The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • VC hailsTETFUND

    Acting Vice-Chancellor of the Ladoke Akintola University in Ogbomoso Oyo State, Prof Adeniyi Gbadegesin, has hailed the management of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), for its efforts at promoting tertiary education.

    He described the intervention fund as laudable, adding that the university benefited from the programme in 1999.

    TETFUND has embarked on various construction projects in the institution, equipped its laboratories, created of ICT centres, established fully stocked libraries and a stadium.

    However, Gbadegesin urged TETFUND to increase the statutory allocations to universities, saying that it would encourage healthy competition and improve the quality of education in the country.

  • ‘A writer should be critical’

    ‘A writer should be critical’

    What does literature mean to you?

    Literature is a tool to solve problems in the society. This is because all areas of human endeavour, including politics, religion and economy, revolve around a psychological structure of which literature is a major building block. Although using literature to solve problems in the society takes time, its achievement is long-lasting.

    When did your journey to the literary world begin?

    I started writing from secondary school. When I was admitted into the University of Calabar (UNICAL), I realised that my stories could help in building peace on the campus. So, I continued with the work.

    Do you believe literature is a calling for you?

    Yes, it is, although it requires study and skill in order to get better at it. For one thing, I am fulfilled doing literature. It occupies my time and as such, it serves as my own calling.

    How many works have you published?

    I have eight works to my credit. They are: Idara, Drops of Fascination, Moonlight lady, Heresy of Gossip, Aluta Struggle, Bleeding Passion, My Father Lied and Scream of Ola.

    Which of these works is your favourite?

    It is impossible to say which one is my favourite because I wrote all of them. They are like an intermediary between society and morality. My works are geared towards engendering an ideal society. For instance, Drops of Fascination talks about challenges of climate change, while Idara looks at the concept of inter-tribal marriage and its attendant misconceptions. These are important messages for our society; my works are tailored towards changing people’s mindset and transforming the society for good.

    Apart from creative writing, what other writing have you done or intend to do?

    I have done literary criticism. I believe, as a writer, I should as well respond critically to other literary works. It is the responsibility of those who understand the working of literature to always analyse and interrogate literary works.

    How did you get your work published?

    When I started, I weighed the cost of production in terms of everything involved in self-publishing. I started saving from my JSS Three. By the time I got into the university, I had enough. I continued saving till I got to 200-Level when I decided to publish my work. I went to so many publishing houses, but Kraft was my favourite. When I met the management team, they considered me because I was younger and felt pity for me. But what I needed was not pity; I came as a man prepared to take his destiny into his hands. At the end, they read my manuscript and were willing to publish the book.

    Do you intend to continue with writing?

    I will keep on writing. I will also open a blog to enable those who have access to Internet to gain from the message I want to pass across.

    What is your message for the youth?

    They should believe in their dreams. A poem I wrote in one of my books titled: A Word to Louis should be a good word of advice for them. It said: “The day Louis was born was a happy day, but in future he will go ahead to receive volumes of rejected handshakes.” We must know that the older generation never prepared for our coming, therefore the youths will receive ‘volumes of rejected handshakes’. However what will sustain us is ourselves, not in terms of white collar jobs but using what we have to solve societal problems, and a day will come when they will tell us: “Yes, you have done the best for yourselves.”

     

  • Tertiary education at the crossroads (1)

    “We have witnessed strikes before; most of the strikes, government doesn’t agree to the extent we have agreed before they (ASUU) called off the strike. I believe in Nigeria, politics has crawled into so many things we do. When you observe the way people do certain things, you have the feeling that something else is happening… There are some of the issues in the 2009 agreement; there are those issues that they know cannot be implemented” -President Goodluck Jonathan.

    “What government has so far been doing is no more than a repeat performance of a one-act-play: all the deceptions, propaganda, lies, mischiefs and such other Shenanigans were tried by previous Governments, including Military Juntas, but our resolve to save the University System and our Country remained unwaivered. We will continue to carry the banner of this struggle to its logical conclusion. I urge all our members to maintain the spirit of camaraderie and remain firmly resolute in ensuring that our patriotic struggle succeeds.” – Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge, ASUU president.

    These are two diametrically opposed views from the actors in the current agitation to position, re-positio nor politicise tertiary education in Nigeria goes to show how complex the issue has become with some not even understanding what they are anymore. If you are to gauge development by what the actors – President Jonathan and Dr. Fagge, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) President – are saying, you’ll be right to assume that this is close to a hopeless situation. In essence, we are at a crossroads and things appear to be getting more complex by the day following the threat of another round of strike by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) after calling off an earlier strike that lasted for three months.

    A major determinant of national university policy from 1991 appears to be the agreement negotiated between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN). These agreements officially referred to as the ASUU/FGN Agreements, have also come to be the major determinant of academic peace, progress, stability and quality on most university campuses.

    Since July 1 2013 – as has been the case on an average of twenty years since 1992 – the academic peace, stability and standard has come under severe strain due to disagreements between the signatories to another agreement – the 2009 ASUU/FGN Agreement on state of implementation. The normal academic calendar for the 2012/2013 academic session, for instance, has been truncated by more than twelve weeks now.

    Listening to President Jonathan answer questions in his fifth presidential media chat on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) last Sunday night showed that the end is not yet in sight. He said the nation’s bitter politics had crept into the strike by the ASUU, and was responsible for the refusal of the lecturers to suspend their action despite the government’s effort. “In the past, they did not go this far when strikes were called off; but now politics has gone into everything.” (Recall that I had written on September 19 about the dangers of politicising or bringing elements of politics into the strike).

    He however did not elaborate when pressed further by a five-member interview panel on his claim about ASUU demands being politicised. I left with the impression that we are still on ‘a long walk to freedom’ (apologies to former President Nelson Mandela). In the interview though, the President underscored the important roles of education in liberating Nigerians saying his administration was the first to carry out an inventory of the infrastructure in all the nation’s universities with a determination to change things for the better.

    The President said on the completion of the inventory of the infrastructure, his administration had set aside N100 billion to reverse the infrastructural decay in the tertiary education sector, adding that the situation would not improve overnight. The statement that followed is the quote I used at the commencement of this article.

    On the allegation that the Federal Government refused to implement the agreement it reached with the ASUU in 2009, which has forced the teachers to go on strike, the President said the issue was beyond the 2009 agreement. According to him, the Federal Government has agreed to all the issues in the 2009 agreement, except the agreement on the transfer of assets and wondered how such an agreement was signed in the first place. “There are some of the issues in the 2009 agreement; there are those issues that they know cannot be implemented,” he said. But the question that came to mind immediately is this: was it not the government that signed the agreement in the first place?

    Reading in between the lines, it appears the government is not comfortable with the transfer of assets to universities. Jonathan’s comments on Sunday provided the strongest indication yet, that, save a change in decision, students will remain at home longer as the crisis stretches without a resolution.

    Asked specifically what the way forward would be for the strike, the president said he was calling on the lecturers to resume work for the sake of the children and to realise that the government was committed to improving education. “Even if we have all the money in the world we cannot change things overnight,” he said. “The members of ASUU are our brothers and sisters; they should look at these young people and look at the commitment of government.”

    The Federal Government had offered N100 billion and N30 billion for infrastructure development in various universities and payment of verified earned allowances of lecturers respectively. But it is still not clear if the government made an improved offer to the lecturers who stuck to their guns that government implements fully the 2009 agreement.

    But in a letter to the Federal Government dated August 20, ASUU had expressed dissatisfaction with government’s offer of N100billion as a way out of the strike. Let’s read what a part of the letter says: “We observe that the Committee is so far mentioning only N100billion. If the implementation is to be related to the funding requirements in the 2009 ASUU/FGN Agreement and the January 2012 MoU, what is due for 2012 and 2013 is N500billion not N100billion. Only the provision of this sum will meet the immediate needs of the universities.”

    Speaking at a briefing in Lagos late August, Fagge had said the association wanted the best for the students and calling off the strike without getting it (the funds required) would amount to a waste of time with all the protests.

    “If the Federal Government doesn’t shift grounds, we’ll also remain here until we are attended to appropriately. We can’t call off the strike now and return to what we’ve been going through over the years. Or embark on the strike action again after three months or in one or two years’ time. Do we just continue deceiving Nigerians when facilities are not in place for proper learning? We want to address the problems once and for all, “ he said.

    Since both parties are not willing to shift ground or change position, the debate has shifted to seeking alternative means of compelling parties to adhere to agreements in place of strikes. Unfortunately, the parties to the 2009 ASUU/FGN Agreement, though strong advocates, believers and supposed adherents of democratic principles, believed otherwise as strikes, blackmail and threats appear to be the accepted norm by signatories to the ASUU/FGN Agreements.

    An agreement, as far as I know in jurisprudence, is binding and, therefore, subject to judicial interpretation should any of the parties to the agreement have reason to believe that the terms are not followed. The ASUU/FGN Agreements shouldn’t have been a different exemption from this universal jurisprudential principle especially in a democracy like Nigeria.

    But here we have different interpretation to things. The fact though is that the immediate victims are not the signatories but the Nigerian society who must trail behind others in Africa and elsewhere on the international scene in this regard. For one, and I need to emphasise this, ASUU has nothing to lose from the truncation of academic programmes and the abridgment of academic syllabuses that turns out unemployable graduates .

    In a similar way, the Federal Government also has nothing to lose but much to gain politically by adopting dialogue and resorting to political solutions to an agreement it entered into. The losers are the hundreds of thousands of Nigeria’s undergraduates who cannot say when they would graduate.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • VC makes case for education in Southeast

    The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof Bartho Okolo, has urged journalists to join the campaign for restoring quality education in the Southeast.

    Speaking at the second edition of Southeast Media Summit at Nike Lake Hotel in Enugu, he lamented the decline in enrolment figure of male students in schools in the region, adding that the incidence must be checked.

    He said:“I am using this opportunity to invite journalists across the country to join the campaign for safeguarding the future of our people. There has been a steady decline in the number of children, especially boys, in our schools. This poses serious danger to the future of our region. I urge everyone to join the train of restoring the priority of education in Southeastern Nigeria.’’

    He decried the unwillingness of industrialists in the region to invest in education, saying its consequences were dire for the youths.

    Prof Okolo charged the journalists to be professional and ethical, noting that they have a role to play in the region’sdevelopment of the region.

    He said the Mass communications Department of the institution was ready to partner with journalists to promte the academic excellence of its students.

    “Such a platform has become necessary in the light of recent advances in journalism, especially internet-based publications and social media networks,” said.

  • Kogi varsity student dies in fire

    Kogi varsity student dies in fire

    Students of Kogi State University (KSU) are mourning Zainab Muhammed, a 300-Level student of Banking and Finance, who died in a fire caused by electric heater in her family house in Lokoja.

    The incident occurred in the midnight.

    Her friend, Maha Deborah, described her as “reserved”. Her classmates told CAMPUSLIFE that the late Debora was quiet and intelligent and never had problmes with anyone.

    ‘’We loved her so much. Zainab was such a wonderful person. She will be missed by every student,’’ Omolara Nelson said. He urged students to always pray against premature death, adding that her demise was unfortunate.

     

  • Their language, their pride

    Their language, their pride

    For a people with the same culture, language is believed to be a force binding them together. This seems to be the case with the Igbo-speaking people in the eastern part of the country. To make Igbo a perfect language of communication among Easterners, Chief Samuel Maduka Onyishi, the Chief Executive Officer of Peace Mass Transit, is promoting the language through a debate contest.

    The South-east Undergraduate Scholarship Igbo Debate among Igbo students in tertiary institutions, is aimed at encourating them to take pride in the language.

    The competition, which was held across Igbo-speaking states, started with five students selected from different institutions from each state. Twenty-five contestants from Imo, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi and Anambra states slugged it out to qualify for the next round.

    The Faculty of Law auditorium of the Enugu campus of the University of Nigeria (UNN) was filled to the brim last Saturday when students from participating institutions gathered to witness the cultural debate. The second and final stages were held in the institution. The topic was: Odida asusu igbo osi n’aka ndi ocha, ka o si anyi n’aka, which translates to mean: “The fall of Igbo language: Is it the fault of the white men or ours?”

    The event was declared open by Chief Gary Enwo Igariwey, President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, who chaired the occasion. After the chairman’s speech, cultural troupe of the Federal College of Education in Ikwo, Ebonyi State, took the stage to entertain the participants with traditional dance.

    He explained that the contest was organised at the prompting of Southeast students, who visited him in 2010 with an agenda to prevent Igbo language from becoming irrelevant.

    He said: “Igbo people have supported me in my business and I believe in the saying that charity begins at home. I belong to the masses and they patronise my business. Before the maiden Igbo Debate scholarship in 2011, I have been assisting Igbo tribe students through scholarship.”

    The President of National Association of South East Nigerian Students (NASENS), Peter Edeh, who spoke at the event said, said: “We are overwhelmed with joy and appreciate Chief Maduka for this programme. It our wish that the scholarship scheme is maintained to send a strong message to highly-placed Igbo people that there is need to make the language a priority.”

    After the contest, the panel of judges, which was headed by Dr Ikechukwu Okodo of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka shown the results to Reuben Okoro, Vice-President of Ohaneze Ndigbo, who called out the winners.

    The best 10 students were given scholarship. Blessing Nwuizugbo, 100-Level History and International Relations of Ebonyi State University was adjudged the overall winner of the contest. She was followed by Davidson Ebere, HND 1 Office Management and Technology student of Federal Polytechnic, Nekede.

    Blessing, who was given scholarship to further her studies abroad, said: “I am more than happy to have won the debate. I thank God, who saw me through the journey. I also pray that the sponsor of this programme be blessed because he is really promoting our language through this medium.”

    Other students, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, praised Maduka for putting up the programme to motivate them in seeing the pride in Igbo language.

  • Tackling unemployment

    Tackling unemployment

    Professor of Home Economics Education at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka,(UNN), Elizabeth Anyakoha, has said youth empowerment is crucial to drive the economy and reduce crime.

    Speaking at the 14th Annual International Conference of Home Economics Research Association of Nigeria (HERAN) tagged Empowering individuals, families and communities for creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable lifestyles: challenges, strategies and research imperatives, Anyakoha said the government should create more jobs and rid the country of crimes.

    She said: “Creativity and entrepreneurship are capable of generating self-employment and career opportunities for individuals and families. That is the only solution to the present unemployment crisis that is prevalent in the country.’’

    A conducive environment, she said, must be created for industries to flourish. “The traditional craft has a glorious past and was the main source of employment to many people in the past. These industries have their origin in individual creativity, skills and talents, which were culture-based. Traditional industries such as weaving, tanning, brass works, leather works, carving and calabash making were once the mainstay of many homes. But attention has since shifted to white-collar jobs. Individuals should be encouraged to start their own business, no matter how small. That is the route to self reliance.’’

    To achieve this, Anyakoha suggested the implementation of the National Universities Commission (NUC) curriculum on entrepreneurial studies in universities. The teaching of craft would help to solve the problem of unemployment. Such ventures, include soap making, tooth brush and toothpaste making, photography, paper production, printing, bricklaying, nails and screw making, weaving, dyeing, rope making, leather tanning, interior decoration, tailoring, vegetable oil extraction, preservation and packaging, bakery, animal husbandry, crop farming, hair dressing, ceramic production, carpentry, metal fabrication, domestic wiring, iron welding, building drawing, vehicle maintenance, blacksmith among others.

    Prof Kelechi Okoye of the Department of Vocational Education at Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Akwa, the Anambra State capital, lamented the failure of education to address the challenges of unemployment.

    He charged the stakeholders to design specific programmes that would tackle the various socio-economic problems that confront the nation.

    Okoye urged unemployed graduates to embrace vocational training for self sustenance, saying it was the solution to the social vices that are prevalent in the country.

    Anyakoha told CAMPUSLIFE that youths should embrace self employment.

    She said: “The era of white collar job is gone. The dynamics of today’s economy have changed and young people need to take up the gauntlet and create jobs for themselves.”

    “I want to tell every jobless youth in Nigeria that entrepreneurship should be their focus. It should be our creed. The earlier we embrace the truth, the better for our future. What we ought to be doing in our various departments is to teach students how to generate business ideas. When they graduate, they would have learnt the rudiments of starting their own business.”

    Mrs Rukayatu Abdulkadir, a representative of Federal College of Education, Gombe, said: “The youths should engage themselves in vocational activities such as barbing, tailoring, graphic designs and packaging of snacks. That way, they earn an income for themselves.”

    She said most graduates are unemployable, adding that government and other stakeholders should invest in education and safeguard the future of the nation.

     

  • Muslim students beg lecturers to return

    The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) has urged the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resume work in students’ interest.

    The group called on ASUU members to use other means to achieve their demands, because the strike has crippled the academic calendar of universities.

    Its National Amir, Abdulazeez Sirajudeen, said at a symposium organised by the association urged the government to meet ASUU’s demands so as to end students’ agony. The event, which was held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta in Ogun State was theme: Putting a stop to endemic corruption.

    Sirajudeen said: ‘’The billions of dollars that have been set aside as security votes are enough to meet the demands of ASUU. This must be done to safeguard the future of education. We cannot be paying lip service to the education of youths while our treasury is being looted by self-serving politicians. An ignorant nation will always remain unsafe.’’

    He decried the denial of some Muslim children the right to exercise their religious rights in school, adding that Muslim female students must be allowed to wear their hijab.

    ‘’It is sad our Muslim children are denied their rights to practice Islam. To make matter worse, some state governments in the South have deliberately hindered the teaching and learning of Islam and its language in schools. This is unacceptable. We are Muslims and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria permits us to practice our religion. And as such, nobody can stop us from living our lives as prescribed by Al-Islam,’’ he said.

    He called on Muslim students to embark on campaigns to oppose any government or party that is anti-Islam.

    Sirajudeen said President Jonathan must sign into law the controversial same-sex marriage bill. “We are calling on Mr President to sign the bill on same sex marriage into law so as to avoid mass protest by the coalition of Muslim and Christian students’ associations in Nigeria. Same-sex marriage is not only an abomination but a criminal act against God and humanity,” he stated.

    A former National Chairman of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Mr Olasupo Ojo, stressed that the only way to stop corruption in the country was for individuals to exercise self-control in everything they do, adding that the true test of morality lies in the mind.

    ‘’You will not find solution to corruption in laws or judgments, democracy or in any human institution. But the solution can only be found in a transformed mind because every decision and action we take comes from the mind,’’ he said.

    He charged Nigerians to demonstrate the fear of God and remember that they would one day give account of everything they do before God. ‘’If you fear God, you will always take the right decisions,’’ he said.

    In his lecture titled: The role of leadership in stopping the endemic corruption, Dr Taofeek AbdulAzeez said leaders have a role to play in putting an end to corrupt practices.

    He observed that every individual is a leader and shall be questioned about how they led their followers.

    He said: ‘’The Prophet described us as shepherd and we shall be asked by God to account for how we led our flock.’’

    Taofeek advised Muslim faithful to fight corruption and other evils, saying they were called by Allah in the holy Qur’an to reject corrupt deeds.

    The highlight of the occasion was the donations made by participants to projects at the permanent site of MSSN B-zone Islamic Vacation Course (IVC) as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogunmakin in Ogun State.

    The event was attended by Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, who was represented by the State Deputy Chief of Staff, Shuaib Salisu; Prince Bola Ajibola and Yusuf Olaniyonu, Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy.

    Others are Ambali Ishola, Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Education; Kmaldeen Akintunde, Yunus Odekunle, a missionary at Ansarudeen Society.

     

  • Nigeria @ 53: The fading dream

    Nigeria @ 53: The fading dream

    Two days ago, Nigerians rolled out the drums to celebrate the country’s 53rd independence. But many could not say the reason why they participated in the celebration. As they always say, we must celebrate despite our challenges as a nation. But the question that should always be asked is: is this the kind of nation and leadership our founding dreamed of?

    It was Lord Lugard in 1914 who amalgamated the northern and southern protectorates – which were then under the British suzerainty – to form a single nation. Then, perhaps, after a morning coffee, Lugard’s wife named the country so formed from the fusion of different ethnic nationalities with diverse culture and religious beliefs as Nigeria.

    From the benefit of hindsight, Lugard’s (or is it Britain’s) intention of merging the colonised areas to form a single entity was not borne out of goodwill to create a progressive society; in fact, the colonial masters wanted to continue their devilish trade and plunder our resources. But education Nigerians saw through the chicanery and rose against imperialism by intensifying the campaign for independence.

    After Nigeria’s independence in 1960, the likes of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and Chief Anthony Enahoro et al toiled hard to bequeath a free nation where citizens would proud to be born in it. They laboured hard to build a nation where egalitarianism, justice and freedom would thrive. They believe in Nigeria where public institution and infrastructure would be deployed to the benefit of all citizens regardless of social or political status.

    However, the country’s journey after the independence has deviated from this thought of our founding fathers. It is a clear case of a botched dream. The successive governments have not worked according to the dreams of our heroes past to give us a progressive nation. There has been no coherent policy to push development of the country.

    Chief Richard Akinjide, the nation’s Attorney General in Second Republic, will always blame Nigeria’s inability to develop on military intervention. But has the nation fared better under civilian regimes?

    As I write this, public universities are under the lock and key. The lecturers have been on strike for the past three months because of the parlous state of education. A nation that wants to develop must make quality education as its priority. This is how countries such as Canada, United States, Australia and New Zealand become the reference point in terms of development and prosperity.

    In Nigeria, this is not the case. We have been ‘blessed’ with a political class that has no foresight on how to deploy mass education to engender a progressive nation. Nothing is working here except corruption and nepotism.

    It is unthinkable that the so-called giant of Africa is still leading the rest of the continent in darkness when many Lilliputian countries in Africa give their citizens uninterrupted power supply. Infrastructure is in shambles, while the gully-ridden roads have turned to slaughter slab on which lives of the hapless citizens have ended.

    This is not the dream of the nation’s founding fathers. Over the years, people have narrowed the problem of Nigeria to unthinking leadership, while others say it is greedy and decline of our value system. In my opinion, it is not the greed of a leader or moral decline that accounts for the nation’s backwardness. Rather, it is the inability of our leaders to detach themselves from the apron of colonialism that ravaged the African continents for decades.

    Countries such as South African, Kenya, Ghana and Serria Leone have freed themselves from the shackles of colonialism and have shown direction in leadership on the continent. Gradually, Ghana for instance is becoming an economic destination for the super powers. With such a small population compared to Nigeria, the country has grown beyond the size of the so-called giant of Africa.

    It is a shame that in this age, Nigeria still swims in poverty, unemployment, bad medical care, insecurity, corruption, nepotism, tribalism, economic stagnation. Let it not be said that the founding fathers who fought for our freedom never believed that we would not encounter challenges, but they would have believed that we could move out of every problem with our determined spirit to do what is right.

    But they would be weeping for us in their graves now, because they had given us everything we needed to move this country forward. Unless the present crop of leaders takes up the gauntlet and gives us a better constitution that will promote justice, equality before the law and freedom, Nigeria may yet wallow in underdevelopment.

    Nigeria must reunite in peace and harmony; the nation must not depend on failed leaders who only have interest in their pocket. We must continue to work towards making the nation a better place for the humanity habiting in it and believe in the Almighty God to dictate our direction. May God give our leaders freedom to think in proper way.

     

    Mark, 300-Level School of Technical Education, YABATECH

     

  • All work and no play…

    All work and no play…

    It was a week of fun and laughter at the Plateau State University (PLASU) in Bokkos during the celebration of the Students’ Union Week. It was time for the students to relieve tension after months of academic stress.

    After their swearing in last April, members of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) led by Maren Ishaku, promised to revamp the union. They promised to improve the social life on the campus and also promote students’ welfare. They immediately rolled out plan to fulfil their promises.

    Activities held during the week included soccer contest, talent hunt, cultural displays, food and dance competitions. The Week started with a football match between the 100-Level and Remedial Studies students with the former carrying the day by two goals to one.

    At a lecture held in Joshua Dariye Students’ Centre, Mr Santos Larab, who spoke on Youth and society, expressed fear over the growing number of uneducated youths, saying their potential jeopardised. He said unemployment turned many young people to thugs, urging participants to keep hope alive by starting up businesses in order to be self-employed and contribute to the society’s growth.

    “Economically, no society can grow without small and medium scale enterprises. As youths, we must cultivate the habit of creating jobs for ourselves rather than depending on the government in everything. We are experiencing a decline in values and youths must devise strategies to personally develop themselves educationally. You should know that knowledgeable men are not limited to what they were taught, they go further to improve on their study,” he said.

    In various colourful attires, students trooped to Aluta Ground where food and cultural competitions were held. Birom students were adjudged winners of the dance competition. Mangu and Quanpan students were first and second runners up.

    In the food contest, Bokkos students emerged winners while Birom students won the second position. In the much-contested talent hunt show, Thomas Mogong went away with first position, beating Joshua Joseph and Gil Emmanuel Drisu, who were first and second runners up.

    The union honour notable personalities in the state, including Hon. Diket Plang, a member representing Pankshin North in the State House of Assembly, who was awarded the Outstanding Legislator of the Year.

    Others honoured included Hon. Jonathan Aminu, member representing Mangu/ Bokkos in the National Assembly, and Mr. Toma Minti, Director of State Security Service in Akwa Ibom State.

    At the thanksgiving service held at the school chapel on Sunday, Maren thanked the management for its support.

    “We deem it fit on a day like this to come as a family to show appreciation to God for the success of our first Students’ Union Week. I want to also seize this medium to appreciate our Vice-Chancellor and the entire management members for their support. It shows we are independent and have full authority to function. This has been a collaborative effort and if we continue like this, the sky will be our starting point,” he said.

    Some of the students shared their excitement with CAMPUSLIFE. Joshua Pam, a student of Management Science, commended the union for organising a “fun-filled” event, urging the incoming leaders to sustain the programme.