The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • Students pray as Nasarawa varsity resumes

    Students pray as Nasarawa varsity resumes

    Last year, students of the Nasarawa State University in Keffi (NSUK) spent only three months in school, no thanks to the internal crisis and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike. On resumption last week, the students gathered to pray for a smooth academic year. KAMALUDEEN ABUBAKAR (200-Level Geography) writes.

    Nasarawa State University in Keffi (NSUK) was re-opened last week after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) called off its five-month industrial action.

    The institution did not enjoy a smooth session last year. It was shut for over four months, following a violent protest that led to the death of two students. A few weeks after the campus was re-opened, ASUU declared an indefinite strike to demand implementation of the agreement it reached with the Federal Government in 2009.

    The school resumed last week, but students are not excited about the resumption. They returned to the campus, praying against another strike because of their experience last year. They said 2013 was a bad academic year for them.

    During the strike, burglars and petty thieves invaded their hostels, carting away their property, including mattresses, television sets, rugs, fans and electronic gadgets. When the school resumed, many students returned to meet their rooms empty.

    Also, the school’s inability to admit students into the departments of Psychology, Sociology, Economics and Political Science left some prospective students stunned. The development was caused by the months of closure, which made the campus to open for just three months.

    The 2012/2013 session has yet to be completed because of the disruption.

    A 100-Level student said: “I thank God we are back in school. I am happy for this, but I cannot forget my strike experience. To me, the whole of 2013 was wasted because the campus was only opened for three months. A year like last year is not what a sane man should pray for.”

    For Usman Yarwa, a 300-Level Economics student, 2013 was a year for Nigeria’s education. “For us in Nasarawa State University, the strike is not what we would like to experience again. By October, the school ought to have graduated its students and begin another session. But, we are yet to be complete the first semester of the 2012/ 2013 session. It was a year that is not worth remembering; I don’t pray for a repeat,” he said.

    Gift Okafor, 200-Level Public Administration, has mixed feelings. She said the year was both bad and blessed. “It was bad because I am suppose to be in 300-Level, but the strike would not allow that. I can say it was a blessed year because I am alive.

    “While the students are yet to settle down for lectures, the management has released a timetable for for the first semester exam, which is scheduled to begin on January 27. This development has increased activities on campus as students moving up and down to sign their course forms.

    Business activities have also picked up in the school. Shop owners were seen conducting business as CAMPUSLIFE visited last week. Eka Pinging, a trader in Angwan Lambu, said business were gradually picking up. “Yes, we are happy that students are back after six months of strike; we are also back here to offer them everything they need to succeed in their academic work,” she said.

     

     

     

  • Obolo students get leaders

    Obolo students get leaders

    The National Association of Eastern Obolo Students (NAOES) has elected new leaders.

    Victoria Lambert a 200-Level Civil Engineering student of Rivers State Polytechnic, is President and Felix Sampson, Vice President.

    Others are Eminye Idante, General Secretary; Dandy Azu, Assistant General Secretary; Stone Simeon, Financial Secretary; Marcus Tallick, Director of Information; Jackson Mfon, Provost.

    The inauguration was attended by the Chairman, East Obolo Local Government Council, Dr Francis Charles and his deputy, Mr Ukomkpa Bernard, Mr Blessing Isotuk; Students Affairs to the Chairman on Students Affairs, Mr Tamuno Timothy.

    In her acceptance speech, Victoria said her administration would be innovative.

    Dr Charles advised the new executive to be objective and transparent warning them to shun vices and take their studies serious. He promised to give the executives grant that would enable them to run the administration effectively.

  • 8,587 take matriculation oath

    8,587 take matriculation oath

    The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof Abdulganiu Ambali, has told freshers admitted into the institution to be disciplined and dedicated to their studies. He advised the students to work hard, saying what their action today would determine their tomorrow.

    The VC made the charge when the freshers took the oath of matriculation last Friday for the students. He told the students to obey rules and regulation of the institution, adding that the management had zero-tolerance for malpractice.

    Prof Ambali said: “I urge you to be dedicated and committed to your academic pursuit, and you should count yourselves lucky as many could not be admitted despite being qualified. You must shun vices and any action that can tarnish the image of the university.

    The VC noted that out of 97,000 applicants, who applied to study in the institution, only 16, 123 candidates were successful in the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) exam but the university could only admit 8,587.

    Faculty of Arts admitted 1,161 students, making it the faculty with higher number of freshers. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences had only 27 students.

    The freshers beamed with smile after taking the oath. Ramat Aleshinloye, 100-Level Agricultural Science, said: “I am happy to one of the succeeful applicant admitted; it is a dream come true for me. I promise to make my stay worthwhile in the university.”

    Jessica Ezemalu, 100-Level Chemistry, said: “The matriculation is boring because my parents are not around. But since examination is around the corner, I have to prepare myself for the challenge.”

    Mayowa Bamidele, 100-Level Mechanical Engineering, said being admitted into the university was a privilege from God.

     

  • Still on agenda setting

    In my piece on December 26, 2013 (Why we must set the agenda now), I wrote on the 12-man Monitoring Committee on the implementation of the recommendation of the Committee on Needs Assessment of Nigerian Universities. The committee was set up by the Federal Government in the thick of the 2013 suspended Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike. It is expected to oversee the execution of projects on the campuses of federal and state universities across the country.

    Chief Nyesom Wike, the Supervising Minister of Education, heads the committee. Other members include the Minister of Labour, Senator Atiku Abubakar Bagudu, Hon Jerry Alagbaoso, Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Education, Executive Secretary National Universities Commission (NUC), and Chairman Board of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TeTFund), Presidents of ASUU, NASU, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and NAATS while Mr. Ifiok Ukim, Head of Legal Services at Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) will serve as Secretary. The Committee, after inauguration, constituted six monitoring teams for the six geo- Political zones with responsibility to monitor projects in all the universities within the zones.

    I wrote then that: “On paper, and in the news, this is right on point! But in reality most of us will say, ‘we’ve heard this before, we are hearing it now and will continue to hear it until something actually changes. For me, I believe the time to set the agenda is now.”

    I never knew I would have to revisit the issue so soon. On Sunday, January 5, this year news broke that the Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC) has been working on a formula for allocating the funds. Recollect that in a Memorandum of Understanding reached at the conclusion of its negotiations with ASUU in December, the Federal Government had agreed to inject N1.3trillion this purpose, beginning with an initial deposit of N200billion with the Central Bank to be disbursed this year.

    Just a few days after its inauguration, some Nigerians started condemning the IMC as yet another unnecessary bureaucracy, even though there was a unanimous agreement that something drastic has to be done for the tertiary education sector. Such critics anchored their argument on the well over 60 other committees the Jonathan administration has set up since 2011. The question asked then was, what impact would the IMC make?

    But critics were assured that they would not lose a night sleep as the IMC would not be like those other committees, given its genesis and composition. To back up this postulation, we were reminded how it was central to the agreement reached between the Federal Government and ASUU last December and that its membership includes representatives of the Federal Government; the Committees of Pro- and Vice-Chancellors; the Secretaries of the NUC and the TETFUND and the leaders of various university trade unions, including ASUU and SSANU.

    With such ‘foolproof’ arrangement it was taken for granted that it would not be business as usual with this committee. Recollect also that Simeon Nwakaudu, the Special Assistant (Media) to the Supervising Minister of Education said the IMC “has the responsibility of directly monitoring the implementation of projects being executed with allocated funds in all the public universities of the country spread across the six geo-political zones. The projects to be executed are based primarily on the list of prioritised projects computed by the respective governing councils of the universities.”

    To further silence critics, he emphasised that “the IMC is not involved in the award of contracts, but principally set up to ensure that the best results are achieved over the period of six years that the Needs Assessment report of the public universities will be implemented.”

    Just when one was determined to watch things unfold, it has been observed that the “Nigerian factor” has stated rearing its head. One of such concerns is the dichotomy between federal and state universities in the allocation of the funds. According to newspaper reports, it was disclosed that the IMC “is working out the sharing formula between federal and state universities” partly because “This money is coming out of the Federal Government’s share of the federation account which does not include the states.”

    I find this argument, at this stage a prelude to future conflict on certain grounds. First, all public universities, Federal and state, are in a dire strait, and they were all identified and captured in the Needs Assessment Report. The entire image of public university education in the country is at stake. If the goal is to enhance this image by improving on teaching resources, infrastructure, and capacity building for lecturers, why not do so across board?

    My second concern is: If state universities were not going to ‘share’ in the reward, why allow them to close throughout the strike, while their lecturers participated in the strike along with their federal ounterparts? Already, state varsities are eagerly awaiting ‘huge funds’ from the Federal Government. Though not a prophet, I predict that some university administrators may soon face strike by their workers for not disbursing funds that they don’t have and may never have, if their institutions are discriminated against.

    The argument that the funds are coming from the “Federal Government’s share of the Federation Account”, certainly needs further clarifications. The Fed Govt already controls 56 per cent of the Federation Account. Besides, there have been allegations that it has been mopping up funds from the Excess Crude account and the Foreign reserve, while at the same time starving states of their necessary shares. States representatives, Pro-Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors of state universities, have a duty to intervene to prevent the discriminatory allocation of the infrastructure fund, if this is found to be the case.

    I’m not advocating a flat sharing structure; I advocate the use of criteria, such as campus size, student population, the nature and state of classrooms, and the quality of existing teaching resources. These should serve as critical factors to consider in the allocation of resources.

    The search for a secretariat is my major concern. The committee rightly believes it needs a secretariat to carry out its duties. Ordinarily, this should not raise eyebrows if there were no alternatives on ground. But this is Nigeria where you need to investigate every issue under the microscope as it were.

    Are there no alternatives? The answer is quite obvious as there are alternatives. The huge NUC complex in Abuja is one, or any of presentable varsities in the geo-political zones. But the “Nigerian factor” will call for a separate secretariat so that the NUC would not ‘interfere’ with the functions of the IMC. Note that this secretariat will come at a price that will start eating deep into the funds already earmarked for the corrective measures.

    Why am I saying this? A secretariat will probably come with recruiting fresh workers who would handle administrative and logistic functions of the committee. I had thought that such a secretariat is needed to accommodate the Committee’s computers and papers, while its staff is drawn from existing workers to be seconded there by federal and state governments as well as federal and state universities.

    Moreover, some Nigerians are of the opinion that the committee’s meetings would be rotated across the six geopolitical zones so that members could get closer to specific institutions and monitor the progress they are making. If this is the case, it won’t take long before the secretariat – which most probably would be in Abuja – start incurring huge overheads, thereby draining part of the allocated funds. Since it will last for at least six years, it may end up being filled with relatives, tribesmen and women and friends of committee members.

    This is not the time for this, what should concern us is transparency and posterity; and to crack our heads on how to bring a system that produced the likes of the late Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, the late Bala Yusuf, JP Clark and a host of other scholars who cut their teeth in our public varsities. At every point, Nigerians deserve to know the criteria of allocation; how much is allocated to which university; the projects attached to the funds; and how they are being executed.

    This is not asking for too much.

  • At the mercy of landlords

    At the mercy of landlords

    Students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, the Anambra State capital, are worried by the yearly increase of rent by property owners outside the campus. OBY OKEKE (400-Level Mass Communication) and VICTOR UGOCHUKWU write.

    “It has been hard to cope with this problem, especially for those of us who have to fend for ourselves,” Jessikha Amuzie, a 300-Level student, said, condemning landlords and their agents for the yearly increase of rent around the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

    Perhaps, Jessikha was expressing the mind of many students living off-campus whose rent is raised by 30 per cent yearly. This has become as a source of worry to the students.

    When CAMPUSLIFE sought their opinion on social media on ways to address the problem, over 100 students reacted, stressing how bad the situation is. They called on the university and Students’ Union Government (SUG) leaders to come to their rescue.

    “I am tired of the intolerance from my landlord, who increases his rent every year as if people living in the house work in oil companies. And the worst is that he doesn’t renovate it to justify the increment,” Emeka Valentine, a 400-Level student, said.

    Another student, Henry Anoruo, complained: “It is too bad to experience this kind of thing, and this is appearing to be a situation where money students pay for rent is more than the school fees. We implore the landlord association to reduce the house rent to N40,000 per year. If a student pays N80,000 as house rent, how would he eat and get money to pursue his academics? Something must be done about it.”

    Some students faulted the school authority for the landlords’ excesses, saying their colleagues staying in school hall neither pay less than the amount charged by off-campus hostels’ landlords. Students believed that if the management reduces hostel fee, many landlords would be forced to bring down rent.

    Emeka Okonkwo, a social science student, suggested: “Authorities should review the amount they charge in school hostel for accommodation problems to be solved.”

    The situation is the same at the Nnewi campus of the university, where Chinonye Ejekwuranwa, a student, complained that her house rent had just been increased from N80,000 to N90,000.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that some landlords intentionally gave quit notices to students in a bid to get new tenants who would pay the outrageous rent for a fresh year.

    Our correspondents gathered that there are usually two payment methods for hostels for off-campus residence.

    “For-a-start” payment, which is the first payment done in first year of renting the hostel; it usually paid with extra N15,000 or N20,000 with the landlord charges, which is meant for agents.

    The “normal or subsequent” rent, however, is paid without extra charges. Students pay this in the subsequent years and for as long as they stay in the hostel.

    But several landlords and their agents have abused the second mode of payment as they increase the rent whenever the school resumes a new session. Students, who cannot afford the increment, are issued quit notice to allow other that can afford the outrageous fee to move in.

    Students want the management to reduce fees in the school hostel and build more halls to accommodate their colleagues living off-campus.

    Those, who noted that landlords could not be told what to do with their properties, urged the school authorities to engage property owners in the area in order to tackle the situation. Students also charged their union leaders to engage landlords in dialogue to make things better for them.

    At the time of this report, some students have been notified by their landlords to pay the increased rent. Some, who are still at home, have received quit notices from their landlords with deadlines. Would the looming accommodation problem be averted by the management when the school resumes? Only time would tell.

  • NUC boss counsels Elizade Varsity students

    NUC boss counsels Elizade Varsity students

    The Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Julius Okojie, has enjoined the newly admitted students of Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin in Ondo State to uphold the excellent standards that the university has set, both in character and academics.

    Okojie gave the advice at the second matriculation of the university.

    He admonished the students to shun cultism, drug abuse, examination malpractice, sexual immoralities, disrespect for constituted authority and other vices.

    The NUC boss, who was represented by a former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, (FUTA), Prof Adebisi Balogun, said the Commission was impressed with the university, especially its adherence to procedures while seeking approval for 16 additional programmes.

    He described the approval, barely 10 months after the university started academic activities, which as a great feat, praising its management for a job well done.

    He said Elizade University is one of the institutions the NUC holds in high esteem and promised them further support.

    The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Valentine Aletor, said the Institution is prepared to give quality education to the students.

    He said the curricula are designed to meet the country’s need for technological and scientific breakthrough.

    The Vice-Chancellor was impressed that the university, which started with 64 students, admitted 220 for the 2013/2014 academic session.

    He urged the students to make the most of the quality facilities and sound academics, drawn from America, Europe, Asia and Nigeria to acquire education that would make them globally competitive.

     

  • Students against teachers’ strike

    T he Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has begun an indefinite strike over the Federal Government’s alleged failure to meet its demands.

    But students are not happy, describing the action as a setback for their studies.

    The strike is ill-timed, Kofoworola Olaniyi, a final year student of English at the Adeyemi College of Education in Ondo, said, adding that the strike may further erode education standard in the country.

    Students pleaded with the government and their lecturers to reach a compromise and end the strike immediately. “We can’t afford to stay at home when we have just two months left to finish our courses,” a final year student lamented.

    The union, in a letter signed by its General Secretary Mr Nuhu Ogirima, to the supervising Minister of Education Nyesom Wike, lamented that government’s failure to address issue its raised in its demand. The union complained of decay of infrastructure, poor funding, non-implementation of the 2010 agreement it reached with the government.

    The union’s National President, Asagha Nkoro, accused the government of using the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) to impose the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) on colleges without considering the earlier agreement by both parties.

    COEASU also complained of discrimination against lecturers in colleges of education, which includes refusal to provide allowances their counterparts are paid.

    The Students’Union leader of Adeyemi College of Education, Alade Oyindamola, said the union was optimistic that the government and striking lecturers would come up with a way forward. The damage the strike would cost the nation, he said, cannot be quantified.

    A lecturer, who pleaded anonymity, said the disagreement would soon be settled by both parties.

    Tina Imorhoa, a 200-Level student of the College of Education in Ikere-Ekiti, urged the government to resolve its disagreement with the lecturers as quickly as possible.

     

     

  • VC to freshers: make your parents proud

    VC to freshers: make your parents proud

    All roads led to Seriki-Sotayo near Abeokuta in Ogun State when the McPherson University held its second matriculation. AYODEJI ADESINA reports.

    The quiet Seriki-Sotayo community in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State came alive last Tuesday when the McPherson University, held its the second matriculation. Parents, guardians and residents thronged the campus to celebrate with the freshers.

    By 10am, the students and their parents were already seated in the university’s multipurpose hall, waiting for the arrival of the principal officers.

    A few minutes later, the procession of members of the university administration, adorned in blue academic gown, moved into the hall.

    The freshers, who were led to the hall by the Students’ Affairs Officer, Mr Olufemi Adebowale, filed out in a procession according to their faculties. They could not hide their joy when the event started.

    The Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof Adeniyi Agunbiade, led the procession of principal officers, which included the Acting Dean of the College of Social and Management Sciences Dr Anthony Okubanjo, Dean of College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Prof Olusegun Atanda and Dean of College of Humanities Prof Olusola Ojo.

    Others are the university Librarian, Mr Tunji Abayomi; Bursar Mr Adeyemi Onilado and Registrar Mrs Adebola Abegunde.

    In his address, Prof Agunbiade reminded the students that the path to academic excellence was through quality decision, diligence, doggedness and devotion to God, urging them to maintain excellence in line with the vision of the institution’s founding fathers.

    “The university expects you to bring the best – intellectually and morally – out of yourself, and it expects you to place those excellent potentialities in the service of Nigeria and the entire world to the glory of God. You must be aware that the degree you earn here is for excellence in character and learning,” the VC said.

    Agunbiade warned the students, saying the university has zero tolerance for malpractice. He said the Senate would sanction erring students. He also urged the students to obey the university rules, they should shun vices that could tarnish the good image of the institution.

    Prof Agunbiade took the audience into the history of matriculation, saying: “The ceremony of matriculation can be traced back to the beginnings of universities many centuries ago during what is commonly referred to as the Middle Age in Europe. During the ceremony, students swore an oath of allegiance and with the acceptance of the oath, the students’ admission into university was regarded to be completed.”

    Mrs Abegunde said the university would not compromise excellence and adherence to best practices. She said: “McPherson University is not your conventional institution where everything goes. We don’t compromise on standard because our vision and values must continue to be held in high esteem.”

    She said the institution had competent staff that would mentor the students to be ambassadors on their fields and to be excellent in research, character and learning.

    The students promised to adhere to the school rule, pledging to observe all academic and administrative regulations, which may help to promote the good image of the university.

    Prof Agunbiade said the occasion marked a turning point in the lives of the students, urging them to justify the opportunity by working hard to make their parents proud.

     

     

  • Alvan Ikoku College @ 50: A perspective

    Alvan Ikoku College @ 50: A perspective

    THE Alvan lkoku Federal College of Education in Owerri, the Imo State capital, is a foremost institution in the country. It was established in 1963 as an advanced teachers’ training college by the Eastern Nigerian government. It took off in the Old Shell camp, purchased by the government with an initial intake of 150 students.

    The college was established through the technical support of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and in consonant with Ashby Report on higher education in Nigeria, which led to its establishment. It was charged with the responsibility of producing teachers of quality grade.

    The college was closed along with other educational institutions in Eastern Nigeria during the ruinous civil war, which ravaged the country between 1967 and 1970, and was re-opened with the assistance of the British government at the end of the war.

    The institution became a college of education through the Edict Number II of May 31, 1973, promulgated by the then administrator of East-Central State, Ukpabi Asika.

    The College was named “Alvan Ikoku College of Education” in honour of the first educationist and founder of the first indigenous African-owned secondary school in Eastern Nigeria – Aggey Memorial Grammar School in Arochukwu. For many years, Ikoku was the president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).

    Ikoku’s giant strides in the education sector made him famous and respected in the Eastern Region and beyond. The college has continued to grow from strength to strength and indeed has recorded numerous achievements in all areas.

    From 150 students at inception, the population of students grew up to 450 in 1973 and 2,900 in 1980. By 2010, the student population had risen to about 11,000 and about 500 academic and non-academic staff.

    In 1976, the college opened a campus in Umuahia, Abia State, for Agricultural Science. This was followed up by the establishment of another campus in Orlu in 1981.

    However, these two campuses were closed in 1987 when the college reverted to a one-campus institution. The first principal of the college was Mr. A.J Brooks, a UNESCO official.

    In 1970, Mr. J.O Wachukwu, who was Brook’s colleague, became the principal. In later years, Wachukwu was recalled to the Ministry of Education and Mr. J. O. Munonye became the new principal of the college. With its new status as a College of Education in 1973, the Head of the institution became known as Provost.

    In January 1974, Prof B. O. Ukeje was appointed the first Provost of the college. The upgrading of institution to college of education was a milestone in the annals of education colleges in the country.

    Indeed, the college has contributed immensely to the production of quality, professional and proficient teachers. It has also producedprominent men and women in the society.

    In 1984, the college was affiliated with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) for the production of graduate teachers, leading to the award of a Bachelor’s degree in various disciplines combined with education.

    In 2007, the college was taken over by the Federal Government and became the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri.

    Under the Federal Ministry of Education and governed by a council appointed by the Ministry, Dr. H. C. Amadi, became the Acting Provost from 2007 before the appointment of the first female Provost of the college, Dr Blessing Ijeoma, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biology of the college.

    Under the Federal Government’s watch, the college has witnessed massive infrastructural development as well as enhanced incentive package and allowances for the staff. The achievement of Dr Ijeoma has turned around the fortunes of the school.

    The college started celebration of its golden jubilee anniversary last July, organising series of events to mark the milestone. This celebration has featured pageantry for Mr. and Mrs. Golden Jubilee, jubilee essay contest, drama, poetry competition, gala night, exhibitions of arts and culture from the Fine and Applied Art department, football and lecture among others.

    The anniversary was outstanding. It showed that the college is one of the institutions in Nigeria to be reckoned with in terms of quality teaching and academic research. I, therefore, enjoined all students to uphold the supremacy of the school in good conduct and scholarship.

     

    •Chidiebere, 300-Level English and Literary Studies, IMSU

     

  • ‘Rededicate yourselves to service’

    ‘Rededicate yourselves to service’

    The Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) in Ondo State, Prof Femi Mimiko, has urged staff and students to rededicate themselves to excellent scholarship and service to the university in 2014.

    Speaking at the New Year’s service organised by the institution, he said if the staff and students became more diligent, the institution would attain its objectives.

    “All it requires is for you to identify what you are expected to do in the service of humanity. And with some diligence on our parts as individuals and groups, we will move our university to the destination God has proposed for it. I want us to renew our commitment in the New Year,” he stated.

    Mimiko thanked members of the university who worked to ensure that the previous year ended successful. He encouraged them to put in their best so that generations to come would be proud of them.

    He added: “I say all of this because I have a very strong conviction that there is an on-going battle for the soul of higher education in our country. We must choose where we want to stand in this battle. It is a battle of ideas, a battle of convictions, and a battle of commitment. We must be on the part of those who will see to the advancement of higher education in the country.”

    Prayers were also rendered for the university and the nation.