The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • Students urge Oyo govt to fulfil promise

    Students urge Oyo govt to fulfil promise

    The University of Ibadan (UI) Students’ Union has called on Oyo State Governor Senator Abiola Ajumobi to fulfill his promise of donating a bus to students.

    The governor was said to have made the pledge when the students visited him in August, last year.

    The union president, Babatunde Badmus, said several attempts had been made by students to get the governor to fulfill his pledge.

    He said: ‘’We have written several letters to the Oyo State government to ensure the release of the vehicle to our students. But all efforts have been abortive. We call on the state government to revisit its pledges and improve the quality of education in the state. We also want to urge Governor Ajimobi to show more commitment to the welfare of students of Oyo extraction. For us, we want a government that is accessible to students.’’

    A 400-Level student of English, Adejare Oluwadare, said it was unbecoming of the government to shy away from fulfilling its pledges to students. Another student, Adeola Adelabu, said the delay in releasing the bus might be due to failure of members of the union to follow up on the governor. ‘’We are eagerly anticipating the release of our bus. We just cannot wait to see the governor honour his word,’’ said Ismael Olawuyi, a 200-Level student of Adult Education.

  • Okopoly, Indian varsity co-host conference

    Okopoly, Indian varsity co-host conference

    The International conference on Multinational Materials Energy and Environment Technology co-hosted by Sharda University Greater Noida, India and the Federal Polytechnic, Oko (OKOPOLY) Anambra State ended in India with a resolve by both institutions to strengthen academic and bilateral relationship to improve materials energy technology.

    Workers of the two institutions and other research experts attended the conference with the Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Prof Godwin Onu leading the Nigerian team.

    In his address, Onu said the institutions management embraced the joint hosting of the conference with zeal because of its benefits to research.

    He said: “Academic collaborations in fields of science such as this is the only way the academia will improve their skills, knowledge and prowess in areas of science, technology and engineering which is highly needed for effective functioning of these great institutions and both countries (India and Nigeria), since they are developing countries that have not harnessed their human and natural resources fully.”

    He traced the journey of the collaboration to 2011 when a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two institutions in areas of research, promising that it would continue.

    “I will endeavour to put everything in place for my staff to thread upon this path I have set in motion and never to get it extinguished,” he said.

    In his address the Vice-Chancellor of Sharda University, Prof N.B Singh, stated that material technology produces products, components and systems that are smaller, smarter, multifunctional, environmentally compatible, more survivable and customizable.

    He added: “These products will not only contribute to the growing revolutions of information and biology but will have additional effect on manufacturing logistics and personal lifestyles. In fact the development of many technologies that make our existence so comfortable has been intimately associated with the accessibility of suitable materials. These technologies have impact on energy and environment also”.

    In his keynote address, Bernhard Middendorf of the Department of Construction Materials and Building Chemistry, University of Kassel, Germany, said during the last 20 years, concrete technology has developed quite rapidly. However, he said many countries are not taking advantage of the technology yet.

    He stated: “In spite of the innovations in concrete technology, constructions and buildings are currently provided predominantly with mono-functional building materials, which fulfill besides others either static or thermal insulations duties.

     

     

     

    “Nowadays normal or high performance concrete is usually applied as load bearing construction elements in concrete structures. But these dense concretes have no thermal insulation properties, so in addition, concretes with low density and high porosity are also necessary for heat insulation. In contrast, multifunctional concretes are able to fulfill several duties simultaneously in a construction.”

    In an address, the Chief Guest and Vice-Chancellor of University, Sagar India, N.S Gajbhiye said that nature offers numerous examples of materials that serve multiple functions, adding that biological materials routinely contain sensing, healing actuation and other functions built into the primary structures of an organism.

    He said scientists are coming up with materials which will act like the human skin which consists of many layers of cells, each of which contains oil and perspiration glands, sensory receptors, hair follicles blood vessels and other components with functions other than providing the basic structure and protection for the internal organs.

    “Scientists now seek to mimic these material systems in designing synthetic multifunctional materials using physics, chemistry and mathematics to their advantage in competing with the unlimited time frame of nature’s evolutionary design process. The multifunctionality of these materials often occurs at scales that are nano through macro and on various temporal and compositional levels,” he noted.

    Others who went to India from Oko Polytechnic included the Coordinator of Renewable Energy Unit Mrs. Chioma Awuzie and the Director of India Linkages Walter Ezeanata among others.

     

  • Water in the basket unveiled

    Water in the basket unveiled

    A FRESH graduate and author, Sunday Akande, was the star attraction at Abraham Resource Centre in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, last week during the presentation of his novel, Water in the basket.

    In his opening address, Chairman of the occasion, Prof Solomon Akingboye, represented by Tunde Ajiboye, congratulated the young author on his effort. He said writing was an endeavour that requires great skill and commitment, adding that youths should make wise use of their time.

    ‘’It is not enough to write. But your writing should be able to affect your audience in positive ways,’’ he said.

    Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Najeem Salam, represented by Mr Goke Butikakuro, lamented the poor reading culture in the country, observing that the society no longer appreciates knowledge. ‘’People are no longer reading. Access to the internet and the proliferation of social media sites has destroyed our reading culture. It is sad,’’ he said.

    The book was reviewed by Paul Akpomujie. He noted that the title of the novel was derived from the heroic life of a young man named Akinlabi whose mission was to lead his community to the Promised Land. He said: ‘’Just like South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, the characters struggle against fate to liberate their community. It also depicts the Nigerian dilemma and our quest for economic and social freedoms.’’

    Recounting how he came about the book, Akande said: ‘’I finished writing the manuscript in 2009. But we were encumbered by a number of challenges. We faced the high cost of publishing as well as the uninspiring reading culture in the country. Finance was another major hindrance that we encountered. That is why the publication and launch came this late.’’

    Other guests at the event include Proprietor of Gof International College, Mr Gbenga Olowe; Manager at Positive Press, Mr Ayo Opakunbi and Director of Snowhite Laundery, Pastor Lanre Tanimola.

  • FUTA students in U.S. varsity

    Four students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) have departed for the United States to complete their studies at the Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University (FAMU), Tallahassee, United States.

    The transfer is a result of collaborations between the two institutions code named 4-1-1 that would allow FUTA students to complete their fifth year in FAMU and earn credits for their BSc in FUTA, then proceed for a bridge postgraduate programme at FAMU.

    The students, who are the first to benefit from the collaboration, are: Oluwalowo Abiodun (Metallurgical and Materials Engineering), Ogundana Ifedayo Joseph (Electrical/Electronic Engineering) and Ebere Onyewuchi Emmanuel (Mechanical Engineering), while Fasakin Tolulope is to pursue a Masters degree in Industrial Engineering.

    At a mini-send off for them, the FUTA Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adebiyi Daramola, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof Adedayo Fasakin, urged the students to represent the university well.

    “Do not jeopardise this and future opportunities. You are very fortunate because many applied, but God favoured you. See this as an opportunity to sell FUTA to the world. This is a very important and enviable milestone in the history of FUTA. So, do not disappoint us. Help yourselves to shine because when you shine, FAMU will be encouraged and make request for more students from us. Please help us to sustain this collaboration and relationship.”

    Daramola said the university will monitor them from the day they start their studies because their success is FUTA.

    Responding on behalf of the quartet, Ebere gave glory to God for counting him and others worthy to be the first beneficiaries of the programme.

     

     

    He said, “I believe our going is for good and we promise God and the FUTA management that we will not disappoint. We thank God for our Vice-Chancellor and the management team of FUTA for giving us this rare opportunity. This is because they have exposed us to the outside world for further and greater success. Without the effort of the management led by Professor Daramola and Professor Adewuyi and our Heads of Departments, we may not have made it. When I reflect on this, it still appear like a dream to me. FUTA with this development has broken new frontiers which must be sustained.”

    Under the terms of the agreement, FAMU will offer a two-semester programme of course work in Engineering, Agriculture, Sciences, Environmental Technology and so on, for eligible FUTA students. The programme coded 4 -1-1 will also provide qualified FUTA students with the opportunity to complete their Bachelor and Master’s degree at FUTA and FAMU.

    The students are expected to spend four years at FUTA and their 5th and 6th year at FAMU.

    The 5th year is designed to serve two purposes: to complete the requirements for a Bachelor at FUTA and serve as a bridge for the postgraduate programme at FAMU. Credits from the one year at FAMU will be transferred to FUTA to meet the requirements for the award of B.Tech/ B.Eng. Then the students can proceed for their master’s degree at FAMU.

     

  • Students Federation gets leaders

    Members of the Federation of Ijesha Students Union (FISU) have inaugurated new executive to pilot their affairs for the next one year. The executive committee is made up of students from the six local government councils in Ijesha, Osun State.

    The event was held at Ilesha Grammar School. The new executive is led President Adeyemo Jephthan.

    Others are Adeoye Temitope, vice-president I; Adeleye Adebusuyi, vice-president II; Ajayi Temitope, Secretary- general; Olatunji Olutoye, Assistant secretary-general; Fatinikin Oluwaseun, Financial Secretary; Ajibade Adebiyi, treasurer; Adeyemi Samuel, public relations officer I; Obisesan Elizabeth, Public Relations Officer II; Kayode Emmanuel, Director of Socials; Joseph Oluwadare, director of Welfare and Lasisi Olufemi, Director of Sports.

    Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Ilelaboye Olusola, charged the executives to work as a team and promote the welfare of students.

    The out-going president, Adenipekun Adesola, thanked members of the association for making his tenure a success.

    Executive Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, represented by Festus Abegunde, urged the students to make their protests peaceful, noting that it was wrong for students to destroy public properties during protests. He said: ‘’I implore you to use dialogue when you embark on a protest. You must desist from actions that constitute danger to public peace and properties.”

    In his acceptance speech, Adeyemo called on the students to support his administration, adding that such synergy is needed to realise the objectives of the association.

     

  • Should ASUU end strike? Students: yes; no

    THE ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike enters its 74th day today. While the lecturers insist on the strike, tertiary education suffers.

    ASUU is on strike because of the government’s purported failure to implement the 2009 agreement on autonomy of public universities and adequate funding to attain world-class standard.

    Students are worried over the closure of their schools, saying the strike has left their future hanging in the balance. They see ASUU’s incessant strikes as a drawback to their academic pursuit, urging the government and their teachers to reach a compromise fast.

    Sayo Adeleke, 300-Level Estate Management, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, said the strike was a temporal expulsion for the students. She urged the lecturers to use other means in agitating for their demands, saying: “You cannot keep doing the same thing and expect different results.”

    For graduating students of Law across the country, the strike is ill-timed because their hope of proceeding to Law School this semester may be dashed. The strike has prevented the computation of their results, which is a prerequisite for mobilising for the programme. Law School opens on October 21.

    Omosalewa Akingbola, a final year Law student of OAU, said: “ASUU should explore alternative ways to make their demands rather than making us to suffer for their own interest. Government also should live up to its responsibility by giving attention to the welfare of the academic staff and the institutions. Sadly, the strike may prevent us from being mobilised for Law School this year.”

    Abdulrasheed Yahaya, president of the Law Students’ Society (LSS), Bayero University, Kano (BUK), does not care if he misses the chance of going to the Law School. He expressed support for the strike because the lecturers’ demands are worthy.

    “We should all be concerned that Nigeria’s annual budget on education is less than 10 per cent. Even the little allocated is not adequately spent. This is why I strongly feel the ASUU strike is worth it, though personally the action has affected my academic career because it has hindered me from going to Law school this year. But we must support what is right,” he said.

    Chisom Ojukwu, a Corps member in Osun State, waxed philosophical, saying: “When ant-infested firewood is brought home, everybody shares in the stings.”

    A 300-Level Law student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Promise Madubuobu, said it was unfortunate that the leaders treated education issues with levity. “The inability of a party to enforce an agreement in this part of the world has done more harm than good and one of the effects stares at us in the face, which is the ongoing strike. There should be compromise between both parties.”

    Adeyemi Onikoro, president of National Union of Lagos State Students (NULAS), Lagos State University (LASU) chapter, said he did not agree with the ASUU that the strike was in the interest of students. “Most of them have their children in private schools and so, they are not affected by the industrialaction. How many times have you seen ASUU embarking on strike when the government attempts to hike school fees? I am not saying the government should not implement the argument but I am of the opinion that ASUU should look for other strategy to deal with the government rather than going on strike. Enough is enough; they should stop playing with our future,” he said.

    Joan Suanu-Deekae, 200-Level Law, River State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), whose institution did not participate in the strike action, said the ASUU’s action was not selfish. “Eveything the lecturers are demanding is the implementation of 2009 agreement. Why did the government sign it when it knew it could not keep to the rule?” she quizzed.

    Bolaji Oyekanmi, 400-Level student at OAU, said: “This is the third time I will be experiencing strike since I was admitted. It has affected my graduation. I just hope the government and ASUU come up with other means of settling their interests.”

    Just as the lecturers deserve better remuneration, students also deserve stable academic calendars, Tobi Adebowale, a final year student of Law, said. “But there is need to provide the enabling environment for learning. Truth be told, the effect of the strike goes beyond academic delay, it cripples the economy and its ripple effects will be felt in economic planning, tax returns, loan repayments and more,” he explained.

    Olayinka Ojo, 100-Level English Education, University of Lagos (UNILAG) said: “I am sitting at home doing nothing with the expectation and hope that the Federal Government and ASUU will agree. It is quite sad that we have to go through this process every time. I will advise students to be prayerful because we don’t know how long the strike would last.”

  • Don urges use of local language for teaching

    A former Executive Secretary of National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof Kabiru Isyaku, has advocated the use of local languages for teaching in schools.

    He said it would be an innovation capable of bringing development to the sector.

    Speaking at the yearly National Conference of the Institute of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (UNN), Prof Isyaku said the use of English language for teaching was inimical to innovation and impedes students’ ability to understand.

    Delivering a lecture titled: Teacher education in Nigeria: the need for quality, relevance and sustainability in a globalised world, Prof Isyaku said poor implementation of educational policies, inclusion of extraneous contents into teaching curriculum and the poor attitude of teachers to professional training were the bane of education. He advised government to implement the National Teachers Education Policy and increase the remuneration of teachers to make the profession attractive, adding that local languages should be encouraged.

    He said: ‘’A substantial part of students’ reasoning is usually lost trying during translation from English into meaning. This hinders students’ learning capacity greatly.’’

    The Vice Chancellor, Prof Bartho Okolo, represented by Acting Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies, Prof A. A. Ubachukwu, commended the institute for using its yearly conference to promote teaching standards, research and innovation in the country.

    ‘’The problem of educational policy implementation has grave consequences on the quality of our teachers. A country without qualitative and skilled teachers is not prepared to compete in the 21st century education system. Skilled manpower is needed to drive our education sector with entrepreneurial and problem solving skills. That would form the crux of our development as a nation.’’

    Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof Ike Ifelunni, said teachers education in Nigeria should be tailored to quality teaching in line with global best practices, adding that the quality of teachers also reflect in the quality of their graduates.

    Director of the institute, Prof Nkadi Onyegegbu said the school was ready to address problems in the education sector, explaining that it had embarked on research initiatives and partnerships with international education research firms.

     

  • Mr President, allow us to resume

    Mr President, allow us to resume

    It is no news that our education system is in a shambles, the effect of which is wasting Nigeria’s efforts to attain socio-economic prosperity. It has been said that about 37 per cent of children of school age get primary education which is not qualitative.

    In Nigeria, education is overseen by the Federal Ministry of Education, which formulates policies and passes across to the states’ education ministries, which implement policies in the state and local government. Whether the education is qualitative and affordable do not concern the Federal Government.

    This is the state of education today, which is far from what is obtainable in other climes. This explains why the elite do not believe in the nation’s educational output, sending their wards overseas to study while they continue to siphon funds for public education.

    With smaller countries showing examples of how to run public education system, it is befuddling to see Nigeria’s budget for education. Over the years, education has got less than 12 per cent of the budget, against the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) stipulated benchmark.

    As a pupil in primary school, I remember that we used to sit on the floor while a table will be shared by three to four teachers, yet, we paid development fee. I continue to ponder over what the government used the revenue generated to develop. One of our teachers once said: “This is the price you pay for being privileged to be among the few attending primary school.” So, even such a low-standard of formal education in Nigeria is a privilege?

    Majority of our secondary schools are a shadow of themselves. One cannot find even a conical flask in the laboratory. It is no news that after spending six years in secondary school, the so-called graduates pass out without being able to identify a litmus paper, not to talk of product of a chemical reaction that takes place when a red litmus paper is dipped into an acid or a blue litmus paper is dipped into an alkaline solution. This is because there is no laboratory to experiment on what is taught by the half-baked and ill-motivated teachers.

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) seems not to have a choice because candidates sitting for the papers now write alternative to practical in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Agricultural Science. How would they do practical without a laboratory? It can only happen in Nigeria!

    After years of what seems to be a hell in the education sector, students, parents, teachers and lecturers thought they had seen the light at the end of a seemingly endless tunnel, with the emergence of the present administration. Hope was high that someone from the academia would bring the needed change to the decaying education system.

    But it is all fraud. A lie. Then, the chorus of Breath of fresh air, a song, came to mind. I thought that having a leader from the manger – a leader not born with a silver spoon – who trekked miles to attend classes “without shoes” would bring the desired change.

    But under Dr Goodluck Jonathan, lecturers are not having it so good. Even the system has not improved. Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), I guess, a few years back, may have thought having a president, who was a lecturer and knew too well that public institutions are under-funded, was like having a Messiah coming to deliver us.

    But, today, that breath of fresh air stinks! Its stench is choking and if nothing is done about it, it will start claiming lives.

    How could our president forget so soon where he came from? Why does he want to cut off others’ legs so that they won’t have what to wear their own shoes with now that he has several pairs of shoes to wear? How could he have forgotten, so soon, the decaying education system he was battling as a lecturer and a member of ASUU? How could he forget, so soon, the condition of education he left behind for riches of the Aso Rock?

    The dilapidated buildings that serve as lecture theatres, antiquated libraries, empty laboratories, bad public address system and rickety seats and even the cramp called lecturers’ offices, all of these our president has forgotten. Is it that our nation’s seat of leadership has the power of making people forget things so easily?

    Today ASUU and their counterpart in polytechnics cry out in one voice for the “breath of fresh air” in the education system but the Federal Government has turned deaf ear to their cry. Our hope for promising tomorrow as future leaders is gradually turning into a nightmare and fantasies.

    Many were admitted into universities for four-year courses but given the incessant strike, they are spending eight years in school because government would not provide quality education.

    Rather than building more schools and fund the existing ones, our government prefers spending public money to build more prisons and rehabilitation centers. Why won’t the youths indulge in crime when school gates are closed and our lecturers stay at home?

    What will it take the Federal Government to implement the agreement with ASUU and make us go back to school? We are not asking for the national cake but please, let us go back to school to shape out future and give ourselves best legacy a stolen fund cannot buy.

     

    Princess-Ann, 100-Level Theatre and Media Studies, UNICAL

     

  • Getting set for future

    Getting set for future

    SIX million youths are thrown into the job market yearly, with the only 10 per cent getting employed. With such a frightening figure of unemployment, the onus, many beleive, is on students to stem the tide. Rather than waiting on the government for job, it is believed that they should employ skill acquisition to tackle the problem.

    This was the aim of the examination conducted for students offering Rehabilitation Education after a workshop organised by the School of Special Education, Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo State.

    The Head of the department, Dr A. I. Ajobiewe, said the course would run through the session, during which students would be made to acquire skills of their choice. She said students could specialise in over 33 vocations, depending on their interest. She listed block making, bag weaving, bead making, horticulture, leather works, tiling, barbing, hair dressing, catering and batik making, among others, as skills students could acquire.

    The examination, which started at 8am, was held in the department’s workshop. The students were divided into groups and required to carry out what they learned during the workshop.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the experts who conducted the training were not lecturers; they were hired by the school to instruct the trainees on various skills.

    Dr Ajobiewe said the institution wanted to open the eyes of its students to entrepreneurship, which was why the course was added to the school’s curricula. She urged the students to acquire lucrative skills during the training, advising them to think beyond academic and seek practical knowledge on how to be productively engaged after graduation.

    After the training which lasted for a session, the students prepared for the test. They besieged the department to unleash the expertise received from the workshop. Some of them who trained in catering appeared in white apron, other groups also came in various shades of aprons.

    Mr Ajayi Olufemi, a lecturer in the department, harped on the importance of skill acquisition. He said entrepreneurship was the way the nation could tackle unemployment. He urged the students to utilise the skills they acquired during the training, saying it would be an added advantage for them when they leave the school.

    At 4pm, the exercise ended. Participants submitted their works for assessment. Some of them completed the task before the time while others could not.

    Mr Emmanuel Ajayi, a lecturer in the department, chided some students who could not complete the task, saying they did not attend the workshop regularly.

    Some of the group leaders spoke to CAMPUSLIFE after the exercise. Joy Umaru, who led the interior decoration group, said the exam tested their practical knowledge of the vocation. She advised her colleagues to explore ways to practise what they were taught at the workshop.

    Adenike Adekunle, bag weaving group’s head, said: “The course has made me to better understand vocational training. I will source for capital to start the business because I just cannot wait anymore.”

    Another group leader, Agnes Ibeh, soap making, said: “I want to start something with the skill I have acquired and make profit from it.”

     

  • Students decry non-payment of bursary

    Students of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), have asked the government to start paying them bursary.

    Some students, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, said the bursary had been unpaid for years, adding that the money would assist poor in their educational pursuit.

    A 200-Level student of Geography, Ibrahim Muhammad, said: “Our government has been working to make education accessible to everyone. But I want them to revisit our scholarship scheme and relieve our struggling parents. Those of us from poor backgrounds need this kind of support to make meaning out of our lives.” Esther Namo, a 300-Level student of Statistics at the University of Jos (UNIJOS) said the grant would motivate her to do well in her academics. “Scholarship should be given to bright students with challenging background. This has a way of encouraging hard work and healthy competition,” she stated.

    However, Commissioner for Higher Education in Nasarawa State, Mr Philips Shekwo said the government has planned to restore all scholarship schemes in the state. Speaking to a delegation of Nasarawa State Students Association (NASSA), he said: “The government of Umar Tanko has a plan to assist all students of the state through a robust scholarship payment. Their education is paramount to us. We are working on achieving this objective as soon as possible.”

    In a telephone interview with our correspondent, Special Assistant to the governor on Students Affairs, Mr kasim Muhammed, said the governor was concerned with the plight of the students. He said: “The issue of scholarship payment was the first task I undertook on assumption of office. At the moment, we are at the completion stage of the project. I can assure you that the scheme would start soon.”