The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • College expels three students for ‘rape’, ‘manhandling’

    College expels three students for ‘rape’, ‘manhandling’

    The College of Advanced and Professional Studies, Makurdi Benue State, has expelled three students for allegedly raping a fellow student, (name withheld), manhandling a Divisional Police Officer and intimidating some students, a development which has led to the temporary closure of the institution to forestall further chaos.

    The Sole Administrator of the college, Dr. Tyotom Keghku, said trouble started last Friday during the Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB) exam, when two students intimidated and harassed their counterparts in the 100 Level.

    He said some IJMB Two students, who came to fetch water, asked those in IJMB One to give room to ‘your senior’ to fetch first, an order the latter resisted. This resulted into a scuffle. In the melee, Kegku said an IJMB Two student was hit on the head with a stick and was rushed to the hospital for medical attention.

    Irked by the development, the IJMB Two students reportedly mobilised their colleagues and disrupted the queue. Sensing danger, Kegku said the management invited the police to restore law and order, adding that on sighting the police, some angry students threw stones some of which hit the Divisional Police Officer (DPO).

    He said the students also locked up the college officials in their offices, leading to delay of the IJMB exam slated for the morning of that day.

    He explained that some students, who were involved in the alleged rape of a female student during the crisis and other acts contrary to the college rules were expelled while others warned.

    Property damaged, investigation revealed, include physics and chemistry laboratories, Block A hostel, security block and the school bus.

    Meanwhile, the management has closed the college with the approval of the Commissioner of Education, Dr. Elizabeth Ugoh.

    A statement by the Acting Registrar, Mr. Jijingi Agber, and made available to our correspondent, said the decision was to avoid a further break down of law and order.

    It directed students to vacate the campus immediately, while those writing exam should only come on the scheduled days and time.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Benue State Police Command,DSP Daniel Ezeala, who confirmed the incident, added that no casualty was recorded.

    He said police have been deployed to restore peace and order on campus.

     

  • UNN celebrates first Ph.D. in PR

    University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has produced its first set of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Relations (PR).

    Dean, Faculty of Business Administration, Prof. Geraldine Ugwuonah, said the two academics- Josiah Akalazu Nkwocha and Benedict Ejikeme Odigbo, emerged after successfully defending their Ph.D theses.

    He congratulated the duo for going through the rigours of the programme under the able supervision of Prof. Justie Nnabuko.

    According to Ugwuma, the university is celebrating the feat because it is the first in Nigeria and West Africa. Ugwuona, who announced this on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Batho Okolo, said the Masters and Doctorate degrees in PR are domiciled in the Department of Marketing.

    She praised Prof. Julius Onah, the late Prof. Ikechukwu Nwosu and Dr. D. A. Nnolim for getting the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) to endow a chair in PR in the university in 1992/93 academic session. The Ph.D programme only started in 2005/2006 academic session, she explained.

    “We are celebrating this milestone because it is the first since the programme started, and the first in any Nigerian university,” she said.

    Also, the Head of Department, Marketing, Dr. Andrew Ehikwe and the external examiner/Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka don, Prof. Anayo Nkandebe, have advocated a project to immortalise Nwosu who pioneered the PR programme in the UNN.

    Nwosu died in May 2011.

    “Let the university and NIPR organise an annual lecture in honour of Professor Ikechukwu Nwosu who contributed immensely to the growth of the Public Relations profession in Nigeria,” they said.

    Prof. Nwosu was Nigeria’s first professor of Marketing Communications and gave Public Relations education tremendous boost during his lifetime. “His students are everywhere in Nigeria and in diaspora,” Dr. Ehikwe said.

     

  • Union donates waste bins to school

    The Students’ Union Government of the Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH) Yola, has donated no fewer than 100 waste bins to the Institution as part of its contribution towards improving the environmental sanitation and easier collection of waste on the campus.

    Presenting the container to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Bashir Usman, president of the union, Al-amin Gabari, said the SUG deemed it necessary to supplement the efforts of the management in maintaining a healthy environment on the campus.

    The union also embarked on renovation of toilets facilities in the female halls. While inspecting the work, Prof Usman, who was accompanied by other principal officers of the institution, commended the leadership of the union, urging other associations to emulate the gesture by contributing to the growth and development of the university.

  • NASU in peaceful protest

    The Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) members of the institution embarked on a non-violent protest/rally held penultimate week in the school premises.

    The protesters had carried placards with various inscriptions such as ‘Ensure adequate funding of the Polytechnic Education’ -‘No to IPPIS’, ‘Involve NASU members in Needs assessment committee’, – ‘Constitute a committee to review the agreement of -2010 FGN/NASU re-negotiation for polytechnic sector,’ among others. They made it clear that the messages were meant for the Federal Government, from which they expect prompt response.

    The chairman of the union, Comrade Adekunle Adeniyi stressed that they did not have any problem with the management, but only needed the Rector to help them relay the messages to the government for necessary action.

    The Rector, who praised members for their maturity and comportment during the rally, promised to convey their message to the Ministry of Education soonest. She implored the union to be law-abiding and peaceful while agitating for their cause.

    It would be recalled that NASU members have been on a national strike for over three months to push home their demands.

     

  • UI, institute to enhance food security

    The University of Ibadan (UI) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) have expressed their commitment to food security in Nigeria. The agreement was reached during a meeting in the office of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Isaac Adewole.

    Prof Adewole said both institutions have a common goal of enhancing food security, adding that university is deeply committed to partnerships that would enhance food security. He promised to make funds available to ensure the success of the programme. The Director General of the Institute, Dr Nteranya Sanginga, said IITA would contribute in technical aspect while the University of Ibadan would support in the aspect of training, adding that the programme was intended for the youth.

    Sanginga said that the Institute’s goal was to organise a programme in agro business where youths would be exposed to the opportunities in the sector.

    “This will help to reduce youth unemployment in the country,” Dr Sanginga said.

     

  • Letter to all comrades

    In the past, students’ unionism was sweet. Way back in the 1976 “Alli must go” riot, several students were killed in Amadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. Some were badly wounded, but did they merit the assault? They firmly stood against injustice which is the song now chanted by today’s union leaders who failed to make the supposed egalitarian society real. Then, unionism was at its peak and it has no contender other than its strong counterpart which was activism. I believe every union is created to fight for its member and the sole aim of students union is activism.

    However, we do not need a prophet to tell us what we already know and to see the woes that are betiding student unionism at present. This is solely because unionism has deviated from its sole aim of activism to materialism. The times of the uncompromising and radical unionist are gone and unionism has become a platform to gratify selfish interest. The patriotic ones have sold their birthright for stipends and the uprights have compromised their stand for peanuts. The reputation that was claimed by the earlier union heroes has been soiled; their white garments have been spotted with stains of sharp practices of materialists and egoists.

    Gone are the days when students hold elections without interference by politician, but all has changed at present. Today, politicians influence students union to pursue their ambitions. No wonder, our students’ union leaders find it pretty difficult to criticise these “god-fathers” whenever they initiate anti-students policies, let alone frown at issues of national concern. All that the union leaders want to see happen is an abracadabra that will make them overnight millionaires from government purse. They have dropped activism and made materialism their watchword. Where are we headed?

    The only way to revive unionism is to embrace activism and reject materialism. Student unionism will be revived back to life if activism is seen as the principal tool and main objective of unionism. That way, unionism will take its pride of place. It is important to let all student unionists see activism as the sole aim of unionism right from inception and stop pursuing selfish ends.

     

    Elijah, 400-Level French Education, EKSU

  • Don wins science award

    F ormer Head of Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Ibadan, (UI), Prof Sunday Ajayi has been honoured with the National Merit Award in Science.

    Prof Ajayi was among other recipients of the National Merit in Science by the Federal Government of Nigeria under the auspices of the Ministry of Education.

    The award was in recognition of his immense contribution in the field of science, especially in the study of Wildlife and Fisheries Management.

    The Vice chancellor, Prof Isaac Adewole, congratulated the awardee, describing him as an ethical researcher, great intellectual, exemplary administrator, pacesetter and a pride of the university.

     

     

     

  • UNIZIK elects union leaders

    Students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) have gone to the polls to elect new executives of the Students’ Union Government (SUG).

    Ibe Chukwunonso, a student of Chemical Engineering, emerged president after polling a total of 193 votes to defeat Humphry Onyemsri who had 154.

    Others included Agulefo Queen, Vice-president; Onyebuchi Kelvin, Secretary General; Onumaguru Jane, Assistant Secretary General; Chisom Chinwuko, Treasurer; Chukwu Kelechi, Financial Secretary; Chukwu Clinton, Public Relations Officer and Divine Ezike, Director of Socials.

    The electoral process was managed by Prof Chris Ayamene,Head of Committee on Students’ Election and the Dean of Students Affairs.

    The inauguration ceremony took place penultimate Thursday at the Council Chambers.

    Ibe promised to promote the welfare of students, saying he would cooperate with the university management to deliver his campaign promises to the students.

  • FUPRE principal officers’ ‘appointment in order’

    Management of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources in Effurun (FUPRE), Delta State, has urged the public to disregard what it described as “sponsored publication” against the institution by Coalition of Urhobo Youth Organisation (CUYO) in the media.

    The management said the youth organisation lacked university administration knowledge, saying the group’s malicious publication would not derail the institution’s progress. The school was reacting to a media report credited to CUYO, which called for dissolution of the university’s Governing Council over the appointment of principal officers.

    The management said it would not join issue with the group, but said its response to “unfounded reasons” for the dissolution of the Governing Council was for the purposes of setting the records straight.

    A statement by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Olatunde Damisa, on Tuesday, said the group lacked knowledge of the procedure for the selection and appointment of principal officers.

    The statement reads: “Between May and September 2013, the university advertised the positions of the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, Bursar and Librarian, which are part of the mandate of the university as the first petroleum institution in Africa and fifth in the world.

    “After due screening and assessment of the applications received for all the positions, Prof John Ovwata Etu-Efeotor was appointed the Vice-Chancellor of the university. The candidates for the other positions did not meet the required criteria in line with the mandate of the university.

    “The statement by CUYO that the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the university’s Governing Council, Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange, is grooming someone to take over the positions is a distraction by disgruntled applicants, who perhaps failed to pass through the stringent requirements of the university at the interviews. It is obvious that the statement is a figment of the imagination of the group.”

    The management urged the public to disregard the publication and to support the progress and development of the institution.

  • Varsity digitalises operations

    The Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT MINNA), Niger State, has taken a giant step by creating a virtual academic platform that allows students and staff to perform various tasks by means of communication enhancement software, Phinnx.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the institution adopted the Phinnx web system which was targeted at computerizing the research, collaborative and academic needs of all Nigerian academic institutions.

    A member of the technology firm said: “Features of the application included video conferencing on mobile phones, tablets and personal computers and illustrator which enable people wherever they may be to teach one another using their phone ,tablet and PC screen as notebooks. Illustrator allows people to easily create more complex and appealing symbols than is achievable in conventional whiteboards.”

    He added: “Other features include course and assignment managers, messaging system, screen and code studio, which supports computer programming on mobile phones and tablets.”

    The software was developed by two students of the university. They are Olofu Mark, 400-Level Information Communication Technology and OguntadeTemitope who graduated from the Department of Mathematics and Computer.

    In a telephone conversation with CAMPUSLIFE, the duo explained that they had spent most of their time solving problems that centred on performance, scalability, reliability and ease of use. They explained that they understood the difficulties Nigerians face with internet speed, saying that the application was fast.

    They hoped to sell application to other institutions of learning.