The Federal University of Petroleum Resources in Effurun (FUPRE) has started the 2013/2014 session on. The campus re-opened last Monday for academic activities.
The management, in a release, said screening of fresher would commence immediately and it is expected to end tomorrow.
The authorities urged freshers to report to the campus for details of screening and registration as orientation and lectures would commence as soon as the screening exercise is over.
Management of RiseUp College has launched its Computer-based Test (CBT) portal for students preparing for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Nigeria.
The Dean of the College, Mr Lawore Olakunle, said the aim of the portal was to equip prospective university candidates with the necessary tools to excel in their examinations.
“In the last few years, there had been an increasing rate of mass failure not only in the Senior Secondary School Examinations, but also in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). This, in our view, is unacceptable. As a nation that wants to be one of the strongest economies in the year 2020, this failure cannot be tolerated. What we have done is to create a platform that gives candidates the opportunity to individually assess their level of preparation. This is because we are committed to raising scholars who can stand on their own anywhere in the world.”
He added that the free test portal, called “age of brains” was a feature on the institution’s website, stressing that it also provided students with access to happenings on campuses of various tertiary institutions in the country.
“We also want to ensure that candidates are abreast of happenings in their intended campuses.”
Lawore urged prospective candidates to take advantage of the free test to improve their performance in the examinations.
A candidates who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE said the test would enable him to measure his level of preparedness for the examination.
A Nigerian student in Malaysia has reportedly been shot dead.
The young man identified as Adelabu Tunde was killed by a Malaysian police on Thursday — he was until his death a student of Lagenda University, Nilai, Malaysia, The Nation has learnt.
According to a source, the victim who hailed from Ekiti State was shot in the head en route home from school.
The source said: “Police were raiding in another apartment when Tunde and his friends were coming back from school then the police car followed them. He ran and got shot in the head by a police man.”
The source argued that “he was not fighting, but was shot by the police who came for extra pocket money. The police left the scene as soon as he was shot”, the witness submitted.
The friends of the late Tunde called on the Federal Government to make sure that justice is prevailed and his murderers are brought to book.
The University’s authority could not be reached to confirm the incident.
The parents of the deceased according to our source had been informed of the unfortunate demise of their child.
After a three-year ban, students’ unionism has returned to the Ekiti State University (EKSU), with the election of its leaders. TUNJI AWE (300-Level Political Science) reports.
We are happy that our union is back,” Daniel Akande, a 400-Level Industrial Chemistry student, said after results of Students’ Union Government (SUG) were announced last week.
Many students of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), who participated in the exercise for the return of the SUG after a three-years proscription, felt the same way too.
When Prof Dipo Aina, the Vice-Chancellor (VC), took over the school’s administration, he promised to deproscribe the union, which was banned following a violent protest.
But months after, students became agitated and held campaigns to call on the management to lift the ban.
The campaign began with graffiti on open surfaces, including walls, building floors and roads. The students also went on house-to-house campaigns to galvanise themselves in making the demand.
The management responded by inaugurating a Transition Committee led by Adeoye Aribasoye, a Law student. The committee was charged with conducting election during the 2012/2013 academic session. Several months after its inauguration, the committee could not hold the election.
When the school resumed for another session, the VC made another promise.
He made good his promise by swearing in the electoral committee, comprising all faculty presidents and two members from each faculty.
While the election was drawing close, students protested the “No school fees, no lecture” decision of the management. Although, the two-day protest was peaceful, it forced the management to shut down school for weeks.
But before the campus could re-open, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) started its almost six-month strike, which was called off last December. On resumption on January 5, the university management fixed February 14 for the long-awaited union election, which the students described as “lovers’ election”.
With the campus deep in electioneering, the management, on February 11, shifted the election to February 20 at a Students’ Union Stakeholders Forum held at the university’s Odua Auditorium.
The Dean of Students’ Affair (DSA), Prof Issac Adanlawo, who attended the forum with the secretary of the electoral committee, Dr Awe and Chief Security Officer of school, Captain Augustine Ajayi (rtd), said the management postponed the exercise to allow for submission of nomination forms from all the candidates.
With the change in election date, campaign and election programmes changed. All the candidates underwent screening three days before the new date following which the manifesto day was held.
Babajide Kolawole, also known as (a.k.a) Jidekol, a 400-Level Economics student, who became popular among the students, for having led several peaceful protests in the past, was barred from contesting a few hours before the election. The students protested, with some of them threatening to boycott the exercise.
“The disqualification of Jidekol and other vibrant candidates is a slap on our face,” Fatima Akadiri an Education student, said, adding: “We won’t allow this injustice to go just like that.”
One of the officials, who conducted the screening, told CAMPUSLIFE on condition of anonymity: “Babajide and others were disqualified from contesting not because of the protest they led against the school. They faced a disciplinary panel, which asked them to write apology letters, but they refused to do so. This is why they were disqualified.”
Sekoni Damilola, a 400-Level Microbiology and one of the students, who were pardoned by the panel, said the affected students wrote the letter the same day the panel served them its verdict, saying: “We became worried when we learnt that the letters were yet to be received by the management.”
The disqualification left the contest open to Adebayo Adebami, a student of Faculty of Science, and Ibitola Babatope, from the Faculty of Agriculture.
The election started at 10am with a low turnout. The exercise took place in all faculties, as against previous elections, which were held at a centre. Prof Adanlawo explained the new development, which, he said, was to reduce students’ concentration on one center.
The Disqualified Babajide and his supporters were seen moving from one hostel to another, urging students to come out and vote.
Babajide’s efforts paid off. By noon, the students besieged the campus voters’ queues at each faculty became elongated. Students of Faculty of Education mobilised their colleagues to participate in the exercise because three students of their faculty contested for the posts of Vice-President, General Secretary and Treasurer.
As the exercise was going on, the VC moved round the faculties. Addressing the students at the Faculty of Arts, Prof Aina said: “The world would know that we are breeding world class leaders here and I am sure you have told the world that you are civilised through your peaceful conduct.”
The exercise ended at 3pm. Ibitola, a student of the Faculty of Agriculture, was declared the union president by 1,047 votes against his opponent, who polled 1,014 votes. After the announcement, the students jubilated.
Ibitola, in his address, promised not to let them down. Rasheed Bello, a 200-Level Guidance and Counselling student, said the announcement ended months of uncertainties about the election.
The Nation CAMPUSLIFE, in collaboration with AfricanLiberty.org and Network for a Free Society, is calling for entries into an essay competition.
Details are as follows:
Question: Freedom creates prosperity. It unleashes human talent, invention and innovation, creating wealth where none existed before. Discuss.
Eligibility: All African Students in any tertiary institutions (university, polytechnic, college of education and technical schools) in Africa. The format of the text should be in Microsoft word and not more than 1,500 words.
Interested students can visit www.africanliberty.org for background materials. Note that plagiarism is not allowed; any text or sentences copied from other people works must be indicated in quotation marks and credit must be given at the bottom of the paper to the author. Any entry that contains plagiarised work will be disqualified.
On the first page of the completed essay, please write your full names, department, level of study and name of institution. Also include your email address and mobile phone number. Send your entries to adedayo.thomas@gmail.com
Entries will be received between March 6 and June 6, 2014. Late entries will not be accepted. Winners will be announced on July 3 , 2014. All entries will get a free book titled Why Liberty by Tom G. Palmer OR Foundation of a Free Society by Eamonn Butler. Please be sure you include your postal address if different from your school address.
Prizes: 1st – George Ayittey (Platinum Prize): $1,000 and scholarship to 2014 Students and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA)/ASFL at the University of Cape Town Business School, South Africa, from August 14-17, 2014
2nd – Anthony Fisher (Gold Prize): $700 and scholarship to 2014 Students and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA)/ASFL at the University of Cape Town Business School, South Africa, from August 14- 17, 2014
3rd – Derenle Edun (Silver Prize): $500 and scholarship to 2014 Students and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA)/ASFL at University of Cape Town Business School. South Africa, from August 14- 17, 2014
4th – The Nation CAMPUSLIFE Media Prize (Bronze): $300 and scholarship to 2014 Students and Young Professional African Liberty Academy (SYPALA)/ASFL at the University of Cape Town Business School, South Africa, from August 14- 17, 2014.
We also have eight consolation prizes of $50 each.
Kenneth Okeke is the chairman of the Joint Campus Committee, an arm of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Anambra State chapter. Kenneth, who hails from Uli in Ihiala Local Government Area of the state, is an Applied Microbiology and Brewing student at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka. He shares his thoughts on students’ unionism with MMADUKA ODOGWU (UNIZIK).
That have you done to reconcile the National Union of Anambra State Students (NUAS) and Anambra State Students Association (ANSSA) locked in a battle over the apex Anambra State students body?
Let me say peace is always the by-product of dialogue. In politics, once the conflicting interests are resolved, peace will be automatically restored. The rivalry between the NUAS and ANSSA is unfortunate. As a leader of all students in Anambra State, it becomes my responsibility to make sure peace reigns within the unions of students. I can assure you that the issues would be resolved through dialogue. Even as I speak, we have already taken positive measures to ensure reconciliation. We are working to propagate peace in Anambra State because it is only when there is peace that we can achieve development.
There are challenges being faced by students in the state, particularly high cost of accommodation and insecurity. What is your body doing to tackle these problems?
We are aware of the accommodation challenge in schools in Anambra. However, a committee has been set up to look into it and recommend measures to address it. It is not going to be easy, but we have faith that the committee would deliver on the assignment. We want to assure students that the challenge will be a thing of the past. On security, we are in partnership with security agencies in the state. We intend to provide them with information regularly about the security situation on campus and off-campus. We have also partnered with the security personnel on campuses to secure the lives and properties of students.
It is believed that NANS and other students’ unions are tools in the hands of politicians, who use them for political violence. What is your view on this?
Well, I share this belief. It will be fallacious to say that all lawyers are liars because in the class of lawyers, there must be at least one person who is not a liar. It will also be wrong to say that all politicians are greedy, because in the class of politicians, there must be at least one person who is not. It may be true that some of our comrades are being used by politicians but there are still many of us who still propagate the values of students’ unionism and work hard to ensure that students have one voice. I won’t say that all is well with students’ unionism in the country but the students’ body is sick with a curable disease. With efforts of people like you, we can rebuild our unions and make them free of influence of politicians. We want to return unionism to students.
What should students expect from you in terms of programmes?
We have several programmes for students. But we are organising a town hall meeting where students in Anambra will come together to discuss issues affecting them. We are inviting speakers from far and near to talk to us on the dangers associated with some of the vices we exhibit, such as examination malpractices, indecent dressing, cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery and hooliganism. After this seminar, we also have a lot of welfare programmes for students.
Small boys and girls called Yaro Yarinya flock the Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto (UDUS) daily to fetch water and wash clothes for students for money when they should be in school. HALIMAH AKANBI (200-Level Law) and IBRAHIM JATTO (400-Level Zoology) write.
•The Yaro Yarinya menace hits Sokoto varsity
THEY are a sight to behold as they move around the university campus in search of menial jobs. With bowls of different sizes tucked under their armpits, they look hungry and tattered. Called Yaro Yarinya, meaning small boys and girls, there is a ready job for them on the campus of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto (UDUS), where they wash students’ clothes and run other errands.
These kids, who are between the ages of four and 17, are residents of the university’s host communities. They wash plates, fetch water and clean their ‘masters’ rooms for money.
Some of them hawk dabino (date fruits), gyada (groundnut) and other petty items. They leave their houses early for the students’ hostels. They swarm the Halls of Residence like bees, chanting akoi ayki (is there work?).
Many of them feed their family members from the money they make.
Do they have hope of going to school? Not really. They believe they only need to get Islamic education, which they call Madrasa. A few of them attend conventional schools only to learn how to speak turenchi (English).
Mallam Umar Shama whose child visits the campus regularly to work said he could not feed his family with his meagre resources. “When a father wakes up in the morning without enough money to give his family, not to talk of sending the child to school, the kids have no choice than to fend for themselves through petty trading and running errands for anyone willing to give them money,” he said.
On why she allowed her children to do menial job instead of going to school, Hajia Hadiza Mai Kayan Gaju, said: “The issue of child education is not really a priority here because these children are the ones supporting us financially and also helping us to do the farm work.” Asked if she would allow her wards go to school if they get a sponsor, Hajia Katan Gaju said: “Anyone willing to take our children away from us to school should also be ready to join us to work on the farm; taking them away will make life miserable for us.”
Students, expressed divergent views on the phenomenon. While some blame the kids for their fate, other criticised their parents for not doing much to secure their future.
Shukurat Lawal, a 300-Level Education Chemistry student, blamed the parents for failing in their responsibility to fend for their children. “I will blame their parents. They are subjecting their children to child labour and using them as a means of livelihood.”
Bello Garkuwa, another student, said: “I am one of the students, who send Yaro Yarinya on errand. They wash my plates and clothes…” Asked if he was not enslaving the kids, Bello said: “I think it is the fault of the kids because they don’t want to acquire education. I have asked some of them if they would go to school, they were courageous to reply that they did not have interest in education. So, I think the kids want themselves to be enslaved.”
The management should do something about the phenomenon, Tawakalt Bakare, a 400-Level Biology student, said: “In my opinion, management should stop the children from entering the campus because they are stealing our belongings. The grown ups among them can attempt to rape female students at night. I am urging the authorities to act fast and send them away.”
Instead of watching while the kids are sent on errands during school hours, Zainab Ahmed, a 100-Level English Language student, believes the management can engage the kids and make them see opportunities in going to school.
A hall president, who did not want his name mentioned, said security has been beefed up around the hostels to curtail the excesses of the Yaro Yarinya. He said: “We are ensuring the security of lives and properties of the students, which is why we demolished hamlets around the hostels.”
Despite measures to restrict the movement of the kids in the hostels, there seems no end in sight to the phenomenon.
THE president of the Students’ Union Govrenment (SUG) of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Bassey Eka, has been injured in a road accident on Akamkpa-Ikom Highway.
The accident, according to an eyewitness, occurred at about 1:30pm on Valentine’s Day. There were four others in the vehicle.
The vehicle was damaged beyond repair, while Eka sustained a head injury.
When CAMPUSLIFE visited the hospital where Eka was receiving treatment, he thanked God for saving his life. He also thanked the management and students for their prayers.
Eka told our reporter he was attendimng a wedding at Obubra when the accident occurred.
No fewer than 15,000 graduating students of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) bagged degrees at the institution’s 27th convocation last week. STANLEY UCHEGBU (500-Level Accounting) and EMMANUEL AHANONU (Political Science) report.
The University of Calabar (UNICAL) held its 27th convocation last week. Thousands of graduands and their parents thronged the campus for the ceremony, which was held at Abraham Ordia Stadium.
President Goodluck Jonathan was represented by the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr Nyesom Wike.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof James Epoke led the procession of principal officers, including Deans of Faculties, Heads of Departments and Directors of Units. They were received by a crowd of graduating students and their families. The university security personnel and members of Man O’ War command had a hectic time controlling the crowd.
In his address, the Pro-Chancellor, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, whose speech was read by Prof Epoke, said the institution was determined to pursue productive collaborations with renowned universities in the world to maintain its culture of excellence.
Welcoming the graduands and their parents, Prof Epoke said the university was graduating the highest number of students. According to him, a total overhaul of the process enabled the school to clear its backlog of graduates. No fewer than 15, 037 graduates bagged degrees. Prof Epoke urged the graduands to be good ambassadors of their alma mater.
President Jonathan, described higher institution as an engine room of development, saying universities remain a fertile garden where ideas are germinated to change the world. The president said education remained a cardinal programme of his administration’s Transformation Agenda. “My administration has continued to lay emphasis on education as the bedrock for any national development and advancement,” he said.
Jonathan said his government established new federal universities to ensure every state in the federation has federal presence and to enable qualified candidates have access to university education. He added that funds had been expended to develop and revitalise the existing universities.
The President frowned at frequent disruption of programmes in universities by strike by academic and non- academic unions, stressing that each time there was strike, research activities are truncated and academic calendar disrupted.
He said funds had been released to meet the infrastructural needs of the higher institutions through TETFUND and other agencies, stressing that it will be the duty of various unions operating on campuses to reciprocate government’s commitment by embracing dialogue as means of addressing any issue that may arise.
The President congratulated the graduating students for being found worthy in character and learning, saying the graduates had joined the pantheon of distinguished alumni of the university, who have made their mark in various spheres of national life. He urged them to use their knowledge in entrepreneurship to be self-reliant and create jobs for others.
After President Jonathan’s speech, the University Registrar presented the graduating students for award of classes of degrees. They first set to be called was National Diploma awardees. They were followed by Bachelor degree Doctorate and Master’s degree recipients in that order. Wike shook hands with Master’s graduates to congratulate them for their feat.
CAMPUSLIFE gathered that only a student, Onyeka Nkiruka Okonkwo of Department of Human Kinetic and Health Education in the Faculty of Education, graduated with a First Class degree. He had a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.61. There was a drama, however, when She was called out to receive the award from the Tony Elumelu Foundation. He was absent at the ceremony, provoking laughter from the crowd.
Another best graduating student, Essiet Akanimo, who studied Medicine and Dental Surgery, received the Tony Elumelu Foundation award, which was established to encourage hard work and academic excellence.
Emmanuel Shebbs, one of the graduands and a CAMPUSLIFE reporter, said he had anticipated the day since he left school last year. He said: “I thank God for seeing me through the academic hurdles, which I used to see as a hard nut for me to crack.”
Another CAMPUSLIFE reporter, Mrs Chinenye Okonkwo-Amaonye, who graduated from the Faculty of Education, said: “I am happy to be one of the lucky graduates. My gratitude goes to God and my parents who sponsored me for all this years I was in school.”
Parents of the graduating students could not hide their joy. “I am happy to be the father of a medical doctor who has just got his certificate,” said Albert Mbutu, who sold his land to fir his son to study medicine.
Most of the graduates, who spoke with CAMPUSLIFE, described the ceremony as the end of academic struggle.
Inmates of Calabar Prison, Cross River State, have received a team of the Queens’ Forum Nigeria (QFN), which visited them with gifts.
The beauty queen were led by the forum’s national coordinator, Eric Osaije and Promise Owai, Speaker of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the University of Calabar (UNICAL).
Osaije said the visit was to show love to the inmates. They were received by an official, who represented the Deputy Comptroller General of the Calabar Prisons. They were conducted round the facility. They donated some foodstuff and toiletries to the inmates.
Enun Bassey, one of the queens, spoke with the inmates, encouraged them to turn a new leaf.
Owai said: “Valentine’s Day is not for lovers alone but a day to share with the vulnerable that have been neglected by the society.”
Receiving the donated items on behalf of the inmates, some officials pf the prison urged organisations and individuals to emulate the gesture of the forum.
Members of the team included Love Ovat, College of Health Technology (COHTECH); Eti Ini, 2012 African Queen winner; Cynthia Igbokwe, Miss Hospitality Ambassador 2012; Chelsea Cyprian, Miss Independence 2012, Sophia Dijeh, Miss Calabar Carnival Queen 2012.
Others were Bassey Enun, Miss Biase 2012; Victoria Ana, Miss Cross River Culture and Heritage 2013, Jesustina Ogar, Miss Cross River University of Technology, and Piriye Jaja, Miss Opopo/Nkoro 2012.