The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • Scandal hits SUG

    Scandal hits SUG

    As the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, the Anambra State capital, was rounding off its second semester, the Students Union Government (SUG) was hit by a scandal. UCHE ANICHEBE writes on the petition against the outgoing head of the union’s judicial arm.

    THEIR tenure took off on a promising note. But as they are leaving office, members of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, the Anambra State capital, are running into a storm. The outgoing Chief Judge, Obinna Agazie, is being accused of corruption.

    In a petition, Obinna was accused of impersonation before his resumption as Chief Judge.

    Obinna was also accused of embezzling funds accrued to the union’s judicial arm during his tenure.

    Muoneme Ifesinachi, Nwabueze Cletus and Chilee Paschal, who are all members of the Editorial Committee constituted by Obinna wrote the petition.

    Ifeanacho Onwubuya, Obinna’s Personal Assistant, also accused his boss of corruption.

    The document, which was obtained by CAMPUSLIFE, reads: “The last administration witnessed financial malpractice by the past SUG Chief Judge of the Judicial Council, Mr Obinna Agazie, now a final year student of the Faculty of Law. Our tenure with Obinna Agazie started on December 2011 and ended on December 13, 2012.

    Obinna had, on different occasions, before he became the Chief Judge, impersonated the SUG president and had a lot of courtesy and official visits to eminent Nigerians and political officers in the name of sourcing funds for running the judiciary of our noble university. A lot of money was realised from those visits, but Obinna diverted the funds for private use.”

    According to the petitioners, the money allegedly embezzled by Obinna was put at N1.2 million, an amount said to be gotten from series of courtesy visits to political office holders, commissioners, banks, hospitals and hotels in Anambra State.

    According to one of the petitioners, Obinna’s conduct typified abuse of office and privilege. He said: “It is a pity that corruption has found its way into this small community of ours. What we, the petitioners, seek is justice and nothing more. I have been having correspondence with the Dean of Student Affairs, who is one of the persons to whom the petition was submitted. He assured us that Obinna would be summoned to explain his action.”

    A member of the union, who pleaded for anonymity, noted: “I am very disappointed by the allegation. I worked with Obinna, and accompanied him to places where the money were gotten. Little did I know that the funds were not going to the union’s pocket. Obinna is a trustee of the office he holds, and I think his action has breached the trust. When I read about the scandal in Aluta newspaper, I was deeply disappointed. This is a clear instance of breach of trust.”

    Agazie denied the content of the petition, dismissing the petitioners as being envious. He said the petition was written because of his achievement and rising profile in students’ unionism. “The petitioners were motivated to file the petition because of bad belle. They wanted to reap where they did not sow, which was why they filed the petition based on my refusal to allow them have their way. He who asserts must be able to prove, and as far as I am concerned, they have so far been unable to prove their case,” he said.

  • Students threaten to disrupt council election

    The Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa (Offa Poly) has deplored the government’s inability to meet the union’s demands. It urged the government to re-fund items destroyed during the mayhem between Offa and Erin-Ile.

    According to a statement by the Student Union Public Relations Officer (PRO), Johnson Eleko, the properties destroyed include the union bus, 5,000 pieces of t-shirt, wrist-bands and disks specially made to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the institution before the crisis broke out.

    The statement reads: “We wrote a letter to the Federal government through the SSA to the president on Student and Youth Matters, Jude Imagwe demanding for the reparation of the properties. It is regrettable that despite the diplomatic approach of the students union to report to government at all levels, including the stakeholders about the affected properties, they turned down our request. We are clamouring for the provision of our bus that was burnt during the crisis because it affects the welfare of the students as executive activities have been on a standstill since the incident.”

    The statement also adds that the entire students of the institution would totally take law into their hand on the day of the election.

    Last week, members of the union and students engaged in a street walk on the campus with various inscriptions like “No bus, no election in Offa local government”, “Justice ust prevail”, “Have mercy on us-government”.

    The Students Union President, Hameed Omuiyadun, said: “we cannot afford to fold our arms, and watch the welfare of students suffer. Providing our bus is the only way to assure the students’ welfare.”

  • ‘All genders must be treated equally’

    ‘All genders must be treated equally’

    What is the move behind the girl-child advocacy campaign you have embarked on?

    Send a Girl to School Initiative is a product of passion, which I have been nursing since my secondary school days. It seeks to champion a course towards improving the lives of girl-child in terms of education and mentorship. I developed the passion after I visited some rural communities in Nigeria and I discovered that the ratio of girl-child in school is 20 to 80 to the male gender. I felt this should not be the case. In the course of my advocacy, I gathered that ignorance and poverty were the main reasons for the disparity. When a problem is identified, it is half solved and I believe part of the solution is a product of my non-governmental organisation.

    How challenging is it to advocate for rights?

    It is very challenging because such non-governmental organisation (NGO) is not so welcomed in Nigeria. Most people don’t believe in sponsoring or supporting organisation fighting for rights of, women especially. Apart from sponsorship problem, I discover that youths of today are not ready to spend time on advocacy. Most of them believe that it is a waste of time and energy since they would not get paid for the service rendered. So I can say that the biggest challenge is not sponsorship but getting more youths to work with me.

    How would you compare advocacy in Nigeria to other countries?

    Basically, advocacy in Nigeria is totally different from other countries such as the United Kingdom, though the campaigns are done towards achieving the same result. In the three years I have spent on advocacy, I have learned a lot. There are institutions guiding and sustaining such gender-oriented campaign in developed countries but in Nigeria, a few NGOs die five years except they have strong sponsors. Only a few people are ready for selfless service.

    You were awarded for your activities on girl-child initiative. How was it like?

    That award was given to me as youth advocate of the year. Twenty-six youths were nominated for the award but God said it was for me. I never believed it when I was declared the winner. It is not like I was the best but it is God’s favour even though I know I have been trying my best in advocating the right of the girl-child. The award opened other opportunities for me and brought more sponsors for my project.

    You represented Nigeria in the United Kingdom on girl-child campaign. How was the experience like?

    It was good. Two of us were chosen to represent Nigeria in the Global Changemakers Youth Summit. I must say it was an amazing experience for me. It is the peak of my career in advocacy for rights. I met my peers across the world doing the same thing I am doing. We exchanged ideas and share how to improve on our efforts in our respective countries. I showcased my project on the world’s platform, which attracted more people towards my initiative. Now, I have some youths working with me internationally on the project. I never wasted the opportunity and as a Nigerian, I believe we are good at that. We are the best.

    Will it be right to describe you as a feminist?

    Well, you may be right to say I am a feminist. And as such, I believe in equality; a female child deserves to be treated equally as a male child. A girl-child must have social, economic and political rights just as the other gender has. I belong to the school of thought that says everyone should be treated equally.

  • Ondo JCC elects leaders

    The Ondo State chapter of Joint Campus Committee (JCC) of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has held its convention, which culminated into the election of new executive. The event was held at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA).

    Adewunmi Rufai, a student of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) was elected as the chairman, while Olasunkanmi Pelebe, a student of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO) became the vice chairman. Oluwasanmi Akinboboye, a student of AAUA is the General Secretary.

    The election was presided over by the outgoing chairman, Abiodun Owonola and was witnessed by presidents of Students’ Union Governments (SUGs) from the institutions across the state.

    Abiodun, who conducted the ceremony on a wheelchair due to the accident that left some members of the body dead a few weeks after their inauguration last year, thanked God for the successful completion of his tenure.

    He advised the incoming officers to be accountable to students and be good ambassadors of their various institutions and the state. He also urged the state government and institutions to support the body.

    Adewunmi commended the outgoing executive for a “job well done” and promised to promote the interest of students.

  • Ibadan students elect leaders

    The Federation of Ibadan Students’ Union (FIBSU), has elected new leaders. The election took place at the Abadina Primary School on the University of Ibadan (UI) campus.

    Two delegates represented each institution that participated in the election. Two aspirants contested for the post of National President. Other positions were unopposed except that of the Social Director.

    Past presidents of the association, Mr Alabi Ademola and Mr. Aderibigbe Surajudeen were present to ensure the proper conduct of the polls. Security officials were also at the venue to forestall any violence.

    The election was conducted by the FIBSU Electoral Commission with Hammed Makinde as Chairman and Sulaimon Oladejo as Secretary. Voting started at 2:30pm after accreditation. A total of 37 votes were cast. Adewunmi Rufai of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, emerged president having polled a total of 35 votes to defeat Kolapo Titilayo of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology. Kabirat Ogundijo of Federal Polytechnic, Offa, scored 35 votes to emerge Vice-President.

    Others are Ayokanmi Solomon,Deputy Registrar; Shittu Akeem, Financial Secretary; Olasupo Rukoyah, Treasurer; Olawoyin Ajibola, Public Relations Officer 1; Oyetoro Taiwo, Public Relations Officer 2; Abiodun Taiwo, Social Director 1; Adejumo Funmilayo, Social Director 2; Abiona Peter, Welfare Director and Azeez Hammed as Auditor.

    The new president promised to use his experience to promote the peace and development of the association in partnership with Oyo State government.

  • Longing for graduation

    Ugochukwu Mbama gained admission into the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) in 2004 to study Environmental Engineering, which has a duration of five years. He graduated six years after.

    The delay was due to the industrial action embarked on by different unions of staff in the universities. In 2011, Ugochukwu was mobilised for national youth service.

    After scaling through the stringent admission process, including a test at the University of Ibadan (UI), Ugochukwu is pursuing a Master’s degree at the premier university. The duration of the programme is 18 months but with the ongoing strike by members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), his graduation has been extended by three months.

    Like Ugochukwu, there are many post-graduate students in public universities, whose programmes’ periods have been extended due to the incessant strike by the university lecturers. The action disrupts academic calendar and renders useless the efforts of the Master’s students, who may go through pain of restarting their research works.

    On July 1, the ASUU embarked on strike following the failure of the Federal Government to implement 2009 agreement it reached with the lecturers’ union to improve quality of education and research.

    Even as they bemoan the ongoing strike, some post-graduate students believed that ASUU’s demands were in order and could go a long way in putting the nation’s education system in consonance with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recommendation.

    Stanley Ibeku, a post-graduate student of the Africa Regional Centre for Information Science, UI, said the strike is worth it if the aim is to revitalise the education sector. He urged the government to stop playing politics with education. He said: “Nations must invest in education to adapt to the rapidly changing world. Today, what we have in the country are decaying campuses. Students are forced to study in harsh, unfavourable environments with poor facilities and lack of vital tools needed for advancement of research and development.”

    Emmanuel Umukoro, another Master’s student at UI, said Nigeria’s leaders had been the cog in the wheel of the country’s progress. He charged the National Assembly to enact a law that would bar all political office holders from sending their children abroad for university education. According to him, “this will make the leaders to respond quickly whenever the ASUU chooses to go on strikes”.

    The government should urgently find lasting solution to the incessant strike, Henry Akanegbu, a post-graduate student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) said. “Time is of the essence; I don’t wish to stay beyond the stipulated time for my programme. The strike is a terrible setback because postgraduate studies are research-oriented. It is quite unfortunate that most researches are now becoming outdated due to the strike. This is not the best for Nigeria as a developing country, as many economic and technological breakthroughs usually come from researches. The government should demonstrate political will towards the implementation of the agreements. ASUU, on the other hand, should know that to whom much is given, much is expected. Nigerians will surely demand a serious commitment to duty from the lecturers and drastic improvement of our university education,” he enthused.

    Olawale Badmus is frustrated by the strike. He complained that his parents were “tired” of his prolonged programme in university. Olawale, who marked his 29th birthday last Monday, said his father sent him a message reminding him that he had spent beyond expected time to get a Master’s.

     

     

  • Corps member empowers widows

    A corps member serving in Oyo State, Olawale Shoyombo, has organised a vocational skills training for widows in Ibadan South West Local Government Area.

    The two-day event tagged, Project H.T.W.E. (Helping the Widows Excel), was organised in collaboration with La Vie Mot Global Mission, a non-governmental organisation.

    In her address, Director of Education and Social Services, Ibadan South West Local Government, Dr Ayo Alaga, represented by Mrs. Rashidat Ogundiya, urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously. She implored them to cultivate the habit of saving for the future and avoid extravagance.

    Folasade Adedeji from Zaria Children Home, Ibadan, spoke on the basics of good health and adequate nutrition. She encouraged widows to cook for their children and avoid fast foods. Another speaker, Mrs. Temiloluwa Morenikeji, Director of His Heritage Homes, took the widows through the fundamentals of effective child care. She noted that keeping children safe is a mother’s responsibility. She added that: “It is the role of a mother to understand her children and let them know about sex education right from a tender age.”

    The second day witnessed skills acquisition training on how to make chin-chin, puff pastry, buns, egg-buns, local drinks like zobo and kunu. Different items like bags of flours, vegetable oil, frying pots, perforated frying spoons, rolling boards, rolling pins, crates of egg and baking powder, sugar, milk and flavours were also presented to the widows.

    Mr. Tunde Ajuwon, a representative of Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs, appreciated the convener of the project. He urged the beneficiaries to utilise what they had learnt to improve the quality of life of their families.

    Speaking with CAMPUS LIFE at the end of the programme, Shoyombo, an Estate Management graduate of Covenant University, said: “before I was mobilised for NYSC, God had laid it in my heart to assist the less-privileged and I really appreciate God for making project H.T.W.E. a reality. The project is a means to achieve that which God had laid in my heart.”

    When CAMPUSLIFE visited some of the widows few days after the programme; one of them Mrs Taiwo Monsurat, who lives along Oja Oba in Ibadan, had already started making puff pastry and chin-chin for sale.

     

  • Students hold graduation party

    The Department of Political Science of the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education (AIFCE) Owerri, has held its graduation party at the Social Science Hall of the institution.

    Guests at the event include Emmanuel Emeana, a Special Assistant to Hon Ezenwa Onyewuchi, representing Owerri Federal Constituency; Head of Department, Mr. Roland Echebiri,

    Others are Mrs Chibuzo Obua, a representative of Edmark, a Supplements Company Prof Batchason Mgbachi, Dr Opurum Innocent, Dr Cornel Udumaga, and lecturers of the department.

    chairman of the ocassion, Emeana, admonished the graduands to be good ambassadors of their institution. He advised them to work hard and strive for excellence at all times.

    Mr Echebiri charged the graduands to be the agent of change in the society. He said: “I want you to be of good behavior. You must strive to distinguish yourselves among your peers.”

    Mrs Chibuzo urged the graduands to embrace entrepreneurship as the best way to avoid unemployment that is prevalent in the country.

    During the ceremony, awards were presented to deserving persons.

    Some of the graduands, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, expressed their joy. One of them, Okafor Amarachi, said: “I’m very excited today. It was a long walk for me.” Another graduand, Ibe Chima, expressed his joy saying, “To become a graduate of political science requires a lot of hard work. Interestingly, today marks the beginning of my academic success in life. I’m very happy about it.”

  • Blessings on Rag Day

    Blessings on Rag Day

    They wore rags and tattered clothes to cut a pictures of beggars. That was not all; they wandered around the city and street corner with used cans of powdered milk, begging. They are not common beggars, neither are they mad. They are students of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education (AIFCE) in Owerri, Imo State, observing Rag Day to raise money for their matriculation. The activity, which was mainly for 100-Level students, is held yearly by freshers.

    “We are just trying to catch fun. It is a normal activity in the school. Before matriculation, 1000-Level students would put on rags and walk around to beg for money from people. They would explain why they need the money to enable them afford books and other necessary materials that will aid their studies,”explained Emmanuel Chukwuemeka, 100-Level Economics.

    The activity lasted for a day. Some students dressed from their hostels, while others got dressed on the campus. A student said: “I went to school with rags and use make-up to appear like a mad person. It was an exciting exercise because we trek all day, from street to street. But I feel relaxed, happy and I am in high spirit because it was all fun.”

    The students were seen in groups in Owerri city. Some of them went to commercial areas and banks, requesting for money using flattering expression.

    A bank customer, who was accosted by the students, willingly dropped money into the can when the students acted a funny drama at the bank entrance. He said: “I was once a student, so I understand the situation. I just withdrew some money I had already budgeted, but I had to give them a token because they were so funny.”

    Casmir Ugwu, 100-Level History and International Studies, said he was participating in the activity to catch fun. “Our seniors did same and the activity is turning to a tradition in our school. That is the reason why I am also involved,” he said.

    Darlington Ifeanyi, a student of Biology, said he would spend the money he got from the exercise on his matriculation. Unlike Darlington, many of the students attached importance to the activity. They saw it as a harbinger of good luck and success. Some of them said it was an avenue to announce their entrance in higher institution.

    One of such students is Prisca Ibekwe, Health Education, who said: “I think every new student in the college should participate in the exercise. By so doing, people will know you have gained admission into a higher institution. Although not everybody you meet on the street will give money, but those that give are, in a way, wishing us well in our studies. So if anyone did not partake in the Rag Day, he may as well miss the blessings and prayers of people.”

    A market woman, who did not mention her name, agreed that the exercise has its good side. “Most African culture believes that a child is not that of the parents alone, so when these students come around, we pray for them and give them tokens to support their schooling,” she said.

     

     

     

  • Cross River students get leaders

    The National Association of Cross River State Students (NACRISS),CRUTECH chapter, has inaugurated the executive pilot the affairs of the association for the new academic session.

    In his address, Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Joint Campus Commission (JCC), Patrick Ambah congratulated the electoral body on the success of the elections. He urged members to see unionism as a platform to better the lots of students. He said: “students’ unionism should not be politicised rather it should stand as a pressure group to fight for the welfare of students in every institution”.

    Ambah advised the new president not to be bias in his official assignment as most executive worked against him in the electioneering process. He added that other members of the executive must give full support to the president so as to make a formidable government.

    The electoral chairman, Emmanuel Egbe, adjudged the elections as free and fair describing their victory as divine. He charged the executives to work assiduously to make the government an exceptional one.

    In his inaugural speech, the President, comrade Abang Ogon, thanked his colleagues for the support given to him. He promised to work in good terms with his executive to improve the welfare of the association.