The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • VC meets campus writers

    VC meets campus writers

    The Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos, (UNILAG) Prof Rahamon Bello, has praised campus writers for serving as a link between the management and the students.

    He said this while receiving representatives of the university’s Press Club during a visit to courtesy visit at his office.

    The VC said he had been prompted to respond to various information on students’ welfare because of the role being played by the writers on the campus.

    Prof Bello spoke on the challenges facing the institution, including epileptic power supply. He said the problem came from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

    He stressed that the university paid N40million monthly to PHCN for electricity bills, apart from the expenses on diesel to power the university’s generators.

    The VC urged the student-writers to bring principle of journalism to bear whenever they write on issues in the university.

    He said the image of the University must be protected, adding that his administration would continue to work with the club to disseminate information to students.

    Prof Bello noted that the university would continue to encourage entrepreneurship in students, adding that a centre that would be established to promote self-reliance.

    The visiting students include Chizoba Nwajei, 200-Level English, Modiu Olaguro, 300-Level Mathematics and Education, and Adeyemi Olalemi, Physics and Education.

  • College COEASU gives condition to reverse strike

    The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, (COEASU), Nwafor Orizu College of Education Nusgbe (NOCEN), Anambra State, has said it will not call off its one month-old strike unless members demands are met by the Provost.

    The union’s decision followed a closed-door general meeting at Ugo Hotel, Nusgbe in Anambra East local government area of the State.

    The Anambra State College of Education joined the national body’s strike on February 3, this year, an action which did not go down well with the Acting Provost, Dr. Clara O. Obiagwu.

    The development led to Dr Obiagwu’s alleged suspension of COEASU Chairman Comrade Vincent C. Asalu.

    Obiagwu also queried the union’s secretary Comrade U.A.C. Ugharumba for reminding members that COEASU has joined the strike with the union parent body though, it did not start with COEASU national on December 18, last year.

    The Acting Provost then went ahead to direct that the January salary of the chairman and secretary be stopped against pleas by the national and zonal officers of the union and the college academic board.

    In a communiqué by both Asalu and U.A.C. Ugharumba shortly after its meeting, COEASU vowed not to call off the strike unless Obiagwu reverses her actions in writing.

    COEASU described Obiagwu’s actions as an infringement of the fundamental right of members as provided for in Nigeria constitution (1999 as amended) and the provision of the Trade Union Act.

    The union insists that Obiagwu pays in full the January salary of the union leaders and lifts the purported ban on COEASU in NOCEN. It also demanded that all outstanding check- off dues deducted from members’ salary should be remitted to the union’s account, adding that the management must, henceforth, commit itself to constant payment of the monthly check-off, and stop forthwith members’ victimisation.

    The union, however, expressed dissatisfaction that a reader in NOCEN receive less salary than his counterpart in other colleges of Education, calling for immediate ratification.

     

  • Yellow House wins King’s College competition

    Yellow House wins King’s College competition

    With 19 gold, 16 silver and 17 bronze medals, Mckee Wright (Yellow) House, has emerged winner at the King’s College, 94th Inter-house sports and athletics competition held on the college’s sports field.

    It was followed by Pane’s (Blue,) House (17 gold, 14 silver and 21 bronze medals), and Harman’s (Green) 17 gold, 17 silver, and 13 bronze medals), while Hyde Johnson (Red) emerged fourth (11 gold, 17 silver, 12 bronze medals).

    Speaking at the event, the Principal, Otunba Oladele Olapeju, said the school introduced additional new games this year, including shuttle relay, squash, basketball, chess, cricket, 5-Aside and football.

    He said Nigerians’ performance in athletics has taken an embarrassing decline, hence the relevance of sporting in schools than ever before

    “The directive by the president that there should be a re-invigorating of school sports is a welcomed idea. The implication of such directive and enhancement of the directive lies directly on our individual attitudes and leadership abilities as school heads,” he said.

    Olapeju said despite inadequate space and facilities, the school still has to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the 3000 student population under its tutelage. He, however, said he is happy that the boys have found abode in sports to the extent that every round object is turned into a football and every available space converted to either a football field or a tennis table.

    He stated that the sports the school is involved in sharpen students’ cognitive skills. “Most of the boys that have been excelling in the school are involved in one type of sports or the other. We are grooming them to be the best in sports. Sports and education compliment each other. Sports allow for a sound body and a sound mind and a sound body must hold a sound mind,” he added.

    He also said the school is grooming potential stars that will represent Nigeria in international sporting contests in future and in the military, recalling that the first cadet in Nigeria was established in King’s college.

    Olapeju said as King’s College students, they are the future military men. He recounted how the military started in King’s College in 1944 when there was a riot in the college and the then colonial master conscripted the boys who partook in the riot into the military.

    He added that Ojukwu, a King’s alumnus, was the first university graduate to join the army.

    The Chairman, of the School’s Management Based Committee, Prof Peter Okebukola, told reporters said the school offers the boys the best in class to develop sound mind and sound body.

    “The expectation is that the students will go further to compete and win laurels in Nigeria and Africa. We develop an all round student, intellectual development, physical development, and moral value. By the time they are leaving King’s College they will be the best leadership material,” he said.”

     

  • Varsity students matriculate

    No fewer than 3,493 fresh students of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, have matriculated in the 2013/2014 academic session.

    The matriculation was presided over by the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Olusola Oyewole.

    Speaking on the occasion, Oyewole said the number of applicants, who sat for the Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME) in the university was 25,467, out of which 3,493 were offered provisional admission.

    He admonished the students to consider themselves fortunate to have secured admission into the university, considering the high number of prospective students, who had applied based on the university’s remarkable progress and development in all ramifications.

    Oyewole however, warned that the university has zero tolerance for academic indiscipline,disrespect for constituted authorities, rascality, irresponsible unionism, cultism, laziness, truancy and vandalism, among others.

     

  • Rivers college tightens admission

    Students seeking admission into the Rivers State College of Health Science and Technology (RSCHST), will no longer be admitted with just two credits but four credits and above, the college’s Provost, Dr. Charles Amadi has said.

    He spoke in Port Harcourt during the 2013/2014 session of the institution’s matriculation. The event marked his first outing since his appointment as acting provost.

    Amadi said his tenure as the Acting Provost will focus on the transformation of the college and initiate more policies that will uplift the standard of learning and general good of the student community.

    He noted that out of 10,000 candidates, who sought admission, only 1,514 applications were accepted and approved by the authority.

    The reason for that, he said: “was because we have decided that those departments where intending students are being admitted with two credits will no longer happen. Anybody seeking admission into Rivers State College of Health Science and Technology must have four credits and above before he or she could be admitted.”

    Admonishing the students, Amadi urged them to make a personal commitment to achieve their desire. He added that the students must discipline themselves to do what is right.

    He said: “Today’s occasion call for both celebration and sober reflection, this is due to the students’ brilliant performances at both the college entrance exam and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). As I said, the university has changed their policy on admission

    “You are welcome into the citadel of learning at a very remarkable time in the college history. It is obvious from the many on-going development projects, academic reforms and transformational policies that we are aiming at enhancing learning and research in our college.”

     

  • ‘Lay emphasis on arts, not only sciences’

    The government has been urged to give equal tratment to all courses in tertiary institutions.

    To do otherwise may lead to the extinction of some courses that could help mould core values in our society.

    Parents were warned to desist from dictating for their children, the course to study, and where to do it.

    These were the views of Prof. Effiong Johnson of the University of Uyo during its 37th inaugural lecture.

    Johnson, a Theatre Arts lecturer observed that, the government’s emphasis on science and technology to the detriment of arts and humanities is simply helping to create dichotomy among the nation future leaders.

    Speaking on the lecture with the theme: ‘Of Theatre Arts’ effervescence (and infamy?) Dismantling the grotesque from the aesthetic,’ he said despite the wrong perception about theatre artists, course such as Theathre Arts , have helped in contributing to the economy through Nollywood.

    His words: “We have observed with keenness government’s over-emphasis of science and technology over arts and humanities. Whereas there are old and new universities of Science and Technology, there is yet to be one university of arts and humanities. While grants, scholarships and opportunities for science based students exist with ready attention, the same cannot be said of arts.

    “Everyone was born with unique fingerprint and eyeball; no two persons are exactly alike, so while it is mandatory for responsible parents to cater for their children, it is not ideal for parents to force their children to reading this or that.

    Prof Effiong noted that at present theatre arts exists as a course in about 90 universities in Nigeria, a testimony of its validity the National Universities Commission, the universities regulatory body.

    He said: “Theatre’s self-employable disposition to its professionals especially in the unemployment plagued Nigerian landscape makes it conquering indispensability. Currently, its contribution to the survival of the wobbling economy through the instrumentality of Nollywood marks theatre out with a niche unprecedented in the relevance strata.”

     

  • ‘We are committed to quality education’

    Management of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has expressed its commitment to reposition the institution for academic excellence. At the ninth edition of its lectures series held at the Faculty of Medical Sciences Hall last week, Provost of the College of Medicine, Prof Basden Onwubere said the university had initiated series of projects to upgrade the college.

    He said the college has concluded arrangements to launch a N6 billion education fund raising programme scheduled to hold from today till Sunday.

    Prof Onwubere said despite the impressive performance of their graduates globally and rapid infrastructural development in the college, management was in dire need of more funds.

    He said: “Within the past four years, we have moved from less than 20 professors to nearly 60 in the College of Medicine, with many at the final stages of assessment. However, we are not yet where we should be, and there is still room for improvement in our academic work and research activities.”

    He decried the challenges faced by the college, which include medical library, students’ hostels, transportation and modern facilities necessary for conducive learning. Prof Onwubere commended the Vice Chancellor, Prof Barth Okolo for starting the construction of the ultra-modern college building complex, adding that Associate Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA, Ben Nwosu formed African Research League with nine other UNN alumni to provide funds for students to conduct research under the strict supervision of members of staff.

    Chief Medical Director of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, ‘UNTH’, Dr Chris Amah said in two years, the hospital had witnessed massive transformation in infrastructure, establishment of new patients’ wards and improved services, adding that the open heart surgery, which was suspended for more than 10 years has been restored with record of five successful surgeries.

    He said the oxygen plant that had ceased to function for several years is operational, noting that building complexes for the schools would soon be completed.

    A former Chief Medical Director of UNTH, Prof John Oli stressed the need for the inclusion of local languages in the medical curriculum, saying this is necessary to enable medical doctors communicate effectively with illiterate patients.

    The chairman of the Professor Chukwuedu Nwokolo Annual Lecture Series and Award of Prizes for Academic Excellence, Prof Chuba Ijoma, said every year, there are cash prizes of N50,000 and N25,000 for best academic staff and students.

    In a lecture entitled: “Future trends of medical education in Nigeria,” Prof Okey Mbonu, said the future of medical education in Nigeria depended on the willingness of stakeholders to modify the curricula with a view to producing medical graduates with the additional competencies required for modern medical practice, adding that doctors were now required to acquire rare abilities that would meet the current needs of the society.

    “We need medical graduates with excellent clinical, research, computer and entrepreneurial skills, who would possess a problem-solving and a life-long learning attitude required in community centers,” he said.

    Prof Mbonu called for the establishment of departments of education in medical colleges in the country to drive progress in medical education, adding that community based training should be enhanced to complement traditional hospital practice.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that in 2006, the college administration under the leadership of Prof Banjamin Chukwuma Ozumba, instituted the Prof Chukwuedu Nwokolo Annual Lecture Series and Award of Prizes for Academic Excellence to stimulate research and scholarship.

     

  • ASUP chair wins NUC best PhD thesis in Arts

    Chairman Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), FEDPOFFA Dr. Sola Adetunji Ojeniyi, has won the 2012 Nigerian Universities Doctoral Thesis Award Scheme (NUDTAS), organised by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    Ojeniyi’s Doctoral Thesis in Arts won best in 2012 throughout the country. He was among the 17 winners honoured by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja.

    Ojeniyi attributed his success to hard work and sheer determination for success. He also thanked his supervisor, Prof. Victoria Adunola Alabi, of the University of Ilorin.

    He hinted that writing doctoral theses required a lot of technicalities; the knowledge of which he said, helped him immensely on his project.

    His thesis is the best in all doctoral theses of 2012 in Arts. This is despite being the only polytechnic staff among PhD students under the supervision of Prof. Alabi.

  • Architect gets NAPS award

    Architect gets NAPS award

    The National Association of Polytechnic Students has given the Principal Partner of AD Consulting, A Olajumoke Adenowo an ‘Iconic Excellent Leadership’ award.

    The award qualifies the awardee as the NAPS Personality of the Year.

    Adenowo is the first non-politician cum entrepreneur to receive the award.

    Past recipients of the award include: Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun and the immediate past minister of Education Prof Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai.

    The award, according to NAPS’ association’s Director of Action and Mobilisation, Oluwatosin Taiwo, was ratified a decade ago, for those who have distinguished themselves in their various fields. To them, the recipient of such awards must be an inspiration to the youths and students.

    On why NAPS chose Adenowo, its Director of Action & Mobilisation Oluwatosin Ayobami said the honoree’s youth empowerment initiative- Awesome Treasures Foundation, which he said gives succour to the less-privileged is commendable, in addition to her exceptional architectural designs.

    “In line with the Vision 20:20:20, these are the things the association believes in and longs for from role models in the society as leaders of today and tomorrow,” Ayobami said.

    Ayobami said NAPS gives less consideration to whether a would-be honouree is a polytechnic or university graduate, but takes into cognisance the personality profile of highly resourceful and unassuming personalities.

    “So, we honoured someone that is working in line with the polytechnic ideology that technology is the bedrock of the nation. Adenowo’s exceptional skill in architecture and interior decoration is an inspiration,” Ayobami added.

    Adenowo said her passion for youths has informed her initiative-Awesome Summits, which according to her, is the youth outreach of ATF with tentacles in some university campuses. Her radio show, ‘Voice of Change’, is also youth-centred,’ she added.

     

  • Mapoly to award degrees

    The Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, Ogun State will become a degree-awarding institution, the Rector, Prof. Oludele Itiola, has disclosed.

    He said the process has since begun, and that in a few years, all that is needed for the take-off will be completed just as efforts are also being made to recruit more staff into the state -owned polytechnic.

    The Rector spoke shortly after conducting the matriculation and oath taking for new students for Diploma and Higher National Diploma programmes.

    The Rector, who advised the fresh students to face their studies and shun cultism, examination malpractice and other vices that could abort their chances of reaching worthy goals, noted that with “adequate funds” the institution would produce the needed Electronic voting technology (e-ballot box) that could help Nigeria overcome challenges of manual voting.

    A sample of an e-ballot box was produced two years ago by the polytechnic’s Electrical/Electronics Engineering Department. The device is made of transparent materials and can count electronically, 9,999 ballot papers within a given period. It also prevents ballot stuffing, among other electoral malpractices.

    Itiola said the device could be produced in large quantities not just as a contribution to the national development, but also to help tackle some of the nation’s electoral challenges that may still manifest in future elections.

    His words: “Our exploits in national development, including but not limited to the production of a fueless generating set and an electronic ballot box, to list but a few have indicated that we are not mere local champion.

    “The thing (electronic ballot box) is already workable but we need to do some fine-tuning and to do mass production is different from doing something on the pilot scale. So, we need funds.”

    He identified other challenges facing the institutions as “need for more classrooms and the need to provide some facilities in the library and providing of hostels for the students”.

    According to him, the polytechnic would in a few years to come, transmute to a degree-awarding institution as they “are well on the way and would surely be ready.”