The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • Pharmacists take oath

    Pharmacists take oath

    New graduands of the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) have been inducted. The ceremony took place at the Akin Deko Auditorium of the institution.

    The Dean of the faculty of Pharmacy, Prof E. O. Osazuwa, congratulated the inductees, saying he shared in their joy as a dean and father.

    The Vice Chancellor, Prof G. O. Oshodin, was represented by the Deputy VC (Academics) Prof Obehi Okojie. Others at the even Mrs Gloria O. Abumere, Registrar, Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN); Solomon Aigbavboa, Managing Director, MDS Logistics Plc; Jude E. Nosagie, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Precious Palm Royal Hotels; Sir E. A. Osadolor, CEO, Nomagbon Pharmaceuticals and Prof Vincent Iyamu, Provost of Medical College, UNIBEN.

    Speaking on the topic: Drug regulations and national security, Aigbavboa urged the graduands to be virtuous and disciplined to avoid dealing in fake and substandard drugs. He added: “I am baffled by the flourishing herbal business in the country and our media houses are filled with all sort of jingles for alternative medicines. With a single drug, they tell us that we could cure hypertension, infertility, gonorrhoea and diabetes and yet the drug would still be NAFDAC registered even though such drugs pose great health risk to consumers,” he stated.

    Emotions were high when the best graduating student, David Chukwubuikem Nwokor, was called to the podium to give his valedictory speech. Prof Osazuwa said his performance was the best in the history of the department.

    One of the inductees, Dr Ferima Dornubari, expressed gratitude to God for seeing him through.

    Nosagie congratulated the graduands, saying, henceforth, best graduating students from the faculty would be given a chance to buy shares from any company or public investment of their choice.

    He pledged to sponsor of the best graduating student’s younger brother, Emmanuel Nwokor, a 300-Level Engineering student.

  • Why Muslims must rebuke Boko Haram, by don

    Why Muslims must rebuke Boko Haram, by don

    Islamic clerics have condemned the abduction of the 276 school girls in Chibok, Borno State by Boko Haram.

    They spoke at the opening of the 24th edition of Islam Propagation Week (IPW) organised by the University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN).

    The guest lecturer, Isiaq Lakin Akinola, a professor of Islamic Studies, who spoke on the theme: The integrated circuit, said the best among Muslims are the ones who speak against evil. He enjoined everyone to join hands in fighting Boko Haram.

    “We must condemn and fight those killing innocent people, Imams, clerics in mosques and churches. Anyone who sees evil should fight it either with hand, words of mouth or through prayer. Boko Haram abducted over 200 girls; this has never happened in Islam and its history. We must condemn the insurgents because Islam is peace and Boko Haram is violence.”

    The Executive Director, Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation, Alhaji Abdullahi Shuaibu, spoke on unity in Islam, urging people of different faiths to unite. He cited unity among animals as example, saying people would have strength to tackle common challenge if there is unity.

    Another lecturer, Dr. AbdulHakeem Mobolaji, from the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) in Kwara State, spoke on corruption and its effect in the country. He said lack of progress and development, social unrest and political instability are effects of corruption, urging people to have strong faith in Allah and reject unwholesome acts.

    The society Amir, Yusuf Adebowale, said the Week was to celebrate Islam on campus through different programmes and to foster unity among Muslims.

    The programme also feature debate contest, where three secondary schools and seven higher institutions competed in quiz and Quranic recitation.

    Eko Boys Senior Secondary School won the debate with 71 points. In the quiz contest, the UNILAG College of Medicine won the star prize, while the Federal College of Education, Technology and Lagos State University won second and third positions.

    The Managing Director, Comprehensive Project Management Services, Mr Kadiri Adeola, praised the society for bringing up the event for Muslim students.

    He said: “This is a great effort by young people. As Muslims, we have challenges but Alhamdulillah (thank God) for these young ones, who organise this event for the benefit of the Muslims. Allah has said he will take care of His religion but these young take it as their responsibility to propagate Islam’s cause; it is a great effort and we must commend them.”

    Francis Amadi, a pupil of Eko Boys Senior High School, who participated in the quiz, said the event changed his views about Muslims, urging people of different faiths to embrace peace.

  • Lighting up ABU

    Students of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, Kaduna State, are excited over the stable power on their campus. AWWAL MIJINYAWA (500-Level Law) reports.

    Students at the Kongo Campus of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, Kaduna State, have praised the management for the improved power supply. They now enjoy 22 hours uninterrupted electricity supply daily.

    Kongo, a neighbourhood in Zaria, hosts the mini-campus of the institution. Like the rest of the country, the community is also experiencing epileptic power supply. Students have been complaining about the poor supply, saying it slowed down academic activities.

    Their counterparts in Samaru, which hosts the main campus, enjoy steady power supply. Kongo campus has two faculties – Law and Administration; Samaru Campus has 10 faculties.

    To ameliorate the problem, the management installed a 1,100 KVA generator in 2010 on the campus. But the generator could not power all the rooms in the hostels. Besides, it is switched on for only three hours daily.

    In 2011, the management installed a 2.5 MVA transformer, but it exploded a few months after. The development affected students, who paid double for services, such as photocopying and printing.

    Things have changed for good with the unveiling of a 7.5 MVA capacity power project, which has brought succour to students.

    Some of them, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, praised the management for attending to their welfare. Monday Podus, a 500-Level Law student, who stays in Ali Akilu Hall, said the improved power supply would help the final year students in their projects.

    For Usman Ashafa, also in 500-Level Law: “This will enhance academic activities. We must praise the management for the feat, which is touching the lives of students.”

    Pauline Nwabuike, a 400-Level Public Administration student, said: “We can now enjoy electricity like our counterparts on the main campus. Our phones and laptops were always down and the cyber cafés charged high whenever we went to browse for materials for our assignments. All these have stopped naturally.”

    The Director of the Institute of Administration, Prof. M.B Uthman, told CAMPUSLIFE that the project, which began two years ago, was donated by the Federal Government.

    He said: “When I became the Director last year, the power supply was nothing to write home about. We engaged the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) through our consultant engineer, M.N Garba, who was very helpful in this regard. We told them to either maintain the existing power facility on campus adequately or start a new one. The PHCN was able to get funding to build a new power project through the Federal Government Power Committee headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo. The contract was awarded and we are here enjoying adequate electricity supply on campus.”

    On how the university would sustain the facility, Prof Uthman said: “We are all optimistic that we will enjoy improved power supply. This is why the university has put in so much effort and we hope that everyone will assist us in this regard to save energy. Every student needs to put off his light when he does not need it. This way, we will maintain the facility.”

    Conversely, some vendors and service providers on campus are not happy. Abdullahi Tijjani, who runs a phone-charging venture, said the improved electricity is affecting his business because students no longer pay to charge their phones. “Before now, I was charging N50 per phone, but now, I no longer have customers even though the charge has been brought down to N30,” he said.

    To Shehu Usman, who runs the most patronised phone-charging business, the improved electricity is making him to think of another business he could do. “I am considering changing my business of phone charging to another,” he said, adding that he would consider selling soft drinks or a business that would make him to spend less on petrol.

    Other vendors welcomed the development, saying it would boost their businesses. Nura Lawal, who runs a computer centre, said: “I am happy that there is improvement in power supply. I will no longer buy fuel every day. Before, I used to buy N700 fuel every day. But with the improved light, I will save so much money daily.”

  • Bad pitch, good players

    Bad pitch, good players

    The football team of the Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH) in Yola, Adamawa State, has won several tournaments, but the field where the players train is rough. How does the team win in contests? PHILIPS OGBAJE (500-Level Information Technology) asks.

    o an outsider, it may appear like an abandoned piece of land. But on it are two corroded goalposts at both ends. This parcel of land is on the left side of the main entrance of the Moddibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH) in Yola, Adamawa State.

    There is no grass on the dry piece of land but that is where soccer-happy students train for major tournaments. Ordinary as it may appear, the pitch throbs with activities in the evening when students engage in sporting events.

    The field is also used for tournaments on campus. The annual Corper’s Cup contest and the Vice-Chancellor’s Cup are played there.

    Soccer champions train on the field. In 2011, the MAUTECH football team trained there, before going for the Nigerian University Games (NUGA) hosted by the University of Benin (UNIBEN). The team beat their opponents to win the football trophy.

    In 2012, the team repeated the feat and won the gold medal in the West African University Games (WAUG) hosted by the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).

    The team’s success story may sound impressive, but the pitch where the players practise is nothing to write home about. What has inspired this team to such great heights?

    Joseph Succeeder, the Students’ Union Government (SUG) Sports Director, who was part of the victorious NUGA team, said it was the love students have for the round-leather game.

    He said: “Football is one of the games to which students are attracted. In dry seasons, one can rarely breathe because of the dust on the pitch, yet students fight for a chance to play. It is the culture in all the male hostels; every small space is converted to a football field. We train ourselves before the management comes in. And that is after we may have qualified for a tournament; they will come in and take care of our travel and accommodation costs. But we buy boots and other training materials ourselves.”

    The university has a sports complex fitted with facilities, such as football pitch, basketball court, volleyball court and spectators stand, but students hardly use the facilities.

    Joseph said the distance of the complex from the hostel area is enough to discourage any student from going to the complex. It is located far away from the hostel area and, besides, there is no bus to convey the school team to the complex.

    The Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA), Dr Ja’affaru Ali, admitted that the enthusiasm of students for the sport contributed significantly to the success story recorded by the institution in football.

    “The passion of the students for football has been largely responsible for their victories but the management has also provided moral and financial support for the team,” he said.

    Anthony Akpehe, former Sport Director, said the team’s success was due to the players’ enthusiasm and the coaches’ commitment to winning.

    “We have a coach who is capable and ready to go the extra mile with us, despite all odds; we are motivated by the love of the game and the coach always gives his best. The university does very little to motivate us,” he said.

    Silas Edet, a former student, said the MAUTECH students’ passion for football is strong because there are no meaningful social activities on the campus.

    He said: “Football is the only means of entertainment that students have after hours of lectures. It is understandable because it requires no qualification. We have a lawn tennis court but the gears are expensive and beyond the reach of an average student while most students see basketball as a game for the elite.”

    Mr Ejika Sambo, chairman of the MAUTECH Sports Committee and the coach of the school team, said discipline and personal commitment were secrets that made the team to succeed. He admitted that the management was doing little to train the school team.

    “I personally sponsored all the matches we played in preparatory for the NUGA Games in 2011 and gave the players bonus for each match they won. I did all this because I was committed to the team; during the competitions, there were periods I had to pay the hotel bills of the players, but when we came back with the trophy, everybody celebrated with us,” he said.

    He said successive administrations in the university had shown little commitment to the development of sports, urging the management to set up an independent department to promote sporting events.

    Sambo suggested that ability in sport should be made part of the requirement for admission.

  • To wake up a sleepy nation

    Death and sleep are two sides of a coin. When sleep takes the centre stage, our human faculties are dead; dead to reason, to smell, to fears, to the thirst for triumph, to the fear of failure, to think, to fantasise, and to glory in the vanity of Arsenal and Man United. Though we are alive in our dream state, we lose touch with the reality of an inexorable world and our physical exertion experiences a lull.

    When we sleep, it is not only a reminder that we can die, it equally demonstrates our vulnerability in the face of death just like the case of a character, Beranger in Eugene Lonesco’s Killer without reason.

    Lonesco’s protagonist probed and even persuaded death to halt its onslaught on hapless humans. His result, expectedly, was futile. In our sleep, we grumble silently. We gasp. We sigh. We snore. We bicker over hiccups. Yet we can do nothing.

    Consider this. We sent some persons to Abuja to find solutions to the hitches arising from the 1914 hasty match-making orchestrated by Lord Lugard. But they surprised us all. By the time they arrived the venue of the confab, triviality trumped seriousness. They exchanged banters over a cup of coffee, argued about petty issues and eventually surrendered to the lure of sleep. Had you probed further, you would have noticed that they are not the only ones asleep. Their slumber should only prod us to the sleepy bug that permeates the soul of the nation.

    Spiritually, Nigeria is asleep. Forget the growing number of churches and mosques everywhere. Or how would you explain the recent attribution of Boko Haram insurgency to spiritual warfare by Minister of Power Prof Chinedu Nebo? For Pentecostal believers like this writer, such hasty generalisation seems to be fashionable. But the delusion reminds us of the irony of a character, Underground Man, in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Notes from the underground, who, though, was sufficiently educated but yet was a victim of his own plastic superstitions. Faith is alive; it’s never dead just like John Keats’ poetry of the earth. So faith should keep us awake to the quest for solutions. Faith should stir our resolve to defend the dignity of the green-white-green colours. It should inspire us to retrace our steps, accept our short-comings and collectively take the proverbial Letter to Garcia.

    For many years, Nigerian youths have been sleepy. Society failed to build them for the great challenge of leadership. We gave them no education. We gave them no example. Rather, we handed them guns to fight political opponents. We splatter their muzzled thighs with foul semen in cosy hotels tucked away in the sleepy ambience of Abuja, Port-Harcourt and Lagos. We became their sugar mummies and daddies on campus; feeding their wild and weird fantasies. Though we have universities and polytechnics, our education system failed to educate them. But like Sam Omatseye crooned, ‘they found education somewhere else. They found an education of bloodshed, of easy fame and fortune, of cheap sex and spite; an education of failure.’

    You may not have noticed it but our economy is sleepy. Or why would Nigeria continue to occupy 147th spot on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index, making it one of the worst places to do business? Of what essence are the various empowerment schemes, such as SURE-P and YOU-WIN, when stable power cannot be assured? Forget those robust GDP earnings. They seem like the proverbial beautiful sepulchre of dead bones and rotten relics. Economists have told us that a rising GDP does not translate into a growing economy. Otherwise, 57.3% of Nigerians cannot be living below the poverty line. Until we plough the millions of dollars we garner annually from IMF into fixing infrastructure, employment generation and real sector development drive will be elusive.

    Last year, our universities slept for six months. Students and parents wept woefully. But the Federal Government felt we needed to sleep even more. ASUU found a cogent ground to lure all of us to slumber. Now, for more than eight months, our polytechnics are asleep; dead to every grumbling from the students’ quarters. The sullen sweat of protesting students and their embittered parents have failed to stir the government to action. So, the sleep continues.

    In all our somnolence, the presidency tells us that all is well. They remind one of what literary critics call unreliable narrator; feeding us with their misconstrued idea of reality. Let’s all recognise that we are in one of the darkest phases of our national history. That is the first victory. And then, we would need a leadership that will be bold enough to confront the insurgency. This is beyond the exuberance of party politics. This is beyond the rhetoric of press releases. We need the resolve to accept that Nigeria is too big to be brought to its knees by some persons; the willpower to exterminate whoever is involved and the courage to exploit working intelligence, wide consultations and expertise to wipe out terrorism. America did it. We too can. To sleep when a nation boils is to die.

     

    Gilbert has just finished from Foreign Languages, UNIBEN

  • Asari Dokubo’s wild utterances

    For a period of time, Alhaji Mujaheed Asari Dokubo was off the radar of events until lately when he found his voice to challenge statements, which he perceived to be against re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, his fellow Ijaw man.

    As has been his behaviour, Asari Dokubo lashed politicians in the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, who he sees as opponents of Ijaw agenda in 2015. The former Head of State was making a case for free and fair election come 2015, but, in reaction, Dokubo threatened fire and brimstone should President Jonathan not return to office in 2015.

    A few weeks ago, Asari Dokubo roared again. In his usual insolent manner, he made the whole nation know his intention about 2015. He challenged the Boko Haram sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, and his comrades to come out for bloodbath in 2015. He spoke at an event organised by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    As much as I know, Asari Dokubo is not a personnel at the Nigerian Army. He is not a soldier, formal or informal. For all we know, he is a ‘repentant’ militant, an appellation that is close to calling him a terrorist. Inviting Shekau and his terrorist gang to come out for war, in this context, could be likened to the case of a pot calling kettle black.

    Each time Dokubo coughs, he coughs out threats. He breathes out threats of terror and violence. He dares anybody to come out for a battle of might and valour.

    Dokubo must know that Nigeria does not belong to the Niger Delta people alone. Not even this time when a Niger Delta indigene is at the helm of affairs. No ethnic group should think that it has the power to decide who occupies Aso Rock come 2015. Nigeria belongs to all of us.

    For clarification, this writer is from an oil-producing state and I don’t believe in politics of identity. If the people of Nigeria say Jonathan should step down in 2015, it is good; so far such decision represents the wishes of the majority and is subjected to the law of land. If the people, in their majority, say they would support the president to continue, nobody, not even a group of people, can stop him.

    Anyone, who hears or reads Dokubo’s utterances, would see his blind support for Jonathan and his bid to defend the president – whether Jonathan is right or wrong. Dokubo drummed support for Jonathan’s ambition and he did it at a public function without hesitation. To him, Jonathan must be returned as president in 2015 – whether he is suitable or not. This is a wrong approach to politics.

    For his utterances, Dokubo is an ethnocentric and unpatriotic element, who must be under the watch of security agencies. His statements have not been of help to the progress of Nigerian project; he is only interested in pushing the politics of identity and ethnicity down the throats of Nigerians.

    If I were President Jonathan, I would advise Dokubo to keep his mouth shut till after 2015 election, because his dangerous comments may give rise to conflagration that may consume the country in 2015 and make Nigeria ungovernable for the president he is building support for.

    Asari Dokubo must know that our country is not a wrestling ring for terrorists and militants. It is not a field for the display of savagery and lawlessness.

    Granted, the war against Boko Haram elements is a unanimous one, for which every well-meaning Nigerian must stand up and be counted. But winning the war does not depend on the use of one ethnic tactic or sentiment; rather, we must unite against people who want to take away our freedom. You cannot use terrorism to curb terrorism. Whether you call it Niger Delta militant group or Boko Haram, they are all terrorist groups.

    After all, didn’t Asari Dokubo and his boys kidnap and kill people at the peak of the Niger Delta crisis? Didn’t Dokubo and his gang destroy people’s investments and life savings each time they blew up a pipeline in the Niger Delta? They kidnapped foreigners and staff of oil companies for pecuniary gains and hid behind the façade of Niger Delta struggle. Or, perhaps, Dokubo thinks we would have forgotten his past? He would be wrong with that thought.

    In fact, the only thing that differentiates Dokubo from Shekau is amnesty. Were it not for the amnesty programme of President Umaru Musa Ya’Adua, Dokubo and his men would have been in jail for crime they committed against the country.

    If Dokubo feels he can challenge Boko Haram as a one-man-squad, fine. Let him march his army of millitants to Sambisa or wherever Shekau is hiding, with AK-47 and machine guns for a fight.

    Instead of coughing out threats and tension into our ears and making us feel 2015 is a going to be a black year for Nigeria, let him stand up and do something else.

    Or he could join the army and go to Cameroun, Chad or wherever and bring back our 276 abducted school girls. That is a priority to us as Nigerians, not his war-mongering utterances that are capable of causing more division in the country.

  • Celebrating UI VC @ 60

    Professor Isaac Adewole is a well-respected academic, in his University of Ibadan community and in Nigeria. No wonder the celebration of his 60th birthday on May 5 witnessed the influx of very important personalities from all walks of life, who came to shower encomiums and give testimonies of his unbeatable performances.

    Prof Adewole has raised the standard of education in UI through his professional qualifications and leadership dexterity. One of the targets he has always pursued with vigour and vitality is making the Premier University a world-class institution.

    When he came, the university began to witness a number of unparallel achievements. In fact, UI has become an Eldorado, a peace haven and a utopia of sort. The institution remains a leading light among its peers. This is evident of his progressive leadership in UI. He is a brilliant administrator and an astute performer, who changed the face of the university.

    I salute the exceptional display of humility and unwavering commitment to the service of humanity. After resuming as the VC, the glory of UI has continued to soar and the school has recorded unprecedented development and countless achievements.

    Prof Adewole’s business acumen led to the establishment of UI Microfinance Bank and production of products, such as table water, bread, honey, fish and food. The creation of a fire service unit is noble and laudable. With infrastructural upgrade, the university looks appealing to investors. The UI Fish Farm, for example, has attracted national and international delegates, who have shown interest in investing in the business. The Zoological Garden and Teaching and Research Farm have also been revamped to wear modern looks.

    Adewole’s relentless effort in attaining new heights in academic excellence is beyond description. For the first time in the history of the university, all first-class graduates were offered postgraduate scholarship. That, in my view, was intended to encourage young academics to stay and to attract the best brains into the system. For the first time, the UI is offering 24 hours library services, while lecturers’ assessment has invigorated academic values for which the institution is known.

    The beautiful edifice and scenery put in place for the effective take-off of the UI Business School is fabulous and the uncommon vision of the Adewole’s administration promotes partnership with international institutions on exchange programmes and encourages practical teachings and researches. Most impressive is the partnership with Dana Motors to build Automobile Academy in UI, Pan Africa University, University of West of England in Bristol, United Kingdom.

    It is notable that in his administration, payment of staff salaries and other allowances are regular. No wonder, the staff team has continued to be more committed to their services. In keeping with the saying that, ‘health is wealth’, Prof Adewole facilitated regular medical check-up for all staff. This is, indeed, meritorious. He initiated leadership symposia for students’ leaders, with a view to instilling leadership culture in them.

    His vision to construct staff quarters aimed at assisting members of staff own apartments through instalmental payment is gradually becoming a reality.

    Adewole’s recent appointment as a council member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), which is the world’ first and oldest international university network, attests to his rare leadership style and strategy. I am proud to say that he is the only Nigerian and, indeed, West African Vice Chancellor appointed into the council. Perhaps, the most commendable of his achievements, to me, is the involvement of students in his administration.

    It is noteworthy that the VC restored Students’ Union after many years of proscription. His administration has, since inception, engaged students in decision making, project implementation and development plans. He believes so much in students’ sense of dialogue and constructive contributions to the affairs of the university.

    In all, Prof Adewole deserves special appreciation and commendation from the students for his commitment to their welfare. As he basks in the celebration of his 60th birthday, our prayer is that God should grant him more wisdom to lead and direct the affairs of the university to a stage where we would all be proud of. Long live Prof Adewole.

     

    Ayokanmi, 400-Level Law, UI

  • Students honour Oputa

    Law students at the University of Lagos have been told to emulate the ideals of the Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, a Justice of the Supreme Court between 1984 and 1989.

    Mr Wahab Shittu, a lecturer in the department, gave this admonition during a memorial session held in honour of the late legal luminary at the Faculty of Law Lecture Theatre.

    He encouraged students to embrace pupillage to enable them gain insight from senior colleagues. He said: “You need to embrace pupillage so as to prepare yourself for higher responsibility because that is the way to go. Though, while serving a master, you may think your principal is cheating you. But, no! He’s only making his money and all you need to do is acquire the knowledge you need from him, because when you get there, you will also do the same. And that was just what Oputa did.”

    During the programme, the Chairman-elect of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, Mr. Wahab Farounbi, charged the students to be of good conduct and be courageous like the late legal icon.

    Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Farounbi said: “there are lots of things to be picked from Justice Oputa : his humility, uprightness, brilliance and many more. My advice to every legal enthusiast is to take Oputa as a dictionary and emulate every single thing about him.”

    The Head of Chambers, Cornelius Gabriel, advised aspiring lawyers to carry on the legacy of Justice Oputa and hold on to his values, saying “those of us who are aspiring lawyers should carry on the baton of justice bequeathed to us by the activist-Justice.”

    When asked what she learned from the programme, Tsetse Harris a 300-Level student said: “it has really heightened my zeal for justice as I’m ready to help the layman and write my name on the sands of time.”

  • Foundation holds health seminar

    Heart of Gold Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, has held its 2nd health conference with the theme: “Educating the 21st century lady on health consciousness.” The programme was attended by health experts drawn from the University of Benin Teaching Hospital UBTH.

    Initiator of the scheme, Faith Uwaofure Ogbe, a final year Mass Communication student of University of Benin, said poor hygiene was a threat to sound health.

    “It pricks my heart most times when I visit some hostels on our campuses and discover that the hygiene standard of most female students is appalling. Some have long bought into the “shot-put” mode of defecating which poses great threat to the environment,” she stated.

    The guest speaker Mrs Clara Ogbeide, Head of Department of Public Health and Nursing, UBTH, stressed the danger of self-medication and urged the youth to shun drug abuse.

    She said: ‘’Drug abuse has to be discouraged in our society. This health seminar will afford the youth to learn the medical implications of drug abuse as well as self-medication.”

    Senior Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Local Government Affairs, Hon Henry Omobude,  praised the initiator of the programme for organising a forum to discuss health-related issues.

    ‘’This is a right step in the right direction. By this, Faith has been able to enlighten people on key health issues and I urge everyone to partner with her,” he said.

    A lecturer in the department of Theatre Arts and Mass Communication, Mr Daniel Ekereafor, said the exercise was timely, saying: ‘’proper hygiene remains critical to healthy living. I am proud that one of our own is organising this health seminar today.’’

    High point of the event was the presentation of free antiseptics and air fresheners to participants.

  • Contest for my seat competitive, says UNIZIK VC

    The contest for the position of Vice-Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) has been described as competitive as no fewer than 32 persons have indicated interest in occupying the position.

    The disclosure was made known by the out-going Vice-Chancellor, Prof Boniface Egboka, at the send-off ceremony organised by the Continuing Education Programme (CEP) unit in his honour.

    Prof Egboka whose tenure expires next month said the position was a sensitive one.

    He urged the candidates to have the interest of the students at heart, saying his administration was be committed to its objectives.

    He promised that staff who were due for promotion would be considered and all untreated files would be attended to before leaving office.

    He thanked the CEP unit for organising the ceremony, stressing that the CEP programme in the school was an opportunity for traders and craftsmen who could not meet up with higher academic learning owing to lack of finance, the opportunity to acquire education.

    In his address, Director of CEP unit, Prof Emmanuel Akuezilo, who described the achievements of Prof Egboka as enormous, said the Vice-Chancellor had been of immense assistance to the unit.

    “The CEP is undoubtedly the cash cow of the university. We at the CEP unit have resolutely committed our energies to ensuring that the expected revenue accruable from the centre to the university is maximally harvested,” he stated.

    Prof Akuezilo said meetings with departmental CEP coordinators and course representatives which were introduced by the management have increased cross pollination of ideas among stakeholders in the CEP business, saying “Semester results are now released on time because departmental coordinators have taken full responsibility for this function”.

    The Deputy Vice-chancellor (Administration), Prof Greg Nwakoby, described the university head as a great man who, through thick and thin, has moved the institution to enviable heights.

    During the ceremony,  gift items were presented to Prof Egboka by members of the CEP unit.