The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • State of varsities worries Amina Sambo

    State of varsities worries Amina Sambo

    Wife of the Vice President, Mrs Amina Namadi Sambo, has expressed concern over the deplorable state of universities, lamenting that the best university in the country is placed ninth in Africa.

    Represented by the Wife of the Kaduna State Governor, Hajia Fatima Mukthar Yero, at the inauguration of the Centre of Excellence for Development Communication sponsored by the McAuthur Foundation at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Hajia Sambo said such a situation does not speak well of the standard of tertiary education in the country.

    While challenging lecturers to strive to improve through research and development, she said ABU has set a very high standard in tertiary education, which has made it the pride of not only Nigeria, but also Africa. She said this was evident in the impact products of the institution were making in the country and beyond.

    Speaking on the Centre of Excellence initiative, Hajia Sambo said that improving development communication would further equip graduates with skills and expand the pool of experts needed in Nigeria. She added that this would fast-track the achievements of new paradigm of bottom/top approach to development conception, which will encourage ownership.

    The ABU Vice Chancellor, Prof Abdullahi Mustapha, appealed to old students and friends of the university to establish projects that would advance academic in ABU, promising that such donations would be put to good use.

    He said the new centre has been engaged in teaching post-graduate courses, interacting with communities around Zaria and beyond. He added that the centre is an evidence of the collaboration of the university with international organisations for the advancement of education in the country.

    Hajia Sambo was honoured with an award of excellence.

    The guest speaker, Prof. Mohammed Kuta Yahaya, urged political leaders to be guided by a commitment to a democratic, participatory and responsive public information programme where people are vital.

    He said government mechanism and machinery must be driven by the needs of people to ensure their participation in the creation and use of information, which encourages public scrutiny, thus promoting efficiency.

     

  • A vote for vocational education

    A vote for vocational education

    No fewer than 40 million Nigerians have no jobs. Yet, yearly higher institutions across the nation churn out thousands of graduates into labour market to join thousands of unemployed youths.

    It is disheartening to see endowed Nigeria, battling mass unemployment, to be importing products such as toothpicks, combs, and even matches from neighbouring countries. However, this may continue for sometimes because most of the unemployed graduates lack necessary skills to be self-employed.

    Based on the economic report on Nigeria released by the World Bank last May, the country was ranked 153 out of 186 countries in the 2013 United Nations development index. In similar vein, the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that Nigeria’s unemployment rate averaged 14.60 per cent from 2006 until 2011, reaching an all time high of 23.90 per cent in December.

    Amidst of all these ever-increasing records of unemployment, the government has not deemed it fit to invest adequately in Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) that could engage millions of job seekers and engender national development. This aspect of education is a major factor contributing to the growth of economy and manpower of developed nations.

    Because of the neglect of TVE, Nigeria is lacking in skilled technicians who can provide effective practical solution to industrial challenges. The best way to achieve industrialisation is equipping able youths with technical and technological knowledge to contribute to the economy. A nation that fails to do this may be on a journey to perdition.

    An author defines technical education as “that aspect of education that involves the acquisition of techniques and application of the knowledge of the science for the improvement of man’s surrounding.” In view of this, it should be stressed that acquisition of techniques and skills and the application of them are what make technical education a core factor in human development. It is as well fashioned to develop occupational skills, to increase innovative ideas, and to develop the nation’s economy.

    With the world economy becoming more globalised and competitive more prominent than before, the application of technical and vocational knowledge becomes important especially in a developing country such as Nigeria.

    Furthermore, based on research, the application of TVE has worked in many advanced countries. Asian Tigers have directed solid attention to the acquisition of skills and teaching of TVE to students. As a result, the majority of their citizens are equipped with adequate skills to sustain their economic growth. These countries are now major players in the world economy.

    It is, however, sad and painful that Nigerian graduates are described as “half-baked” and “unemployable”; and this is the bitter truth. We have numerous undergraduates studying Physics and Electronics, for instance, who do not know how to connect a circuit, let alone wiring an entire building.

    How can this set of students contribute to the economic growth when they cannot do such a simple task?

    Nigeria has come to the point where acquisition of just certificate or theoretical knowledge in any discipline should be given less attention; it must have to espouse acquisition of practical knowledge.

    Most of the courses in our tertiary institutions are not taught to impact practical knowledge on the students. Courses should be amended to accommodate vocational and skill acquisition training as a means to produce graduates that can contribute to the economy, not those who will join the league of job seekers.

    Another worrying situation is the preference of academic degrees over technical degrees. This is obvious in the labour market as many graduates with HND certificates are given lesser consideration. All graduates should be given level playing ground irrespective of their certificates. To worsen the situation, a lot of admission seekers are now hurled into polytechnics and technical education institutions because they could not secure admission into universities. This is where the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) should come in to address the discrimination.

    Financial resources should be made available and accessible to youths to develop their vocational skills. Private firms must give out loans to young entrepreneurs. Making funds available is a very crucial issue that should be holistically looked at.

     

    •Damilola 200-Level Mass Comm., AAUA

     

     

     

  • Nigeria needs more open varsities, says Gambari

    The Joint Special Representative, African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), Prof Ibrahim Gambari has said for Nigeria to witness national development and transformation, there is a need for the acceptance of open universities.

    Gambari spoke on the topic: Open and distance education for development, unity and democratic transformation of Nigeria at third convocation lecture of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

    He said with technology, Open and Distance Learning (ODL) education can help improve Nigeria in many areas, urging NOUN to plug into the role.

    He said: “The technologies and emergent platforms, Open University concept, Open Educational Resources (OERs) hold tremendous potentials to build capacity and enhance skills, improve knowledge acquisition, management, sharing, and deployment, all of which ultimately develop deepened democracy and enthrone security and stability to the nation. In this regard, NOUN has a clear role to help steer the nation towards transformation, unity and democratic transformation.”

    Ambassador Gambari added that apart from offering degree programmes, NOUN can plug into the vocational education market and help equip unemployed youth with skills they can use to generate jobs.

    “I would like to suggest that NOUN should explore the possibility of Free Open Learning of Mathematics, Computer Studies, including coding and basic sciences. If we could partner with major ICT and mobile telephone companies and National Association of Computer Science and ICT in a public-private partnership, NOUN may help students across the country that have no trained teachers in these areas. Indeed, we could also use the same open learning approach to re-train many unemployed youths on skills directly useful in small and medium enterprises, trade, and self-employment.

    “In so doing, open learning could help reduce youth unemployment. Employing Open Learning to train our youths is a wise investment in the future of the nation,” he said.

     

  • Beyond the ‘good people, great nation’ mantra

    Beyond the ‘good people, great nation’ mantra

    Before the amalgamation of 1914, there was no country called Nigeria. The geographical space was only being habited by different ethnic nationalities. Then came along a white man, Lord Lugard, who for the purpose of easy administration, brought together these independent societies.

    Several decades after, the country experienced upheavals in its politics and social life. To tackle the challenges, the country leadership deemed it fit to rebrand. The “Good People, Great Nation” phrase was chosen to be the slogan.

    In March 2009 after the launch of the slogan and logo for the rebranding project, the Vice-President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, as he then was, challenged Nigerians not to perceive the campaign as another exercise in sloganeering. He said that it should be perceived as a genuine attempt at making every Nigerian has a renewed commitment to the recreation of the country.

    This means that our leaders knew something is wrong with our nation. The problems have a huge impact on the psyches of Nigerians. These four-worded slogan “good people, great nation” conveys a deep message. For a nation to be great, the people must first be good. For, one cannot market a bad product.

    Some people have lost hope in Nigeria. Some have come to the conclusion that a nation that is beset with bad governance, insecurity, corruption, unemployment and kidnapping can never prosper.

    They believe so much in the dictum of John Maxwell that “everything rises and falls on leadership”. This poses a lot of challenge on the mentality of most Nigerians. Yes, in all honesty, we have not had the best of our leaders. But then, according to an author, leadership flows out of followership; leadership and followership flow from a single river, woven from the same fabric especially in a democracy.

    The greatness of a nation is largely dependent on the behaviour of its people. The leaders we blame for the wrongs in our society are not distinct personalities from the nation. They are not foreigners; they are part of us. When aliens ruled us, we knew quite well we had to fight for our freedom.

    Nigeria is called the Giant of Africa; sadly, the giant is battling with lots of deformities and disabilities being caused by its people. We pollute our own environment ourselves. We dump all sorts of materials in drainage constructed for water passage. When we experience flood, we call on government to come to our individual homes to teach us how to take care of our own environment.

    Fraud is another major problem in Nigeria is facing and it is being perpetrated by the old and young. The nation is not made up of just the landmass but also the people. So if Nigeria has a bad image, so does the people; the government and the governed. The people seem to have forgotten the age long assertion that we need not wait for what the nation can do for us but we should also ponder on what we can do for our nation.

    Nigeria is our collective responsibility. The people carrying arms and taking to violence are not programmed to be criminals; circumstance turned them to beast. Today, many graduates roam the streets unemployed; it is not because they are lazy or have not tried their best to search for jobs, but for lack of experience. Many employers have seven to 10 years experience or more as a prerequisite for employment but how can fresh graduates have such years of experience if they are given an opportunity? And by the way, these organisations are not manned by angels, but people.

    Yes, the rebranding slogan may have been abandoned for the more fascinating cliché, but the spirit of “good people, great nation” must not be abandoned.

    Nigeria is our collective responsibility. Whether we are leaders or commoners, we are all people of the same destiny. If we remain in the state we have been in time past, there is no way we can achieve the status of a good people and a great nation.

    Of course this does not go to say there are no good people in Nigeria. The problem is, there are not enough good people.

    So, of what use is a voice if it cannot be heard? Of what use is the strength if it cannot shake anything? Of what use is our height and colour if we cannot be noticed in the crowd? And of what use is being good if we cannot make our country great? Being good is not all; positive steps have to be taken in making our country great. It is a New Year; it is another opportunity to make a difference, to be the change we want to see.

    For there to be a truly fascinating Nigeria, we must move from this stage of mediocrity to being a truly good people and assuredly a great nation.

    Peace, 300-Level Law, UNILORIN

  • Mass Comm. students visit media house

    Mass Comm. students visit media house

    Some Mass Communication students of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) have visited the corporate headquarters of the Nigerian Tribune in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on excursion.

    The students, who are in 300-Level and 400-Level, said they embarked on the tour to learn practical aspects of newspaper production.

    Led by their lecturers, Mrs Yusuf Tajudeen and AbdulGafar Arikewuyo, the students, who intend to specialise in print journalism, were received by a reporter on the Features desk of the newspaper, Mrs Taiwo Olarenwaju. She took them round all the desks in the newsroom and the administrative department.

    The editor of each desk, explained to the students the activities and mode of operation of the beat. The Tourism Editor, Mr Wale Ojo-Lanre, told the students how he discovered the site of the first plane crash in Africa, which occurred on April 12, 1942 in Ekiti State.

    At the computer room, the students were received by Mr Oke Olatunde, a graphic artist, who taught them the dynamics of impressive page planning and design. ‘’The computer room is under the editorial department and it is the engine room because all the raw works from the editorial department are designed and planned into pages here, which are now sent to the machine server at the prepress,’’ he explained.

    The students observed the editorial board meeting, which began about 1:00 pm. They were welcome by Mr Edward Dickson, the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief.

    While the meeting was on, some market women, under the aegis of Oyo Fish Sellers Association, arrived to express their dissatisfaction with the ban on importation of fish by the Federal Government, saying the policy had resulted in increase in fish prices nationwide.

    The highpoint of the visit was the presentation of a copy of the first edition of the newspaper, which was published on November 16, 1949, to the students. The presentation was made by Editor of the newspaper, Mr Debo Abdullai.

    Abdullai said the problem of brown envelope in the media could only be eliminated when journalists adhere strictly to professional ethics, adding that media houses should pay their staff well.

    He noted that social media was affecting the practice of journalism today, noting that any editor or reporter that was not in tune with the new media was doomed to fail.

     

  • UNILORIN Arabic Dept seeks students

    The University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) Arabic and Islamic Studies Department is seeking qualified candidates for its Diploma Programme for the 2013/2014 academic session.

    It will admit candidates for the two-year programme who possess the required WASC/GCE O’ Level/Grade II Teachers’ Certificate credits in, at least, three subjects (including Arabic and Islamic Studies), or their equivalents – the Higher Islamic Studies Certificate/Senior Islamic School Certificate (SISC) or Senior Arabic Certificate (Asha-hadat al-thanawiyyat/At-tawjihiyyah) with, at least, Jayyid (Merit) with evidence of competence to speak and write good English.

    In a statement the Registrar, Mr E.D. Obafemi, noted that there would be an interview to select suitable candidates for the course.

    After the Diploma, students would be accepted through Direct Entry for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Arabic, Islamic Studies, Education/Arabic and Education/Islamic Studies if they possess five credits in SSCE/GCE O-Level/SISCE including the English Language, Arabic and Islamic Studies.

     

  • Varsity renovates hostels

    Varsity renovates hostels

    Residents of Hall Five, a student hostel at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) were excited when they resumed last week after the protracted Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike. They returned to see that the hostel has been given a facelift by the management.

    When CAMPUSLIFE visited the hall, the building had been refurbished and painted. The toilets, which used to be nightmares, had been overhauled and the roads leading to the hall, which were dotted with potholes, had been tarred.

    A 500-Level Petroleum Engineering student, who simply identified herself as Mariam, was full of praises for the Vice Chancellor, Prof Osayuki Oshodi.

    “With this renovated hostel, our studies would receive a boost, as we do not have to jostle for space to read in lecture theatres at night. I can comfortably read in my room without hassles,” she stated.

    Investigations revealed that Hall 1 was properly lit at night, a development that had excited many occupants. “I noticed that water now flows constantly at Hall 3, unlike before when we had to go to the taps outside the hall and queue up for hours to get water,” said a final year student of Optometry. He commended the management for the changes praying for sustainability.

    At the time of filing this report, construction was ongoing on the roads leading to the Clinical Students Hostel, which was notorious for flooding and potholes.

    Meanwhile, it was not rosy for many occupants as their rooms were burgled during the strike.

     

  • ‘We should be in school, not home’

    ‘We should be in school, not home’

    Last Monday, students of the Federal Polytechnic in Offa (OFFA POLY), Kwara State disrupted traffic on the Offa-Erin Ile Expressway, protesting the continued closure of their institution because of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) strike. AFEEZ ADEYEMO and JENNIFER UMEH (ND II Mass Communication) report.

    •Students protest teachers’ strike

    When will polytechnics re-open? This was the question students of the Federal Polytechnic in Offa (Offa Poly), Kwara State have sought an answer to.

    Aggrieved by the school’s continued closure and disruption of their studies, the students thronged the campus last Monday to protest what they called “government insensitivity” their plight.

    They said suspension of their academic pursuit was making their life meaningless, threatening to disrupt activities in government offices and ministries if the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) strike is not called off. They described ASUP members as “selfish unionists”.

    Travellers were stranded for hours, as the placards-carrying demonstrators disrupted traffic on the Offa-Erin Ile Expressway.

    Some of the inscriptions on their placards read: “Students are not smiling”, “Resumption is a must”, “We are forgetting what we are being taught” and “We want to be on campus, not home” among others.

    After a four-month strike, ASUP declared indefinite action last October, following the government’s alleged failure to implement the 2009 agreement signed by both parties. The polytechnic teachers are demanding adequate funding of technological education, improved infrastructure and equality of polytechnics’ Higher National Diploma and universities’ Bachelor’s degree, among others.

    The protesters, who converged on the institution’s main gate, told the management to opt out of the strike and re-open the campus. They said they could not afford to remain idle because of the consequence to their future.

    The presence of riot policemen and officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) did not stop the students from making their grievances known to passersby. They barricaded the school entrance, preventing workers from entering.

    Addressing the protesters, Festus Adedeji, president of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), said the striking lecturers and the government were using the strike to torture students physically and psychologically.

    He said all efforts by the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) to bring both sides to the negotiating table failed because none agreed to discuss until there is “a level of compromise”.

    Quoting the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, who said the government had met 80 per cent of the ASUP demands, Festus said the Prof Chibuzor Asomugha-led ASUP was inconsiderate by saying it would not return to work until the union’s demands were met.

    Festus said the students’ union had liaised with the management and the local chapter of ASUP to back out of the action in students’ interest, but the request was not granted.

     

    He said: “Several efforts have been made to make the school resume, but it appears our future is nothing to be compared with the personal interest of members of management and our lecturers. We have tried to cooperate with both local ASUP and management to find a way to adopt a system that would make students return to campus as was done at the Federal Polytechnic in Ilaro (ILARO POLY) and the Federal Polytechnic in Ado-Ekiti (ADO POLY), but all our pleas and ideas were turned down.

    “Our personality and rights have been totally infringed on. It appears polytechnics’ students are no more in existence. This is why we decided to gather today in order to let the world know the difficulties we have been encountering since ASUP declared strike. We can no longer tolerate closure of our school after a bloody communal crisis between Offa and Erin-Ile, which sent us on one month compulsory vacation, the ASUP is compounding our woes with its indefinite strike.”

    If the school is not re-opened immediately, the protesters said they would consider all means to make things unbearable for management and the government. Festus urged the students to be peaceful in their conduct, saying their agitation would be fruitful.

    As the demonstration was becoming intense, the Deputy Rector (Academics), Mr B.O. Saliu and Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA) Mr Leonard Adeyemi moved to the scene to plead with the students, urging them to remain calm and pray for timely resolution of the disagreement.

    The duo assured the protesters that the national executive of the ASUP was working to end the strike.

    Some of the aggrieved students, who spoke with our correspondents, said they could no longer remain idle at home, describing the ASUP strike as “abnormal situation”, which must be tackled with “abnormal approach”.

    Olaitan Kasali, an ND 1 Science Laboratory Technology student, said students had been pushed to the wall, a situation that resulted to the demonstration. “We have been looking forward to this type of action since the commencement of strike. I am tired of being idle at home, while my peers in other schools are studying. Why should we be made to suffer for other people’s interest? There has to be an end to the strike now, or let my school back out of it.”

    Students are not happy with the prolonged strike, Hammed Adegbenle, an ND II Business Administration student said, adding that the obstruction of traffic was an indication that students were not happy with their lecturers’ action.

    Tolulope Ojo, an HND II Accountancy student, said landlords were exploiting the situation to extort money from students. He said: “My landlord has been disturbing him to pay the rent, but where will I get the money from? My parents have stopped giving me money because my mates are now serving. Where am I today?” he queried.

    Ahmed Olayinka, an ND II student of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, said the students’ union should dialogue with the management and local chapter of ASUP so as not to complicate matters. He said: “I am not totally in tune with the idea of protest because no war is won in the battle field. Dialogue has always been a powerful weapon. We have to know that education is in a critical state in Nigeria, but we should not compound the situation with baseless protest. We have to constructively engage the lecturers and the government to resolve the crisis.”

    At the time of this report, CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the local ASUP was meeting on whether to return to work or not. Our correspondents learnt that the lecturers’ union agreed to convene a congress, after which a resumption date may be announced.

     

     

  • ‘Freedom is not free’

    ‘Freedom is not free’

    Why are you involved in human rights activism?

    It is the society. We live in a society which abhors truth and anybody who takes integrity as a virtue has committed a crime; corruption is celebrated in our society. I want to change this notion through my activities as a human rights crusader. My respect for the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi and the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti spurred my interest to do more.

    When did you start the organisation in the state?

    We just started CDHR in Niger State, but I am being perceived as a rebel and troublemaker in the course of agitating for students’ rights.

    You were arrested by the police recently, why?

    I think some people develop fear whenever they hear my name. That is the best way I can explain it. The management ordered for my arrest because I advised students on social media to identify with the cause of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), so that the Federal Government can be forced to implement the agreement it reached with the lecturers and we can return to school. The students have always been at the receiving end of the lecturers’ action. Some people in school saw my plea as rebellious. I was identified on campus and I was immediately picked up by the security agents. But the national body of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) called for my release.

    Why did you support ASUU ?

    The government is not sincere to the citizens. The country’s constitution guarantees our right to education. But we have unimaginable wealth under our feet, yet the government could not utilise the resources to improve education. We have enough for our needs but not enough for our greed. The government should understand that a nation cannot grow without education. This means there should be proper funding of education and this is what I am campaigning for.

    How would you rate the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan?

    Tragedy is when men are afraid of the light. President Jonathan has performed below expectation because the problems we face remain unsolved. There is still no qualitative education, and the economy is not stable. The country is still not safe, while mass unemployment continues to hunt us. Above all, there is political instability. In a simple sentence,the Jonathan administration is not different from the past regimes.

  • Corps member becomes chief

    Corps member becomes chief

    A MEMBER of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Amarachi Kalu, has been conferred with a chieftaincy title by her host community, Efut Abasi Uwanse South Local Government Area of Cross River State.

    The graduate of Anambra State University (ABSU) was named the Utuonikang Nkori Ke Abasi Uwanse (the light of Abasi Uwanse) for her meaningful contributions to the community during her service year.

    The Muri of Efut Abasi Uwanse, represented by the Assistant Secretary, Ndabo Philips, said the community recognised the humanitarian gestures of the corps member.

    He said: “The renovated police station that we see today used to be an eyesore some months ago as it was completely dilapidated. But thank God for Amarachi who came and made a strong impact in renovating the station.”

    He listed other projects executed by the corps member, including training of the youths in skill acquisition, introduction of sanitation programmes in the community market, distribution of drugs and mosquitoes bed nets to the community and planting of plantain and cocoa for widows and vulnerable children.

    The traditional ruler said the renovation of the police station will add value to the community and aid security, saying the community would not forget the sterling efforts of the corps member.

    The conferment was part of activities during the inauguration of some projects by the corps member executed under the NYSC and MDGs Community Development Service (CDS) scheme.

    The Commissioner of Police, Cross River State Command, represented by CSP Abiola Reuben, commended the corps member’s efforts, saying he was impressed.

    He advised everyone to see the police force as their friend and be ready to rise to the occasion by providing them with support, saying it would make them discharge their duties effectively.

    The NYSC State Coordinator, Ibangha Nkereke, said corps members should make their host community to feel the impact of their service year.

    He said the gesture would boost the security situation in the community. He thanked the community for honouring the corps member with the chieftaincy title, urging other corps members to take a cue and contribute to the development of their respective communities.

    Speaking with CAMPUSLIFE, Amarachi said the projects executed were products of the NEEDS assessment she carried out in the community.

    “I carried out assessment of projects needed in the community and the renovation of the dilapidated police station, came tops in my priority list. I decided to partner with some multinational companies and individuals to make sure the projects were implemented. I am so happy and honoured to be bestowed with these awards,” she stated.

    The Secretary of Efut Uwanse Clan Commission, Edabo Ekong, praised the corps member.

    Other dignitaries at the event were Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Rekpene Etta; Ntongha Ewah, and MDGs Schedule Officer, Cross River State, Muri Bassey.