The Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) will today hold graduation for her second set of postgraduate diploma students.
The event holds 10am at ASCON auditorium.
It will be presided by the institute’s Director-General Mr Ajibade Peters.
Three years ago the institute, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) to run a postgraduate diploma (PDG) in Public Administration.
The authorities of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) Ago-Iwoye, have visited the London Metropolitan University to explore the possible areas of collaboration with the institution.
In the entourage were the Pro-Chancellor, Dr Segun Oshin, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Saburi Adesanya and Mr Yemi Odetola an alumnus based in the United Kingdom.
Welcoming the delegates to London Metropolitan University, its Vice-Chancellor, Prof Malcom Gillies said the proposal by OOU on the linkage programme was a welcome development. He assured that his university would be ready to make its facilities, especially science laboratories available for staff and students of OOU at mutually agreeable terms.
Both parties also discussed the likelihood of joint application for funding from international organisations and manpower development.
Prof Saburi also proposed staff and student exchange programmes, postgraduate training, joint curriculum design and research activities.
A youth development organisation, Tolerance Academy (TA) in conjunction with Youth Development Centre, Osun State and the United Nations Alliance of Civilisation, has invited undergraduates to apply for its coming leadership engagement programme.
The Curator of the academy, Ayodele Obajeun, said the organisation was committed to developing young people across the country to build a peaceful nation and combat the challenge of insecurity.
“Through this programme, we are dedicated to incubating youths across the country for peace, development and leadership engagement through dialogue, religious tolerance and cultural integration. It is a mobile peace-building academy that drives ethnic integration among young people. It also fosters cross-cultural relations for sustainable development,” he stated.
He said that the event was a week-long residency programme where 40 successful students will be taken through engaging situational analysis which included classroom dialogue, field demonstration and video modeling.
“Applicants need to be between the ages of 17 and 25 and undergraduate of a tertiary institution in Nigeria. They must have a passion for winning and should demonstrate ability to be proactive in life and business situations,” Obajeun added.
Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, a graduating student of the Federal University, Owerri (FUTO) said the leadership conference was an opportunity for him to build enduring skills for professional success and become an advocate of tolerance in his community.
CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the programme which commences in January next year was set to impact leadership skills in young people and promote the values of tolerance and socio-cultural integration.
The Programme Coordinator, Ishola Samson, said: “Tolerance Academy is poised to bring about a paradigm shift in our approach to the task of nation building and security. The only reason why Nigeria wallows in insecurity is because there is a high level of unrest and ethnic bigotry in the land. We can make a lot of difference when we start preaching the message of peace and tolerance to our young people.”
The Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT Minna), has concluded plans to establish its School of Health Sciences increase the enrolment of students in para-medical related courses.
Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof Musbau Adewumi Akanji, disclosed this when he received members of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (MLSN), Niger State Branch at the institution.
Prof Akanji said management of the institution was working towards establishing the institute, adding that its framework has been included in the university plan, pending its approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC).
He explained that discussion was in advanced stage with the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, to use their facilities as temporary laboratories for students’ practicals and training.
He said the university management was committed to promoting the welfare of the association, urging members of the group to embark on continuous education in order to be relevant.
In his address, President of the association, Galadima Mohammed, applauded the Vice Chancellor for his support to the association.
Students of Kwara State origin in Abuja campus of the Nigerian Law School are seeking assistance from former governor of the state and senator, Bukola Saraki, to seek improved welfare Kwara students.
The leader of the students, Titilope Akogun, said: “This visit is to solicit for the support of the lawmaker and to ensure that indigent students enjoy educational support designed for the students by the state government. The influence of the Senator would help in the prompt payment of our bursary by the government.
Senator Saraki charged them to be good ambassadors of the state while they study in the school.
He advised the students to start planning for life after graduation. He lamented the high rate of unemployment in the country, urging them to be employers.
Saraki promised to ensure prompt payment of the bursary to the students.
Other members of the delegation included Abubakar Issa, Bayero Ahmed, Fagbemi Adekemi, Adesoye Abimbola, Abdulkareem Alhassan, Abdulkareem Yusuff, Sulaimon Alamoyo, Gana Hilda and Abdulkareem Tunde.
To make its golden jubilee memorable, the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education in Owerri, Imo State, held a pageant for students to crown the Jubilee King and Queen.
As the pageant held last Tuesday, the college auditorium was packed with students, who slugged it out with one another to be crowned the King and Queen.
Their colleagues from the Imo State University (IMSU), Imo State Polytechnic and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) graced the event, which was also attended by the Provost, Dr B.C. Ijioma; her deputy, Sir B.C. Maduka; the Registrar, Ms A.N. Aguta; Coordinator of Protocol Sub- Committee M. B. Ajileye and Secretary of Golden Jubilee Committee, Dr R.U. Iwu.
Artistes on the campus thrilled the audience with hip-hop music.
The pageant, which started in the six faculties of the college, was sponsored by Women in Colleges of Education (WICE) and Chois International Services Ltd. The best male and female contestants from each faculty represented competed at the grand finale.
During the grand finale, contestants catwalked on the runway in various shades of gowns and English attires. It was a session filled with fanfare as contestants were asked to do what they knew how to do best. Their skills in music and creativity were also put to test. After, the judges comprising six officials from each faculties announced results.
There was graveyard silence when the judges were about to announced the winners. The audience listened with rapt attention because the winners would reign for 50 years.
Twelve girls and boys contested at the final stage. After picking the winners, the judges handed the results to Mr Gbenga Ajileye, coordinator of protocols.
Essien Bassey, a student of Natural Sciences became Mr Golden Jubilee with 203 points, while Chijioke Amadi, from the Faculty of Social Sciences was the first runner-up with 196 points.
The Miss Golden Jubilee was won by Chisom Ike, a student of Social Science, with 220 points. Favour Ibezim, an Arts student, came second with 212 points, while Queen Nwaka from the Faculty of Natural Sciences, was the second runner-up.
Madu Austin, 200-Level Religion and History, who attended the show, said he was surprised students created time to participate in the show, despite tight lecture schedules.
Essien said he did not attach any importance to the contest until he discovered he could do it. “I was discouraged by my friends when I showed interest in the pageant, but to God be the glory, I have made history.”
The event moderator, Dr Chibuike Nwachukwu, praised the courage of students who participated in the pageant, saying: “It is not easy to come out for a contest of this kind.”
The Students’ Union Government (SUG) President, Orient Nwadike, said: “Today, we are being celebrated as the golden students of the college. I am happy, because the Jubilee Anniversary Organising Committee and the management have shown us that we are partners in progress of the college. Today, history has been made; Mr and Miss Golden Jubilee have emerged and this cannot happen again.”
Maduka was elated to witness the historic pageant. He said: “I am opportuned to be alive today to witness the golden jubilee celebration of the college. I may not witness the centenary celebration but I appreciate God for witnessing this once- in-a-life time event.”
They have refused to go home since the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike started in July. For six months now, Ben Wilson, Fidelis Ogiri and Jude Obi, who are students of the Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH), have been on an unscheduled industrial attachment on the campus, learning construction work.
They are in different departments. Fidelis is a 400-Level Technical Education student who has a passion for Civil Engineering. Wilson is a 100-Level student of Civil Engineering while Jude is a final year student of Architecture.
With many ongoing projects in the school as it was being shut, the students decided to engage themselves while the strike is on. They didn’t go home like their mates instead they decided to continue their education on the field — acquiring practical skills in construction and civil engineering. When the site engineers saw how serious they were to learn, they incorporated them in the projects to hone their skills.
The projects they are working on include the four-storey Administrative Block donated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The construction is being handled by Hospilas Nigeria Project.
When CAMPUSLIFE visited one of the construction sites last week, our correspondent saw the students studying construction plans to set out activities of the day. When he sought to know why they joined in the construction project, Jude said: “It is because of my passion for Architecture.”
He added: “I am a final year student of Architecture, but I had a fair knowledge of construction works before enrolling to study Architecture.”
Obi said he did not want to be idle during the strike, adding he had been looking forward to practise what he was being taught in the class before leaving. “So, I see the strike as a blessing for me to gain more skills in my profession,” he said.
Ben, who is a fresher, said: “I had worked with the Chinese Construction Company for years before my admission into this school. Because of the practical knowledge I had, I naturally found my way to the construction site. I showed the engineers the identity card I used in the Chinese company and they gave me a test which I passed. Then, they asked me to start.”
On his part, Fidelis said he was incorporated to work as a store manager but he would not have got the job without the skills he acquired while on industrial training in an engineering firm.
He added that his passion was to add value to the project, noting that he did not apply for money but to gain knowledge that would enhance his career.
“I did a similar job during my industrial attachment. I need to learn from different engineers,” he said.
One of the site engineers, who did not want his name in print, said Jude had shown commitment to learning new skills to help his career.
He said: “What we do here is that when a student comes to work at our site, we look at his character first before trusting him. We don’t discriminate; if any student is capable of doing the tedious job, we would engage him.”
On the stipends being paid to the students, the engineer said: “The main reason they are here is to learn practical skill to complement the theory they are being taught in class. But the stipend is commensurate to their level of experience.”
He praised the students, describing them as “youngsters with a bright future”.
Vice-Chancellor, Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Prof Kayode Makinde, has warned newly-admitted female students that the institution would not condone pregnancy.
To this end, he said the university would become more strict on the enforcement of its visiting hours.
He said: “You did not come to the university to start a nursery school. There is no maternity centre in the hostels here. Babcock will not allow you get involved in premarital sex and pregnancy. We will begin a systematic enforcement of the school’s hand-out. The visiting hour from family and friends especially the aspect of when male and female students can be seen together.”
Prof Makinde who spoke at the 15th matriculation of the university also told the students not to get involved with cocaine or any other addictive substances. “They will not allow you perform well academically,” he said.
Rather, he said they should aim at transforming Nigeria and Nigerians. “Look around you and see that just as the environment you live in is transformed; the people need also to be transformed and this can be done by you. You must transform everything that is being deformed,” he said.
Counselling them to be focused, he said between registration and graduation, there is a long road. He added that bribery, or malpractice is not a solution in Babcock. “If anyone harasses you for money or sex, report because that person cannot stay,” he added.
Lamenting the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in public universities, Makinde called on the government and lecturers to recognise that the students affected are the leaders of tomorrow.
“Lecturers should remember that when elephants fight, the grass suffers and when they fight and fight and kill all the grass, they will starve. Nigeria must wake up as a people and a country and realise that if the rich refuses to allow the children of the poor their rights, the children of the poor will also not allow them enjoy their wealth,” he said.
They had their plan well laid out. It was to strike when the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in Enugu State resumes. They thought the school would resume last Monday, following the Federal Government’s directive to the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to return to work or consider its members sacked.
The Orba community has, for long, had an axe to grind with the UNN. As the school’s host, the community had reached an understanding with the UNN authorities when the institution was being established over 50 years ago.
Under the pact, it was agreed that UNN would provide electricity, potable water for the community, grant admission to those qualified and give its youths job. The community claims that the university has reneged on those promises. So, it set aside last Monday to air its grievances, thinking that the school would have resumed.
Even though some students were in school, they never bargained for what happened that Monday. Just like others, they were looking forward to the return of their teachers and colleagues.
In preparation for the school’s resumption, they had gone to their lecture room to read. To ensure law and order, the police maintained presence on the campus, with an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC).
Suddenly, a crowd of youths and women from Orba community besieged the campus, protesting what they described as “failed promises” by the UNN management.
Despite the police presence, the protesters marched on some offices, including the Vice Chancellor’s to register their displeasure over the continued blackout in their community. They said they came to disrupt academic activities.
Some students and staff hurriedly left the campus. The protesters arrived at the school as early as 8am.
As they moved round the campus, they chanted solidarity songs in Igbo, which went thus: “We are tired of empty promises from Bartho Okolo; the university must restore electricity in our community.”
The demonstrators said since the school was established in their community, the Governing Council has not delivered on its promises to them.
Those who spoke to our correspondent, complained that the management give admission to qualified people from the community.
A protester said there had been no employment for residents, which he said went against the agreement reached with the government when the school was founded.
He said: “We had an agreement with the UNN that they would provide the community with uninterrupted power supply and that is the only thing we enjoy from the university. But other promises, such as, pipe borne water, employment and admission quota for our youths have not been implemented so far. We are tired of their promises. The electricity, which is the only thing we are benefiting, was cut off three weeks ago. This is making life unbearable for us, which is why we are here to disrupt the school resumption. We want all these issues to be addressed.”
Another protester said efforts to bring the community’s grievances to the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Barth Okolo, were futile, adding that officials in the VC’s office always turned back the community’s representatives, with the excuse that the VC was not in.
“One of them told us that the Vice Chancellor has never stayed up to three months in the office since he was appointed and advised us to look elsewhere for solution to challenges facing the community,” a protester said.
The protesters, who blocked the entrance to the VC’s office for over six hours, said they would continue to demonstrate on the campus until electricity and other agreements between the management and the of host community were implemented.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof Malachi Okwueze, who addressed the protesters, said the management would look into the matter and inform them of its decision.
One of the community leaders, Mr. Robinson Ezeugwu, said they could not reach the Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime, to intervene in the matter. He said several letters the community wrote to the Vice Chancellor were not endorsed for action. He said the residents would continue the protest until their grievances were addressed.
Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Communication Secretary to the Vice-Chancellor Mr. Gabriel Ndu said management was doing its best to resolve the issues, adding that the grievances would be addressed when the school council sits again.
Against the backdrop of growing unemployment rate, government and various bodies have made efforts to solve the riddle without results. The Counselling Association of Nigeria (CASSON), Edo State chapter, believes support programmes and result-oriented counseling of youths could help in reducing unemployment in the country.
This was the discourse at an event held by the organisation in St. Albert Catholic Church in University of Benin (UNIBEN) with the theme: Counselling: A panacea for youth unemployment in Nigeria.
In his remark, Vice Chancellor, Prof Osayuki Oshodin, who was represented by the Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA), Prof V. E. Omozuwa, described the conference as timely. He congratulated the counselors for waking up to their responsibility of fighting unemployment through mentorship campaigns.
“Our youth are in dire need of counsellors to enable them live a balanced life,” he stated.
The Chairman of the occasion, Dr S. A. Taw-Aye, from Benue State University (BSU) in Makurdi said unemployment could be effectively tackled if youths were properly advised before choosing careers.
He said: “This conference will serve as a litmus test for the 2014 International Counselling Conference to be hosted by UNIBEN.”
In his lecture titled: “Youth and unemployment in Nigeria” Prof Ngozi Osarenre, a former Commissioner for Education in Edo State, said counselling was important for every youth. She suggested compulsory counseling in schools, organisation of career seminars, provision of adequate career information and proper subject combination as ways of getting youth to choose the right career to avoid unemployment in the future.
Prof Richard Okorodudu of the Delta State University, Abraka who spoke on Counseling: A panacea for youth unemployment in Nigeria, said that proper career counseling would make youth to develop the right career and be self confident. He added that counseling and vocational education could be used to help youth to build great careers.
Other issues deliberated on included family counselling for a healthy society, unemployment and stress management, reducing unemployment through effective counseling in schools and youth empowerment and development.
Highlights of the event included the presentation of awards to people helping the cause of the association, including Prof Oshodin, Prof Osarenren and Prof Okorodudu among others.
Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Prof Kola Adeyemi from the Faculty of Education, UNIBEN, decried the poor attitude of counsellors to their profession.
“It is sad that today, most counsellors prefer teaching or administrative jobs to their calling and in the process, denying the youth the benefits of proper counseling,” he stated.
Raymond Osayande, NDI Science Laboratory Technology student of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi (AUCHI POLY) commended the organisers of the programme. He urged the National Assembly to pass a bill for making counseling an attractive career in the country.
The ceremony was attended by Provost of UNIBEN Medical School, Prof Vincent Iyawe; President of Edo State chapter of CASSON, Prof E .O. Ebochukwu and Prof Austin Ejugbo from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma (AAU).