the nation is waiting for who will lead the rescue mission to Sambisa Forest. Even, the military resorted to prayers, asking Nigerians to join in prayers for the safe release of the victims. This smacks of helplessness.

    It’s pertinent that collaborative efforts among relevant agencies and political will on the part of the president must be shown to secure the girls’ release. The decision by the president to set up committee is not appropriate and one wonders how far can the committee go in securing the release of the schoolgirls. Without mincing words, there is no alternative method to secure release of these girls; government and its troops must show action and convince Nigerians that they are up to the task. None of the girls must die in the process. If any of the dies (God forbid), it may generate an outcry whose magnitude may be too large for the government to contain. In any way the authorities plan to rescue the girls from their captors, all of them must be brought back alive.

     

    Azeezat, 400-Level Mass Comm., UNILORIN

  • 21 students bag MSSN’s scholarship

    21 students bag MSSN’s scholarship

    To motivate its members to achieve good academic performance, the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), University of Lagos branch, has awarded scholarships to 21 students whose Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is 3.5 and above.

    They received the awards during the annual Academic Counselling Seminar organised by the association at the institution’s main auditorium.

    The awardees included Adebisi Abdul Ganiy, Chemistry Department with a CGPA of 3.92, Adegbite Afeez, Metallurgical and Mathemetics, 3.88; Adeniji Kazeem, Chemistry, 3.61 and Ojubanire Nurein, Marine Science. They were given 50,000 each for the indigent category.

    Others included Adekomi AbdulMeheez, Petroleum and Gas, 4.72, Toyiba Amusa, Economics, 3.78; Adeyanju Kazeem, Chemistry Education,  4.10;  Monsurat Alimi, Business Administration, 4.41;  Azeez Mariam, Finance, 4.68;  Olajide Tawakalitu, Chemistry Science, 4.51 and   AdebayoFaruq, Computer Science, 4.23.

    In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Rahaman Bello, hailed MSSN for the laudable initiative.

    Bello urged the students not to allow their religious engagements to affect their academic activities, saying they should acquire the requisite skills needed in the labour market and finish their studies with good grades.

    “Be religious, because being religious will prevent you from joining bad gangs on campus. But do not allow your religious activities to affect your academic pursuits. Do not rush out and get a third class, go at your pace and graduate with first class or second class upper,” he said.

    The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Kampala International University, Uganda, Dr Ahmed Adedeji, who spoke on the theme: “Relevance of Nigeria’s education to nation building”, stressed the need for re-designing Nigeria curriculum to make students acquire relevant knowledge that will make them productive and contribute meaningfully to the development of the country.

    Adedeji   called on politicians and academics to salvage the country’s dwindling educational system. He urged the youth to wake up from their slumber, make judicious use of their time and come up with innovative ideas that would lead to the advancement of the country.

    “As youths, we need to wake up. Our time should not be wasted on things that are euphemeral. Let our energy speak for us. Let us generate ideas, let us put the ideas into practice,” he said.

    One of the awardees, a 300-Level student of the Department of Chemistry, AbdulGaniy Adebisi, said the money would go a long way in assisting his academic pursuit.

    “ I thanks Allah for counting me among the lucky ones that won this scholarship. I appreciates MSSN UNILAG for putting up this type of programme to encourage and improve the lives of the Muslim students on campus. By the special grace of God, I am going to use the money judiciously to improve my academic performance by buying the necessary materials for my courses,” he said.

  • VC tells freshers to pursue excellence

    VC tells freshers to pursue excellence

    The Vice -Chancellor of the Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Prof Femi Mimiko, has urged the newly admitted students of the university to embrace hard work and culture of excellence as they resume their academic journey in the university.

    The VC, represented by his deputy, Prof Rotimi Ajayi, spoke at the orientation held for the fresh students.

    He advised the students to shun act that may jeopardise their admission, saying the university does not condone examination misconduct, cultism, indecent dressing, rape, theft, and other forms of vices.

    The VC noted that there had been increase in the number of candidates applying to the university because of the qualitative teaching the institution is known for.

    He said: “First, students receive a world-class and qualitative education at the most affordable cost. It is on record that this university charges the least school fees in Nigeria, making the university an institution of choice for many applicants.

    “We are noted for a culture of excellence and we strive to be on top all the time. The university was adjudged by the National Universities Commission (NUC) as the best state university in Nigeria in terms of the quality of academic staff. This month, an American Agency, United States Transparency International Standards, ranked AAUA as the best state university in Nigeria in its 2013 co-ordinated school survey in Nigeria.”

    The Acting Director of Health Services, Dr Grace Ajayi, who spoke on health matters, advised the freshers to shun self-medication, urging them to always visit the health centre whenever they encounter health challenges.

  • Corps member gives volley ball, books to school

    In her quest to impact on her host community, Chinenye Amanonye, a corps member serving in Owerri, Imo State, has built a volleyball court to Urban Development Secondary School, Owerri.

    At the ceremony where the facility was unveiled, Chinenye also donated books to the school library. The event was witnessed by Head of Community Development Service (CDS), represented by Local Government Inspector,  Mrs Benedicta Abboh,  Vice Principal, Mrs Mgbe Ahuru,  teachers, corps members and students.

    Chinenye said the objectives of the project was to develop the talent of the pupils in sport.

    Mrs Mgbeahuru praised the corps member for the gesture, urging other youths serving in the community to emulate the gesture.  She noted that the volleyball court would benefit the pupils and improve sporting activities in the school.

    She recommended that the state and the Federal Governments should honour the corps member for keeping the core values of the NYSC scheme alive. She advised the pupils to emulate the corps member and study hard to become graduates and impact their communities.

    The local government officials praised the corps member for the projects, appreciating the school management for their support to the corps member.  The highpoint was the commissioning of the 19×9m standard volleyball court.

    Copies of a novel, The Rising Sun, which was written by the corps member, was donated to the school.

    Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Chinenye said she was motivated with what she saw around her and the leadership potential she has, urging other corps members to make impact in their host communities.

    Matthew, a SSS 2 pupil, who spoke on behalf of the students, appreciated the corps member.

  • All for charity

    All for charity

    Members of the Gospel Students’ Fellowship of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) have visited the Modupe Cole Memorial Childcare Treatment Home School and Physiotherapy Clinic to donate gifts to the inmates. GODWIN SIMON (400-Level Mass Communication) reports.

    They were abandoned by those supposed to care for them. They are children with deformities. Last Saturday, some students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) visited the Modupe Cole Memorial Childcare Treatment Home School and Physiotherapy Clinic in Akoka, Lagos State, to donate gifts to the inmates.

    When the students arrived, the physically-challenged children beamed with smiles. Some fixed their gaze on the floor as if ruminating on a crucial issue; others were lively, playing football and running around with the students.

    Without moving close to them, it will be difficult to know their state of health. However, not all of them are healthy. Their dull grimace, staggered movements, twisted or paralysed legs, and abnormal stature, showed that the children are far from being healthy.

    The students are members of the institution’s chapter of the Gospel Students’ Fellowship. They donated food items and other materials to the children.

    They were received by Mr. Musa Kareem, an official of the clinic, who said the organisation was established in 1960 by the late Miss Modupe Cole to care for the physically-challenged free of charge.

    Kareem said most of the children were not born with deformities, noting that they became incapacitated after being afflicted by diseases. He said the home had become where the children get the care they were denied by their parents.

    Kareem said: “We have three categories of children here. There are ones who can get education, while some can be trained in various vocations and others are perpetually dependent. The ones that can get education are those who can still cope with academics, and therefore are being taught how to read and write. The trainable ones are those who cannot be taught in academic line. They can only be exposed to vocational training while the perpetually dependents are those who don’t belong to any of the two groups. They are just being taken care of here.”

    Noting that funding is a challenge facing the home, Kareem appealed to wealthy individuals and corporate bodies for assistance.

    Mrs Tonia Ikemefuna, a nurse, said staff were poorly paid, disclosing that some of them receive as low as N5,000 monthly. She urged well-to-do individuals to assist the organisation to improve the care given to the children.

    Kareem praised the Lagos State Government for its support to the home. He said Governor Babatunde Fashola gives financial assistance to the home every month.

    The Welfare Secretary of the fellowship, Toluwalope Oduneye, said the visit was part of the fellowship’s quest to support the less-privileged in the society and to also make members imbibe the habit of sharing the burden of others and giving back to the society.

    She appealed to privileged Nigerians to assist the children with deformities with finance and materials to ameliorate their suffering.

    The students were later ushered into the home’s showroom where the craftworks of the children were displayed for sale. Some of the materials bought by the students included beads, shoes, soaps and wrist bands.