The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • Students’ leaders sworn in

    Members of the Students’ Union executive of the Kogi State University (KSU) in Ayingba, who were recently elected, have been sworn in.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Hassan Isah, who chaired the swearing-in ceremony, congratulated the students’ leaders and advised them to work as a team to promote the interest of students.

    John Idachaba, the union president, said his agenda was to promote the welfare of students, stressing that his office would be open to suggestions from progressive-minded persons to facilitate growth of the union.

    “Let me put it on record that we shall pursue our mandate with vigour and remain consistent to the delivery of our promises, which include fighting for the rights of students. I know quite well that the best way to appreciate students is to implement the social contract between us,” he said.

    The event was attended by Prof Z. O. Apata, Deputy VC (Administration), Prof Steve Metiboba, Deputy VC (Academics), Mr J.A Zhizhi, Registrar, Benjamin Ogwo, Dean of Student Affairs and students.

  • Fire razes Physics dept

    Fire razes Physics dept

    Students of the Department of Physics at the Delta State University (DELSU) in Abraka have returned to school to discover that their department had been razed by fire.

    The inferno, which was said to have started in the night, gutted the office of the departement’s head and burnt documents.

    The management, however, said the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, noting that investigation was on-going.

    Unconfirmed reports said the incident may have been instigated by students, who felt dissatisfied with their results.

    CAMPUSLIFE learnt that the performance of students in previous session, especially 200-Level students, was poor. It was learnt that less than 50 per cent of students, who offered PHY 101 and PHY 102, failed.

    An anonymous student, who graduated from the department last session, lamented the incident. He said: “Why will this be happening when I just graduated and ready for National Youth Service? Now the fire will give the department excuse not to present our names for the National Youth Service. It is just unfortunate.”

    Another student, who also craved for anonymity, said he was happy by the development. He said: “The excesses of the department have to be checkmated.”

    At the time of this report, the department’s officials were retrieving students’ academic records and other information about them.

  • Honour for ‘people’s HOD’

    Honour for ‘people’s HOD’

    The department of Mass Communication of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic in Owo (RUGIPO) has held a party in honour of its former Head, Alhaji Olaniyan Abubakri.

    Abubakri led the department for two terms of four years.

    Students and members of staff thronged the 800-seater polytechnic’s auditorium to honour Abubakri, who they described as their mentor.  Speakers took their turns to praise the honouree.

    The Head of Department, Mrs Iyadunni Adedowole, said the party was held to appreciate the contribution of the celebrant to the growth of the department.  She noted that Abubakri’s tenure repositioned the department.

    She said: “Appreciation is better done when the individual is still alive; and the word ‘thank you’ goes a long way in recognising efforts anyone made to make things better. Abubakri made great impact in the development of the department and his contributions cannot be overlooked.”

    Staff and students said Abubakri had contributed positively to their lives, wishing him God’s guidance in his future endeavours.

    Responding, Abubakri thanked the department for the honour and dedicated his achievements to staff and students. He promised continuous support for the leadership of the department.

    Abubakri’s tenure ended last July. He was appointed for another role by the management.

    Students thought Abubakri was removed from office, a development that sparked protest. The students said they did not want Abubakri to leave the department.

    Abubakri got full accreditation for the National Diploma programme of the department, and the partial accreditation of its Higher National Diploma. He was also instrumental to the take-off of the department’s part-time programme.

  • ABUAD to open talent centre

    ABUAD to open talent centre

    When completed, the Talent Discovery Centre of the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti, (ABUAD), will be one of the most imposing structures on campus.

    The nearly-completed structure dwarfs both the university’s football pitch and basketball court.

    The beauty of the structure crystalises as one moves nearer. The clatter and pounding by engineers and other technicians working within speak volumes of a final phase of installations that needed to be wrapped up in no time. They all work in frenzied excitement. As some healthy young males and females pour water in a large basin, the masons were preoccupied fixing the plastic chairs on the gallery; ditto for the technician channeling the wires that will regulate lighting in the control tower somewhere on the roof of the now completed stage.

    “I expect the installation to be finished in the next one month”, said ABUAD founder, Aare Afe Babalola to this reporter in his office on Thursday last week. “You can see the building itself is already finished. It’s the installation that is ongoing and I expect it to be completed soon.”

    When it is eventually finished, it will be called ‘ABUAD Talent Discovery Centre’ which I believe will be the first of its kind among universities in Nigeria.”

    According to Babalola, the idea of the centre stemmed from a culture of dexterity which formed a part of his childhood experiences with his parents, something the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) feels is fast ebbing away today.

    He said:”Growing up, I remember that my mother made most of the clothes we used to wear then. She bought different threads with which she sew with her bare hands. My father too was a great farmer. We used to trek several kilometres away from the village to the father’s farm. We usually left at dawn and arrived the farm early enough to work throughout the day. There were no modern farm implement in those days; so we worked with our bare hands. And we were a lot happier for it because my parents believed therein lies the dignity in labour.

    “But many youths today don’t want to learn to develop the skills in them. They just want to graduate. It is true some of them will graduate as lawyers, engineers, pharmacists and whatever, but they may do well in life as musicians, artistes, dancers, swimmers, tailors, which they never studied while in school, but along the line, discovered as their inborn talents. That is why this centre is conceptualised to discover those innate talents in our students and help them explore it to what can benefit them in future,” Babalola added.

    Aare Babalola said over 28 sporting activities can be held in the centre, in addition to boasting of facilities for various vocations, including music studios, and stage for drama and others.

    “Don’t forget that the university has its Department of Sports. This centre has no link with the department. The sports department has its own facilities and students from there can equally come here and use the facilities if they so wish. But this centre cuts across students regardless of their disciplines. It is like a confluence where our students can meet, play together and in the process discover talents which this university can help nurture.

    “If a student graduates from ABUAD and does not make it, then he can never make it in life. My concept of a university is to breed graduates that are mature intellectually, psychologically, socially, economically and otherwise. Many of our first set that graduated in October are already doing their one year service (National Youth Service Corps). The good reports I get from wherever they are posted make me a lot happier. Some of their bosses in places where they are deployed call me to say: ‘Your children are respectful, well behaved and are outstanding among their contemporaries here’. We are encouraged to consolidate on that through this centre,” Babalola concluded.

  • FUTO loses lecturer

    FUTO loses lecturer

    A lecturer in the Department of Biomedical Technology of the Federal University of Technology in Owerri (FUTO), Dr Sikiru Lamina, is dead. Students and lecturers described his death as shocking.

    The late Lamina, who was said to be kind, friendly, dedicated and resourceful, had been tipped to become the new Head of the Department before his sudden death.

    Mourning the lecturer, the National Association of Biomedical Technology Students (NABTES) wrote on its Facebook page: “With sadness in our hearts, we announce the death of our father, brother, friend, staff advisor, lecturer, Dr Sikiru Lamina. He was a man every student loved, every staff loved. We can’t still believe he has left us; death, why did you do this? We pray God grants you eternal rest sir. You are the best and we all will miss you.”

  • When will these killings stop?

    Gradually, life is disappearing in Baga Town, which used to be a lively neighbourhood in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. Given its proximity to Lake Chad, the town used to be a business hub and abode for farmers and fishermen. The story changed last year when DoronBaga fish market, located about six kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital, came under attack by the Nigerian troops.

    Doron Bagais one of the biggest fish markets in the region.

    It was on a Friday evening. Corpse of a military officer was discovered by residents, who immediately called in soldiers to identify the body. From account of residents, the deceased may have been killed by gunmen suspected to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect and dumped in the town.

    A few hours after the corpse was taken away by soldiers, the troops returned and overran the town. They shot sporadically and at anything on sight. By the time the dusts were settled, over 200 innocent citizens had been massacred. Over 2,000 houses and businesses worth millions were destroyed

    Recently, the same episode played out in Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, where about 30 Fulani were sent to their early graves while they gathered to mourn their village head. Eyewitnesses said 10 Toyota Hilux pickups allegedly belonging to the Joint Task Force (JTF) on “military operation” drove into the community and opened fire on the victims.

    All these bore the hallmark of pogrom against defenseless citizens whose only offence is that they never belong to ethnics in the majority. Disturbing is the fact that the government of the day has not shown readiness to investigate these cases of arbitrary killing. The people of Baga Town Dust have since move on but they may have been taken aback to learn that nobody has been brought to book. Little wonder why Keana came under similar attack by assailants suspected to be uniform men.

    Now that lives of the citizens do not matter to the government, we should not be surprised that soldiers can just work in to villages and kill with relish. Forget about justice for the victims, such will never come because the cases will not be investigated. If the tempo of the attack is sustained, I am afraid Nigeria may end up like Somalia and Sudan.

    No right thinking man would support arbitrary killing of anyone, no matter what. In 2011, Mr. Mark Duggan was unjustly killed by Metropolitan police in Tottenham, a city in North London. Widespread riot greeted the incident, which left the United Kingdom unsettled for about two weeks. People called for thorough investigation and the police man, who shot Duggan, was charged to court for unlawful killing.

    In Nigeria, security agents, who are supposed to protect the citizens, get away with murder. If the government is serious about solving the insecurity riddle, it should not hesitate to investigate men in uniform, who visited Baga and Keana to kill innocent people.

    If the statement credited to the Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen Chris Olukolade, is anything to go by, the killers of the 30 Fulani people may not be produced just the same manner the police are unable to prosecute high-profile murder cases.

    It does appear the right to life, as stipulated by the Constitution, is now subjected to the caprice of the military. Nigeria may be tottering towards precipice if the government does not rein in the security agents whose newfound habit is to invade people’s home and kill them in bulk.

    The Keana killing victims have joined the list of unfortunate citizens unjustly killed by people who are supposed to protect them. But when will these arbitrary killings of Nigerians stop?

     

    Ibrahim, 400-Level Zoology, UDUS

  • 7,000 take oath at ABU

    7,000 take oath at ABU

    The quest for the search of knowledge must be your priority, and must never be compromised with anything else.” These were the words of Prof Mustapha Abdulahi, Vice-Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria when he gave his speech at the institution’s matriculation ceremony held at the Mamman Kotangora Square last Friday.

    Prof Mustapha advised the freshers to shun vices that could hinder them from attaining their academic aims.

    He said the management frowned at examination malpractice, cultism, riot and indecent dressing, adding that the university would not hesitate to expel any student engaging in the vices from the school.

    The Registrar, Mallam Abdullahi Kundila,  said a total of 7,000 students were admitted out of the over 50,000 that participated in the screening exercise.

    The students could not hide their joy after they took the matriculation oath.

    Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Abdullahi Ahmad, who was admitted into the Department of Human Anatomy, said: “I am happy to be admitted into this prestigious university.”

    At the event were the Deputy VC (Administration), Prof Amos Adamu, his Academics counterpart, Prof  Na’iya Sada and other principal officers of the university.

  • Resignation a strange word in Nigeria

    Resignation a strange word in Nigeria

    Last November, the world woke up to the shocking news of resignation by the Latvian Prime Minister, Valdis Dombrovskis. He threw in the towel after accepting political responsibility for the collapse of a supermarket roof that killed 54 people. According to reports, possible causes of the collapse include flawed design of the building, use of substandard construction materials and corruption.

    Dombrovskis achieved unprecedented success as Latvia’s leader. He especially lifted the Baltic nation out of economic recession and positioned it as the fastest growing in the European Union (EU) for two years. This and many other feats earned Dombrovskis re-appointment twice, but when the tragedy occurred,he threw in the towel and stepped down.

    Last month, Egyptian interim Prime Minister, Hazem El-Beblawi and his entire cabinet resigned from office, following widespread criticism of his government. The denunciation of El-Beblawi’s government peaked after strikes in industrial cities and widespread blackout. His resignation was in response to popular demand, having failed to meet the expectations of the people. Mr El-Beblawi summoned the courage and resigned from office.

    Last February, Indian Naval Chief, Admiral DK Joshi, stepped down after a submarine accident off the Mumbai coast. The accident, which was the 10th mishap involving an Indian naval asset and the third submarine accident in seven months, resulted in injuries of seven sailors and two officers declared missing. Joshi had about two years for his tenure to be expired but he took responsibility for the disaster and resigned from office.

    Back to Nigeria, on Saturday, March 16, 2014, there was a tragedy that drew public outcry. The recruitment by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) turned bloody; no fewer than 18 lives were lost in stampede that marred the exercise across various centres. From Abuja to Jos to Benin to Minna, it was tales of sorrows.

    The exercise was badly organised as no fewer than 700,000 people turned up to fill less than 5,000 vacancies. Among the dead included five women while scores of people were injured. It was learnt that the security officials were overwhelmed by the crowd, such that controlling it became a problem and this resulted in security operatives firing gunshots into the air, which witnesses said caused the stampede.

    The Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, who supervised the exercise, blamed the “impatient” applicants for the tragedy. Public outrage greeted the minister’s ill-thought, with many calling for his sack or resignation. But typical of the Nigerian public official, Moro has refused to throw in the towel. Alas, his boss, President Goodluck Jonathan, rejected the call to fire him.

    Natural disasters such as earthquake, flood and land slides are occurrences, which, at times, we don’t have control over. However, for man-made tragedies, people should learn to take responsibility. Just the same way a government inherits assets and liabilities, the head of an agency takes the credit for the success or otherwise of the organisation. But this is not so in Nigeria.

    The Moro’s comment added salt to the injury of family members, who were grieving the loss of their relations. For anyone, much less a public official, to come out and blame the deceased for causing their own deaths is not only bizarre but insensitive. In saner climes, Moro would be morally wrong to stay beyond 24 hours on his seat after the tragedy. But, this is Nigeria where public feelings are inconsequential.

    A lot of questions are begging for answers because of the controversies surrounding the unfortunate exercise. Who appointed the recruitment firm for the exercise? How much went to the NIS as money realised from the applicants? Is it true that the minister did not carry the NIS and its board members along in the recruitment? These and many more are begging for answers.

    Not a few people have said President Jonathan is not likely to sack Moro because the minister is a political son of the Senate President David Mark, who is a loyalist of the president. But if the president could sack a minister (Stella Oduah), who had corruption charges on her neck, why not Moro, who is painting his administration in bad light.

    Public officials see their positions as birthright. This is why they reject all moral persuasion to leave office after misconduct and believe they are being brought down by ‘enemies’. Ours is a country where even if the masses say the service of a public official is no longer needed, once the ‘oga at the top’ does not gauge the public feeling, such calls fall on deaf ears. Public service should be seen as an opportunity to serve the people. It is a position of trust. When people lose such trust in any officer, such person does not have the moral right to remain in office.

    It is high time the government considered the need to build institutions and culture of responsibility. The immigration recruitment exercise has rubbished the sanctimonious platitude of government, which keeps misinforming us that unemployment rate was reducing daily. The fact of that statement was seen in the NIS recruitment exercise with a tumultuous crowd of unemployed youths packed in stadia.

    Will Jonathan muster the political will to fire Moro? Will Senator Mark save his friend? Will Moro take the honourable path of resignation? Only time will tell.

     

    Abiola, recently finished from Veterinary Medicine, FUNAAB

  • NDDC’s kind gesture

    NDDC’s kind gesture

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has donated a 174-room hostel to the University of Benin (UNIBEN) to ease accommodation problem. EDDY UWOGHIREN (200-Level Medicine) and EZEKIEL EFEOBHOKHAN (300-Level Pharmacy) report.

    The stretch from the main gate of the Ugbowo Campus of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) to the hostel area was plastered with posters and banners. On them were inscriptions, such as “Thank you NDDC” and “UNIBEN welcomes Delta State governor”.

    Welcome to the inauguration of the 696-bed space hostel donated by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    Security was tight. The institution’s security personnel had a hectic time controlling traffic on the campus.

    The students turned the occasion into a carnival with glamorous dance troupes, colourful masqueraders and drummers. They said they now have the opportunity of living in a world-class hostel with modern facilities befitting an Ivory Tower.

    The Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Osayuki Oshodin, in smiles, said: “We are grateful to the NDDC for this project.” The VC, who noted that the commission recently donated electricity transformers and street lights to the school, described the NDDC as a development partner.

    Prof Oshodin appealed to other government agencies and private organisations to help the school to rebuild some dilapidated structures, NDDC, he said, had shown “good example” on how higher institutions could be lifted to promote learning.

    The Pro-Chancellor, Senator Effiong Wilson-Bob, appealed to the commission to assist the university renovate its old hostels, noting that such move could improve students’ welfare. With the delivery of the 696-bed space hall, Senator Wilson-Bob said the NDDC had fulfilled part of its mandate to promote the development of education in the Niger Delta.

    He said: “Development of education must be a collective effort of all stakeholders and as such, providing accommodation should also be a joint effort of all. This is what the NDDC has demonstrated with the construction of a modern hostel to the University of Benin.”

    While inaugurating the building, Chairman of the NDDC Advisory Council and Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan said he was impressed with the activities of the commission, promising to support it to get more funds to bring development to the oil-rich region.

    He said: “As the chairman of the advisory council of the NDDC, I am impressed with the efforts of the new board and management. I assure the commission of support of the governors in Niger Delta states.”

    Advising students to shun vices that may tarnish the image of the university, Uduaghan said: “I have not seen anybody who belongs to a cult group that made First Class in the university. I urge you to focus on your studies and make good grades.”

    NDDC Governing Board, chairman, Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw said the commission brought its top management staff to inaugurate the hostel because of its commitment to the future of students of the university. “We are pleased to be in the University of Benin today to hand over this project to the students. This project is the second of these prototype hostel projects we are commissioning within our 100 days in office,” he said.

    The construction of the modern hostel was in line with the Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government to develop human capital by improving access to quality education across the Niger Delta.

    The President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), Osasere Osifo, said: “The NDDC has given us a wonderful edifice; it is not only the newest, it is also the best hostel on campus today.”

    The Vice President, Margret Odia, who ntoed that accommodation had been a challenge in the university. “We appreciate the NDDC for building us a modern hostel and I believe female students would have spaces in the new hostel.”

    Francis Uko, president of the National Association of Akwa Ibom State Students, said more students would relocate to the school, with more bed spaces being provided by the NDCC. “The inadequate accommodation forced many students to live off-campus and sometimes fall prey to the menace of cultism, which is taking its toll in off-campus halls. With the NDDC hostel, more of our students will now be accommodated within the university premises where they will feel secure,” he said.

    An excited 300-Level student, Vitus Ohakosin, said: “My joy today knows no bounds; NDDC has come to our rescue.”

    The 174- room hostel is fitted with amenities such as a water tank connected to, a solar-water treatment plant, which would provide water constantly to all rooms. It also has spaces for buttery and administrative offices, cybercafé, games rooms and specially-fitted rooms for physically challenged students.

     

     

     

  • The youth have suffered enough

    The youth have suffered enough

    In every nation of the world, the population of the youths is invariably the largest. Nigeria is no exception. According to a statistics, the nation is populated by 70 per cent of youths, but potential of this population is yet to be harnessed. Rather, the government treats the youths with contempt.

    Section 18 of the Constitution stipulates that government has the responsibility to provide equal educational opportunities for all. Unfortunately, the government has not only ignored this provision of the Constitution, it is also making sure that the youths do not get quality education.

    The recent almost six-month strike by the university teachers and the on-going industrial action by Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and their colleagues in colleges of education are glaring examples that government is not concerned with education of the youths.

    Students are being subjected to pain while government and the lecturers disagree. The government seems to careless about the fate of students; it pretends not to understand their lecturers’ plight. The government looks away while the parents cry.

    It will only amount to futile exercise to devote time to list unpalatable consequences of the last Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike on us, which was caused by the lackadaisical approach of the government to education. But it is good to appeal to the Federal Government, as a matter of national importance, to put an end to the on-going ASUP and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) strikes. The government must act fast to save students from academic frustration because of the protracted actions.

    Granted, the rot in the system cannot be attributed to the Federal Government alone; there are bad educational policies of state governments and schools’ managements that have also contributed to erosion of our educational values.

    An example of this is the crisis rocking the Lagos State University over fee hike. How can a government that is unable to pay N18,000 minimum wage to civil servants expect the poor to pay N300,000 as tuition on a single child? For God sake, that is daunting. The matter becomes more sensitive, with the revelation that some state governments are generating revenues from state-owed institutions. Is this how to develop a nation?

    The suffering of the youths has doubled in the recent time, with the vicious attacks by Boko Haram insurgents on educational institutions. Scores of innocent students were butchered at the Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, Yobe State recently. The unconcerned Federal Government went on with the centenary celebration, and the killers clinking glasses after the bloody assignment.

    According to police reports, between June 2013 and February 2014, a total of 140 students were killed. These are the future leaders with various missions and destinies to fulfil. Nations of the world have their peculiar challenges; Nigeria is not insulated from this. But our approach to solve the challenges matters. The government has taken a highly devastating and ludicrous method to fight our problems.

    The most depressing challenge we face in this country is the increasing rate of unemployment. According to Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P) report last year, about 40 million Nigerians are unemployed. It said about 90 per cent of youths are in this group. One begins to wonder if Nigeria can ever become a developed nation this millennium.

    The reason why Nigeria is faced with vices such as insurgency, kidnapping and militancy is because of unemployment, which is a direct product of corruption. The earlier we understand that these vices may not augur well for the future of the country, the better for us.

    Our leaders must set aside personal aggrandizement and put the nation’s future (youths) first in every policy they make. The youths must also rise up to the challenge. Let there be a stop to demand of a better future. We have to be part it.

     

    Juwonlo, student of Agriculture, OAU