The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • The trailblazer lives on

    There are lots of annoying inconsistencies in life that we would never have answers to. Why would a drug addict who can barely take care of herself keep having children when those who have the mental, physical, emotional and material resources to give a child a great future sometimes look for them in vain? Why would the armed robber and cultist who have the blood of hundreds of innocent victims on their hands live to a ripe old-age while those who strive to make humanity better die young? Why would a religious fanatic who kills at random be placated and even financially induced to “give up” his ways?

    Most importantly, why do some of the best die young? This is an age-old question that has thus far not been satisfactorily answered; all we have are conjectures and human reasoning in trying to proffer answers to a question that only God Almighty can satisfactorily answer. I battled with the question too when Mrs. Ngozi Agbo, the visionary of this project and one of the best individuals I have come across, passed on. What made it even more painful was the fact that she barely glanced at the son she carried, prepared and prayed for for nine months. This unique lady died giving birth to life! Even though mortals cannot question God, in my quiet moments I sometimes asked why? In the process of trying to unravel this I came across this piece by Rabbi Aron Moss who teaches Kabbalah, Talmud and practical Judaism in Sydney, Australia.

    So, I want to leave the issues of the falling standard of education, dearth of infrastructure in our schools, ASUU, NASU etc strikes, NANS crises and the plethora of challenges confronting us as our nation and write about real life issues today.

    Moss titled his piece “Where is the justice?” and it reads like this: A great debate once raged in heaven. It was over a most beautiful and precious new soul that God had created. The angels debated what should be done with this soul. One group of angels demanded that this soul remain in heaven. “She is too pure, too holy to face the ugliness of the lowly world,” they said. “Who knows what will happen to her in a world of temptation and evil. This soul must stay with us here.”

    But the other group of angels said the exact opposite: “Indeed, this soul glows with a unique divine glow. But for that very reason, she must go down to earth. For imagine the beauty and goodness this soul can bring to a dark world. What good is there in keeping such a soul in heaven? Let her descend to earth and shine her light there.”

    And so they argued back and forth, each side unshakable in its view. Until it became clear that they could not resolve the issue themselves, they needed a Higher Authority. The case was brought before God Almighty. The angels stated their arguments before the heavenly court. God listened to the two opinions -the first group of angel arguing that this unspoiled soul is too holy to be plunged into the lowly world, the second countering that the world needs such souls more than anything.

    And this was God’s response: “Indeed, it is sad to send such an immaculate soul into such a dark world. But this is My will. I only created darkness so souls like this one can transform darkness into light. The whole purpose of creation was that the lowly world be refined by the good deeds of mortal human beings. This cannot be achieved by souls in heaven. It can only be achieved through souls in bodies. And so even this most perfect and pure soul must descend to earth.”

    The first group of angels, who requested for the soul to remain in heaven, were disappointed. They couldn’t fathom how such a spiritual being could be expected to survive such a physical world. God turned to them and said, “As for your request to keep this soul up here, I will grant it partially. Though she must leave us and go down to earth, it will not be long before she will return to us. Her sojourn on earth will be brief. Such a brilliant soul will not need long to fulfill her mission. Soon she will be free to come back to heaven.”

    Every day that she is on earth is a blessing, God then turned to the second group and asked, “Are you satisfied with that? Do you accept that this soul can only be on earth for a limited time?” The angels replied, “Yes we do. Every day that she is on earth is a blessing.”

    Exciting story isn’t it? My heart moved when I first read it because when a loved one passes away, we know we have lost something precious. We are left with a gaping hole in our heart, and we often wonder why they were taken away from us. But at the same time we can be grateful for the very fact that they were given to us in the first place and that they made positive impact. We are blessed to have such beautiful souls in our lives; the world is privileged to have such heavenly guests come down on earth. And even if it can only be for a short while, we will take whatever we can get. In time all souls will be reunited. In the meantime, it pays to be thankful for the impact the individual made in his or her earthly journey.

    That was how I felt a year ago when Ngozi left so suddenly, though the pain remains but I find succour in the fact that she had a vision and left that vision behind to be followed. She was a trailblazer, just like The Nation is a trailblazer in student journalism in Nigeria. She believed that Nigeria, despite the socio-economic and other challenges she faces, has the potentials of being a great nation. She believed that the potentials lie in the hands of the youth and she birthed an idea that would give them the platform to express their dreams for the nation.

    Her vision was anchored on building the total man and looking at the core values and attributes that defines him, attributes that always emphasises the highest level of moral and ethical regeneration and the molding of sound character which she instilled in her “children.” She never failed to remind them that they are always a shining light to their generation, and coming into contact with these students you will realise that the objective is already bearing fruit. Does that mean her preoccupation was only with undergraduates? Absolutely not, Ngozi was also a student of leadership and those who were familiar with this column when she handled it knew too well of her passion for leadership; from leadership in the home to religious and secular leadership.

    She often drove the point home to her undergraduates to steer clear of ethnic jingoists and divisive individuals who have the innate capacity of filling their minds with xenophobic ideologies that have the tendency of creating hatred, rancour and bitterness in the society. This they can only do if they are inculcated with the right value system. The annual capacity building workshops and award ceremonies she undertook every year with the support of Coca-Cola Nigeria and Nigerian Bottling Company was a pointer to the fact that apart from merely sending in articles for publication, she ensured she had contact with her undergraduates to be certain that the venture they are undertaking was far bigger than having their stories published in the newspapers.

    Another sterling quality of the vision is the molding of character. Ngozi was a disciplinarian and she didn’t mince words when it comes to discipline and her students knew that. I will point out two instances here. Two weeks before her death she held her Ninth Campus Life workshop in Lagos where she invited more than 50 students from tertiary institutions across Nigeria. Some undergraduates who could not make it to the workshop called her and pleaded that she sends them their certificate of attendance. She took her time to patiently lecture them that it is morally wrong for her to send certificate to someone who did not attend the workshop; she also told them that it was be against the tenet of what she taught them. Some called back to apologise for their misdemeanor. What actually touched me was how she linked the whole incident to the vision of Campus Life. There are countless encounters that I can’t mention here for lack of space.

    There is no better epitaph to write for this bold, unique, courageous and determined lady than to say that some of her products are now living out what she taught them, her efforts were not in vain. Gbenga Ojo, now publishes Exceptional Magazine, Wale Ajetunmobi now oversees the Campuslife pages in The Nation; Faith Olaniran of FUTA runs a Youth Development programme; David Osu also of FUTA is a United Nations Ambassador on Education; Jumoke Awe runs a Girl-Child NGO, Onyinye Nkwocha runs a NGO; to uplift the students she teaches at her area of primary responsibility. Again, there are more of Ngozi’s former students contributing positively toward the development of a better society which space will not allow me to recount, they will tell their own stories someday. Meanwhile, the trailblaser lives on.

     

  • VC suspended over varsity’s closure

    VC suspended over varsity’s closure

    The Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK) has been reopened three months after a protest that led to the death of two students. The reopening came with a shocker – the suspension for six months of the Vice Chancellor, Prof Shamsudeen Amali, and other principal officers. KAMALUDDEEN ABUBAKAR (200-Level Geography) reports.

     

    CAN a Vice-Chancellor (VC) be suspended? Yes, he can and we don’t have to look far to see where that has happened. It happened at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK) which reopened last week after a three-month closure.

    The closure followed the February 25 violence in which two students died.

    Amali and others were suspended by the Visitor and Governor of Nasarawa State, Umaru Almakura. Their suspension was part of the recommendations of a panel set up to probe what led to the closure of the school.

    Prof Aminu Salihu Mukail has been appointed the Acting Vice-Chancellor. He is a former VC of the Kaduna State University.

    Students were asked to pay N1,000 reparation fee before last Friday, failure which defaulters would pay N5,000.

    The university was billed to re-open last month after the committee submitted its report. Its Registrar, Talhatu Mamman, in a statement, directed students to resume on April 28, but the government issued a statement, suspending activities on the campus indefinitely.

    Penultimate Sunday, Mamman issued another statement, urging the students to resume. The following Monday, students and staff returned for academic activities. CAMPUSLIFE gathered that lectures started immediately after resumption.

    Our correspondent saw freshers moving round the premises to sign their clearance forms, which would authorise them to pay their school fees. According to the academic calendar obtained by CAMPUSLIFE, the first semester is expected to end in August.

    Our correspondent visited the Faculty of Natural and Applied Science where lectures were held. In one of the lecture halls, a lecturer, Dr. Mahmud Abubakar, was teaching 300-Level Geography students.

    Students, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, were excited over the resumption but bemoaned the non-provision of alternative source of water supply for the campus and its off-campus hostels.

    The students blocked Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga highway to protest the shortage of water on the campus and its host community. Soldiers from Shittu Alao Barracks moved to the scene to disperse the protesters but in the ensuing melee, two students – Emmanuel Buba, 300-Level Physics and Aminu Usman, 400-Level Geography – were hit by bullets. Their killers are yet to be identified, though the army denied that its troops were responsible for the students’ death.

    After the incident, members of the Joint Committee on Education, Water Resource and Security from the Nasarawa State House of Assembly visited the institution in company of the Special Adviser on Youth and Students’ Affair to President Goodluck Jonathan, Comrade Jude Imagwe.

    Imagwe presented a N20 million cheque on behalf of the president to help solve the problem of water in and around the campus. But months after, the water crisis persists.

    Mary Chukwu, 200-Level Geography, urged the leadership of the institution and government to wake up to their responsibilities. “I am happy we are back in school. I am also happy for some repairs and maintenance work being carried out on some buildings in the school. But honestly, the issue that led to the bloody protest is far from being solved. Up till now, there is no water supply within the campus. The new VC must to focus on this problem and solve it once and for all.”

    Zaharadeen Yakubu, 400-Level Psychology, enjoined his colleague to put behind them the memory of the bloody riot, urging them to take their studies seriously. He said: “It is sad that we lost two of our students in the course of the February 25 protest. I lost a course mate to the cold hand of death during the break. But life goes on. We need to face our academic work squarely.”

    A 300-Level student, who did not want his name in print, called on the new VC not to toe the path of his predecessor, urging the governor to speed up the construction work on the road that leads to the university.

    He said: “Frankly speaking, there is only a little improvement in the school. The water problem has not been resolved despite the Federal Government’s cash donation to sink boreholes. No single borehole has been inaugurated. The construction, which started long ago, is yet to be completed. I welcome the new VC but I want to bring to his notice that, aside the water shortage, students also face challenges such as low staff strength, inadequate lecture rooms and accommodation problem.”

    A trader on the campus, who deals in second-hand ladies’ shoes and bags, said business was gradually coming up after the resumption. “Nna, market don dey move o. No be like before when we no dey see any customer from morning go reach evening.”

  • Sweet is the memory of the good

    When she died a year ago, we, her children from campuses, cried as if our tears would bring her back from the land of the dead. But when her remains were buried about three weeks later, it dawned on us that she won’t come back. Mrs Ngozi Agbo, our amiable Editor, departed this world in flesh but in spirit, she remains with us.

    She left a priceless project for us to continue. But many have asked: “How will the project continue without Aunty Ngozi? How can it be sustained?”

    Today, the story is entirely different. Not only that the project has fared well; it is still alive and kicking. I am talking about CAMPUSLIFE section of The Nation newspaper. The campus-centred pullout in this great newspaper has helped to raise many journalists in higher institutions across the nation.

    Aunty Ngozi is no more today but we are still remembering her good works she left behind. Indeed, sweet is the memory of the good but how many people do well?

    After her demise, the Press Club of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) organised a lecture in her memory tagged: Raising fearless campus writers: A dream to change Nigeria. The lecture was held in the Education Hall of the institution with dignitaries such as Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, who was represented by Mr Olakunle Abimbola, Chief Press Secretary to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Mr Lekan Otufodunrin, Online Editor, The Nation newspaper; Mr Deji Elumoye, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ), Lagos chapter, who was represented by Mr Jimoh Babatunde; Mr Agbo Agbo, the widower, and journalists from other media houses.

    In continuation of this great legacy in honour of the departed gem, who dared to be different, this year’s edition of the Annual Ngozi Agbo Media Lecture will hold on June 14, 2013 at the Julius Berger Hall, with the theme: Becoming a successful campus writer. Mr Gbenga Omotoso, Editor of The Nation, is the keynote speaker.

    That a memorial lecture could be held in her memory shows that Aunty Ngozi has affected the lives of many, who, in turn, affect lives of others. I am very sure that this would be her happiness wherever she is now. She might have been dead, her short stay on earth has left indelible marks in our heart.

     

    Tosin, a Corps member, NYSC ENUGU

     

     

  • Gunmen shoot OAU student

    A CHEMICAL Engineering student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife,who was identified as Pelumi Taiwo, has been shot by unknown assailants outside the campus.

    Acording to a statement by the Security Unit of OAU, the victim was in his car with his girlfriend about 9pm on Friday when the incident occurred.

    Pelumi, it was learnt, initially stopped his vehicle on the Ede Road to pick a female acquaintance. While he was waiting for his friend at a bushy part of the road, the assailants approached him and pointed a gun at him.

    He was ordered to move to the back seat. Pelumi was said to have pleaded with the gunmen, but the attackers riddled his body with bullets. As Pelumi was bleeding, the attackers, who witnesses said were robbers, left with the victim’s girlfriend.

    The victim, drenched in blood, crawled to the security post at Road One Gate, where he called for help. He was immediately rushed to the university’s Teaching Hospital. His girlfriend was, however, dropped on the Ife-Ibadan Expressway near Oduduwa University.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered the shot student has been discharged and recovering at undisclosed location. The university has beefed up security around the campus and urged students to be alert and security conscious.

     

  • ‘Aunty Ngozi never died’

    ‘Aunty Ngozi never died’

    A year after her demise, students from across campuses have continued to pay tributes to the late CampusLife ‘girl’ Mrs. Ngozi Agbo. GILBERT ALASA (400-Level Foreign Languages, University of Benin) and Dhikru Akinola (400-Level Political Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) spoke to some of them and ex-CAMPUSLIFE writers.

     

     

    How time flies! It has been 367 days since former CAMPUSLIFE Editor Mrs. Ngozi Agbo died. To her many students on campuses across the nation, Aunty Ngozi, as the late Mrs. Agbo was fondly called, lives on.

    Many of them are still crying and asking God why He chose to call their mentor to heaven. To them, Aunty Ngozi’s death had robbed the youth of a gem who could have redeemed more lives from the path of criminality.

    As CAMPUSLIFE coordinator, Mrs. Agbo, through her column, engaged many students and youths productively. She told them to stop complaining about what the government failed to do for them. She encouraged them, through personal and open counselling, to put take destinies in their hands by discovering their talents and abilities.

    Mrs. Agbo died on Monday, May 28, 2012 after she was delivered of a baby boy at the General Hospital, Abule-Egba, Lagos. Her death was as a result of complications after childbirth. Last Tuesday, it was a year Aunty Ngozi died. But, to many students she never died. She lives on in their hearts and in her legacies. Tributes have continued to pour in for her from her ‘children’ on campuses.

     

    Tributes

    The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Yinka Gbadebo, in a statement, said: “The NANS remembers the late Editor of the popular CAMPUSLIFE being published by The Nation newspaper, Mrs Ngozi Agbo. Our thoughts are with the management of the newspaper and the family of the deceased.”

    – NANS

     

    Aunty Ngozi will continue to linger in the minds of students across tertiary institutions. We have lost our guardian angel. Since her death, campus journalism has not been the same again. I can never quantify what I have gained over the years from reading her educative column, Pushing Out. – Valour Iduh, 400 Level Foreign Languages, UNIBEN

     

    Aunty Ngozi lived a life of self-transcendence as postulated by Abraham Maslow. There are two kinds of human beings in the world: those who exist and those who live. Those who exist merely journey through life. But those whose existence changed the course of human history are the ones that live better life. Aunty Ngozi lived such a life and remained an embodiment of impact and value. Even in her death, her ideas are still changing lives across campuses till today.

    – Donald Anavhe, 400-Level Political Science, Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma

     

    I got to know the late Aunty Ngozi Agbo through CAMPUSLIFE. The first time my story was published in The Nation newspaper, I took the paper everywhere I went that day. It was on September 15, 2010. I became a hero or sort; every campus association wanted me in their fold. When the Asiwaju Leadership Forum was founded in my state, I was made the publicity secretary and media adviser. All these could not have been possible if not for what Aunty Ngozi started through her initiative. She was a rare bred. I must confess that the weekly publication has been able to address some critical issues on campuses. – Afolabi Oni, ex-Campus Life writer and English graduate of OAU

     

    Aunty Ngozi, my beloved name sake. You were a renaissance woman; a beautiful lady inside out. I am still missing you. Every minute I think about you, I always feel like you never died. You remain my role model, mentor, sister and mother. You were the most disciplined and straightforward personality I have ever come across. I still remember when death came calling; it is just like yesterday. I remember how you smiled at me and told me to fatten up. Aunty Ngozi, I still carry you in my spirit. I remember the day I got a call that you had left; tears could not express how inconsolable I was. I cried as I kept on dialing your phone line; but you never picked. I still don’t believe that my Aunty is gone. My mentor, my love, my namesake and role model. I will always remember you. – Ngozi Emmanuel, Mass Comm. graduate from UNIZIK), Awka

     

    Aunty Ngozi is not dead, she is still alive. Though physically we cannot see her, her legacies live on. Death has done its worst and we, her children, have survived the agony it brought. She will forever be remembered; she will forever be in my mind and that of many young Nigerians that had gone through her tutelage. Sleep on Aunty. – Dayo Ojerinde, a Corps member, NYSC, Keffi, Nasarawa State

     

    Remembrance is a golden chain death tries to break, but all its effort is in vain. To have, to love, and then to part is the greatest sorrow of one’s heart. The years may wipe out many things, but some they never wipe ou – like memories of those happy times when we were all together. To a mentor, I remember you today. Sleep on in the bosom of your Creator. – Faith Olaniran, Biochemistry graduate from FUT MINNA

     

    My heart is still in pain even though it is a year since Aunty Ngozi left us. I saw her a few days to her death, with her heavy tummy. Aunty was a motivator, a rare gem, a teacher, a mother, a sister, an innovator and a creative woman par excellence. She empowered many of us with her ideas. She helped to clean the streets of this country of crimes. Who would have believed his/her name would feature in a national daily such as The Nation newspaper? Aunty Ngozi made this possible through her initiative.

    I remember how aunty used to call me on phone concerning my articles, telling me how to be a good writer. I was a bad writer until Aunty redefined my writing skill. I miss Aunty a lot. Her death came to many of us as a rude shock but we are consoled by the fact that she left Chima, her baby and CAMPUSLIFE, her project that has affected many of us positively. – Habeeb Whyte, 500-Level Law, UNILORIN

     

    I still miss her. I pray God should give all of us the fortitude to bear the loss. It is a sad incident I don’t like remembering. – Opeoluwa Sonuga, 400-Level Law, OAU:

     

    I am still sad. I only saw her once and had been looking forward to another encounter with her when death struck. I am consoled by the fact that she impacted many lives within the short period she lived.

    – Caleb Adebayo, 400-Level Law, OAU:

     

    I met Aunty Ngozi just a week before her untimely death. She was so welcoming. Her CAMPUSLIFE project remains incomparable even though other newspapers now copy the initiative. I would not have attained this height without her. May God repose her. – Femi Ogunjobi, 400-Level Language Arts, OAU

     

    Through her youth development initiative, Aunty Ngozi etched her name in gold. When others were doing the same thing, she opted for something new and, today, that concept has been copied. – Wilberforce Arevore, 400-Level Language Arts, OAU

     

    I was shocked when Wale Ajetunmobi called me on May 28, 2012 to break the news of Aunty Ngozi’s death. That’s not true, I muttered. But then, I knew Wale could not be cracking jokes with Aunty’s life. I logged on to Facebook and I saw the truth. Oh, Aunty Ngozi! We must thank God for protecting her baby. My prayer is that God should continue to protect him in Jesus name. Continue to rest in the bosom of our Lord Jesus Christ till we meet to part no more. Adieu, my mentor in journalism. – Tunmise Oladipo, English graduate, UNILORIN

     

    May 28, 2012 was a bad day for Nigerian youths and the teeming campus writers across the nation. An Iroko fell on that day. The news shook the entire campuses. A crusader of due process, a senior advocate of Nigerian students, an Amazon, a heroine with beauty and brains died. Aunty Ngozi, you were a patriotic citizen that I will always describe as a fountain from which many drew their waters; a mentor to many youths. Indeed, women of your status and qualities are not easy to come by. Through my interaction and work with you, I understood that you were a woman of high integrity with a strong drive for change and development. In pursuit of your goal, you taught us perseverance, patience and tenacity. It was via the vision of CAMPUSLIFE that gave birth to campus-centred pages in many national dailies today. The vision will never die. You left it in good hands. We will not disappoint you. We will impact lives and make marks in our world. Aunty Ngozi, you are not dead. You live in us forever. – Gerald Nwokocha, graduate of Information Technology, FUTO

     

    A year on, yet it feels like yesterday. Aunty Ngozi, I still wish you were here. The CAMPUSLIFE family has not been the same. We could not have wished for a better you; it’s been difficult flipping through the pages without thoughts of you. You became our source of wisdom yet never waited on to reap from where you have sown. Words fail me to recount how big your heart was, accommodating all of us from diverse backgrounds and parts of the country. From South to the North, and to the West and back to the East, your children flourish and keep the dream alive. You overlooked our mistakes and molded us into perfect examples of how a youth should behave. You were the uncommon mother who was building the nation, giving us hope with the CAMPUSLIFE project. That dream we must continue to nurture.

    Aunty Ngozi, you were our finest Amazon who went out of her way to boost our self-esteem as student-writers. Now, we believe in ourselves and it is amazing what we can accomplish with our lives. You will live long in our hearts, Aunty Ngozi. – Geoffrey Eneyo, Lagos Law School, Lagos

     

    Immortality for man is attained when he has held the door to life open for others to go through. Even when the door closes and he is on the other side of the door, everyone knows who ushered them in. Live forever in our hearts, Aunty Ngozi. I miss you. – Onyinye Nkwocha, English graduate of IMSU, Owerri

    I know I miss a mother, Aunty Ngozi. Yet I am very sure she’s not dead. This has always been my joy, my hope and even my dream not to die just as she’s not dead. The CAMPUSLIFE vision is still alive. See the generals it has continued to breed from all parts of the world. This is the true measure of success, of leadership, and of motherhood. Being able to pass on the ‘greatness’ to others, especially in a society where greatness is scarce, remains our solace. It also determines the longevity of your life. You lived for 36 years, but I tell you, you live on forever. You will be remembered by the people you inspired, nurtured and raised to surpass the sky. Aunty Ngozi’s dreams live on. – David Osu, 400-Level Urban and Regional Planning, FUT MINNA

     

    Aunty Ngozi was a quintessential woman. She was, during her lifetime, a source of inspiration to several youths spread across tertiary institutions. Aunty did not only give me my first bye-line, she made me believe that there is nothing I cannot do. She was like a fine rose, for her flagrance touched a good number of people. Aunty encouraged me to work hard. She would call and at the end of the call, remind me that I should, at all times, aspire to be the best that I could be. CAMPUSLIFE was her brainchild, and it is indeed refreshing to know that this child lived on. Aunty lives on forever in the strong rooms of our hearts. Sleep well. – Uche Anichebe, 500-Level Law, UNIZIK

     

    I looked through the pages, but you were not to be found. Yet, you were closer to us. A year after your departure, your thought remains evergreen. You live in our hearts and we will always remember and keep your legacy. RIP Aunty Ngozi. – Chinenye Okonkwo, a graduate of UNICAL

     

    It is a year since you left me, you left baby Chima, you left your beloved husband, you left CAMPUSLIFE. Aunty Ngozi, what more can I say? Your legacy cannot be erased, your footprint remains so clear. My eyes are filled with tears for my role model and my mother. What I am today is based on the discipline you inculcated in me. You did not only teach me how to write, you taught me discipline. You remain in my heart forever. – Hope Ofobike, Mass Communication graduate, UNIJOS

     

     

     

     

     

  • Ngozi: A name and its blessing

    One of the most beautiful questions ever asked by a mortal is the one, which William Shakespeare made a character called Juliet to ask in his play Romeo and Juliet. She asked: “What is in a name?”

    Most times I try to ponder on this question and as I reflect on it, I try to imagine what parents would have had in mind while christening their new born babies or anything they cherish.

    In a traditional Igbo setting as well as other cultures, names are mainly given based on life experiences, period of baby’s birth, victory in war, delay in child birth, and survival from certain mysterious circumstances among other things.

    Igbo names such as Chinwemmeri (victory belongs to God), Amarachi (God’s favour), Ugochi (God’s special eagle), Uchenna (the will of the father) and Tiv names such as Terna (God gives), Dooshima (beautiful lady) among others clearly bring to the front burner the passion attached to names in all cultures.

    A name given to a child is one thing and the influence the name has on the bearer is another thing. In as much as it has been established that we do not determine our names at birth – our parents and relatives do, unless one grows up to think otherwise – most times, if not eternally, we grow up to appreciate those names and try to live up to the meaning and standard of the name.

    And when such things happen we have no option than to believe that our parents and relatives spoke the mind of God when they give us names. For, it will be an embarrassment both in heaven and on earth for someone who bears Nwachukwu (God’s child), for instance, to go to hell.

    In the Nigerian political arena, every Dick, Tom and Harry has a reason to believe that the name “Goodluck” has positively affected President Goodluck Jonathan, going by the way he climbed the rung of the political ladder without ‘sweat’ and struggle unlike many, who struggled through the eye of the needle to get elected for a seat in the local government.

    As an individual with a very good name, I have also heard and called several other names and have also associated myself with those bearing the names. One of such names is Ngozi.

    I have met a number of people, who bear the name but I can’t recall if any of them has influenced my life as much as the late Ngozi Agbo (nee Nwozor), the late Editor of CAMPUSLIFE.

    Ngozi is an Igbo name that means blessing. The subject of this piece is someone who lived up to her name in her life time.

    As a child, I had dreamt of becoming a writer. And whatever it is that I had written did not find its way beyond the notebook in which it was written. To me, it was like a fairy tale to know that I would one day be published in a widely read national newspaper just by writing and submitting.

    But Ngozi made me realise that whatever one believes in will definitely work for him only if he is on the right track. Through Ngozi, I saw my articles published in The Nation newspaper. To me, it was a dream come true and Ngozi Nwozor made it possible.

    Aunty Ngozi, as we all fondly called her, was a blessing to my generation. Whatever was in the mind of her parents that made them to christen her Ngozi may not have been clear to us but one thing her family should forever be grateful for is that Aunty Ngozi lived up to her name. While she was alive, she remained an endless blessing to my generation.

    As the Editor and Co-ordinator of CAMPUSLIFE, she gave many youths in our nation the map to discover their God-given talents. She believed so much in the youth and their ability to effect positive changes in Nigeria.

    Her demise at the age of 36 is heart-rending but we are consoled by the fact that her 36 years on earth were loaded with blessings, which she did not keep to herself and her family members. She spread the blessings to whoever she came in contact with.

    A philosopher once said “age is compulsory but wisdom is optional”. At 36, Aunty Ngozi possessed the agility of a seven-year-old and the wisdom of a 70-year- old. History has recorded that most men and women whose names still glow like a candle light lived and achieved notable things tagged with their names in a short time they lived on earth.

    For instance, Jesus Christ, our saviour, did not have to live to eternity to save us; he gave us salvation in his early 30s. Alexander the Great, with all the glory his name bears, achieved all he did in 33 years, three years younger than our own Aunty Ngozi.

    St. Theresa, whose name Aunty Ngozi also answered, lived a short life. The few years she lived were spent rendering selfless service and doing unforgettable things for Jesus Christ and for humanity.

    To all of us, her students, Aunty Ngozi left us quite early, but to heaven, she may have done the will of her Creator; so we cannot question heaven. If we want to ask God any question about her death, we should first ask ourselves if we had a hand in Aunty Ngozi’s creation in the first instance.

    We can only take solace in the fact that her way of life and philosophy made light to reflect in the lives of many youths, who would have gone astray and lost focus of their destinies. Aunty Ngozi, even in death, remains a blessing to the country.

    As we continue to remember her and her good works, we can’t help but thank God that her life was a paradigm to be followed by all of us. Physically, she is not with us but Aunty Ngozi lives on.

     

    Obioma, is an ex- Campus Life correspondent, ABSU

     

  • Dean bemoans staff shortage

    The Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences (CIS), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof Lenrie Aina, has identified dearth of academic staff, irregular admission processes and shortage of facilities as the major challenges facing the five-year-old faculty.

    He disclosed this at a press briefing with newsmen to unveil the programme lined up to mark the fifth anniversary of the faculty.

    Aina noted that some professionals the faculty would have employed as academic staff had been hijacked by the telecommunication and media industries with higher salaries.

    “Many graduates whom we could have employed as lecturers had opted to work in the telecommunication industries because of the higher salaries being offered by these firms,” he said.

    According to him, over 6,000 applicants yearly applied to study in the faculty, with the Department of Mass Communication having the highest number of candidates. He said the faculty could only admit a maximum of 200 students due to the shortage of academic staff and facilities.

    The Dean hoped that the faculty would expand its facilities with donations from corporate individuals and organisations during the anniversary celebrations.

    Speaking on the anniversary, Aina said the CIS faculty was designed to take full advantage of multidisciplinary interactions of the science and technologies of computing, information and communication, adding that its curricula had been designed to reflect the reality.

    He said the faculty had recorded remarkable achievements within a short period, stressing that the faculty spearheaded the development of courseware in the university, which according to him, was aimed at taking the institution to e-learning platform for course delivery.

    The Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences (CIS) was formally established via the decision of the university Senate at its 193rd (Special) meeting held on June 20, 2008. Part of the decisions in the meeting was the movement of department such as Computer Science from the Faculty of Science to CIS;

    The faculty comprised five departments including Computer Science, Mass Communication, Library and Information Sciences (LIS), Telecommunication Sciences (TCS) and Information and Communication Sciences (ICS).

  • ‘Unity remains our watchword’

    Oluwadare Adejare, 400-Level English and Literary Studies, University of Ibadan (UI), is the National President of the National Association of Students of English and Literary Studies (NASELS). He spoke to HAMMED HAMZAT (300-Level Educational Management) on his programmes for the association.

     

     

     

    How would you describe your victory at the last NASELS convention?

    I ascribe my victory to Almighty God. The convention took place at the Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka. It was a keenly contested election. Three strong aspirants from three geopolitical zones contested against me. The election was properly organised and I was elected. It was a good outing for me.

    How do you intend to integrate some tertiary institutions that are not part of NASELS?

    After we came on board, the association worked tirelessly to accommodate other institutions that are not under the umbrella body. We have been able to achieve some progress with institutions such as Babcock University, Veritas University, Covenant University, Madonna University, Tai Solarin University of Education joining the national body. Very soon, Ajayi Crowther University, Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo and the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo will be part of us. Without fear of contradiction, I can say NASELS remains a fast growing association at the departmental level in terms of structure, size and responsibilities.

    What are the challenges confronting the association?

    Well, there is no gain without pain. I can say that funding has been the greatest challenge before us. The bulk of the money used in financing the association’s activities comes from dues collected from all chapters. But then, some chapters would remit their dues late. This hinders the progress of the association. The leaders of the association will have to travel to all schools across the six geopolitical zones in the country to ensure active participation of its members. We do this to ensure that unity which is the hallmark of the association thrives.

    How did your association receive the news of the death of Chinua Achebe, a literary icon?

    In fact, we are sad by the death and we share in the grief of Achebe’s family. His death is a great loss for all literature students. The fact remains that Prof Achebe used his pen to correct some of the beliefs people have about Africans. His book, Things Fall Apart, will continue to be exemplary in creative writing. It is not an understatement to say the whole world will miss Achebe.

    What should members expect from your administration?

    We are working hard not to leave the association the way we met it. Presently, we are working on integrating all higher institutions into the national body in order to strengthen the association. In terms of programmes and policies, we are changing the tradition of the association where the national executive will wait for one year before it can organise the International Conference of Students of English and Literary Studies (ICOSELS). This has been our major focus. We want to change things by encouraging creativity through the organisation of a programmes that will engage the minds of members. To this end, we are organising the maiden edition of Prof Remi Raji Inter-varsity Oratory Contest between June 26 and 28. We are looking forward to host about 40 tertiary institutions at the University of Ibadan. The programme is to engage the minds of the youths in critical thinking towards the development of our country.

  • ‘Our last moments…’

    Thank God, Aunty didn’t arrive before me,” I told myself as I walked into the newsroom, sweating profusely. It was 9:15am on Tuesday. Her ‘lateness’ on the day was unusual, so I sat gently and hurriedly turned on our computer to ‘convince’ her that I had been in the office since 8am.

    Barely 15 minutes later, Aunty hollered behind the entrance door to the newsroom: “Bikko Wale, come and open this door for me jare.” I ran to the door but Mr Daniel Essiet, The Nation’s Agric Correspondent, was faster. “Ha, see these two men rushing to open the door for a small girl like me,” she quipped jovially.

    “Ngozi, you know we have to respect the two hefty boys inside,” was Essiet’s repartee, pointing to her protruded tummy. Paroxysm of laughter greeted the banters.

    I helped her with her handbag but she needed to use the restroom. As she came out, I saw her opening the Editor’s office to fetch her laptop. “Oh my God! Aunty came before me,” I whispered to myself as though there was ever a time she met me in the office, something she had complained about several times. Aunty Ngozi had arrived in the office by 6:40am, when I was still tossing on my bed.

    I was waiting for her to say something on my lateness but Aunty Ngozi blurted: “Wale, you won’t believe I had to go to the bank to make part-payment for the hotel we are using this weekend in cash. The cheque I gave to ‘Citilodge people’ bounced because the money in my GTB account was not up to N1.5 million. I had to go to bank immediately to cash The Nation’s cheque; I was the first person that entered the banking hall of Diamond Bank (Ladipo Branch) this morning. But I was delayed because of this CBN cashless policy wahala.”

    We both laughed as I set up her laptop for her to write Pushing Out, her column for her, for the week. I asked why she didn’t call on me to do the running around, she replied: “I didn’t want to disturb you, young man. I knew you left here late yesterday.” That was the end of Solomon Gandhi, as she would always end all her conversation.

    The scenario painted above took place exactly two weeks before her death. The following Monday after the Campus Life Workshop held on May 18 – 20, 2012, Aunty Ngozi could not come to office due to stress. She told me to send stories to her personal email; she would work from home. I did.

    But on Tuesday, she was in the office. As usual, she arrived before me. When she called to know where I was, I told her my dad sent me on an errand to Surulere. She said: “No problem, just be quick.”

    About 30 minutes later, she called me back. “Wale, I need to leave the office now; I am going home. One of my neighbours just called me that the girl I brought from the village has allowed a stranger into my house. I don’t know the person. I must go home now. I will send my column from the house.” That was it. I came to the office later to finish the production.

    On Thursday, she telephoned me to ask if I had been given my appointment letter. I told her there was none. She promised to see the Editor the following week about my employment. On Sunday, she sent an email to me, detailing how the week’s production would look like. She later called to add that she would not come to the office because “I am in my week”. I decoded the meaning of the expression.

    On Monday, May 28, I resumed for work early. I called her two mobile phones, but both had been switched off. “This is unusual,” I said as I put a call through to her husband, who simply told me: “You can’t talk to her now. She will call you later.” I understood the expression. I prayed for her “safe delivery” and continued with production.

    In the evening of the same day, I noticed a strange stare from everyone in the newsroom. A page planner asked me if I had spoken to Aunty Ngozi on the day. Since I didn’t want anyone to know she was in labour room, so I answered ‘yes’. Later, Chidiebere Umeorizu, Aunty’s niece, also called me and asked where I was. I told her I was in the office. She ended the call right away. I didn’t sense what was going on.

    Who broke the sad news? It was around 9:45pm. I was about leaving the office. Mr Olukorede Yishau, Assistant Editor (News), asked me to see him in his car. I sat gently but he asked me if I had spoken to Aunty Ngozi that day. I opened up: “She was in labour room when I called her husband this morning.” Swiftly, Yishau said: “Ngozi gave birth today….” I was happy. “…but we lost her”.

    “We lost who, sir?” I asked, shuddering. “Wale, Ngozi is dead!” Oh my God, what a sad news to end a very busy day. For 20 minutes, tears rolled down my cheeks without a sign that the ducts would go dry any moment. A better part of me had just been pronounced dead.

    Then, my mind raced to the day I first met her in 2009. The circumstance and the personality that made our paths to cross. My first day at work with her; why she wanted me to be a journalist and not an industrial chemist.

    Her relationship with my parents; her instistence that, despite being a Muslim, I must attend her youth programme in her church without that stopping me from going to the mosque to observe my solat (prayer). Her care and affection for my nephew, whose mother died five days after childbirth.

    The secret she told me about her past and personal life three weeks before her death; her struggle in the newsroom with colleagues; the philosophy that propelled her personality and her dislikes. But all these are all discourses for another day, which I will write about by God’s grace.

    The sad affair became more poignant not because Yishau broke the news to me, but because I opened the newspaper hours after to see the tragic prefix that reads “late” before Aunty’s beautiful name, which means “blessing”. It was then it dawned on me that I would not see my boss again.

    A year after, my tear ducts have not dried for the loss of a mother, sister, boss and confidant, (Aunty) Ngozi Theresa Agbo. Farewell Aunty!

     

    Wale, who worked with the late Mrs Agbo, now co-ordinates CAMPUSLIFE

     

  • Student feeds 500 pupils

    A Master’s student of the Lagos Business School (LBS), Oluwagbemileke Otun, has reached out to pupils of Ogombo Primary School, Ogombo Village, Lekki, with food and books.

    Oluwagbemileke, founder of Ten for Ten Accessories, an outfit that started as an entrepreneurial project in LBS post-graduate class, said the gesture was part of her firm’s effort to give back to society.

    Oluwagbemileke started her medium-scale business with a loan of N5,000 given to students with the criterion to make N5,000 profit weekly for three months. The aim of the initiative was to use the accrued interest to provide scholarships to indigent children.

    Oluwagbemileke’s outfit sells quality accessories, such as wrist watches, earrings and others. She is committed to ameliorating hunger and malnutrition in Nigeria.

    At the school, where she donated the materials, about 500 pupils benefitted.

    Oluwagbemileke was accompanied by LBS Master’s Programmes Director, Dr Nubi Achebo, and her colleagues.

    The pupils were excited as they received the free lunch, dancing with the students.

    The event also featured a quiz competition, where the pupils competed in Mathematics, English and Current Affairs. Winners were given books as prizes.

    She described the donation as a fulfilment of her commitment to join the fight against hunger and malnutrition in Nigeria.

    “For every accessory that is worth N10, 000 which people buy, we feed 10 children. The reasons for pursuing this cause are: in Africa, more than one-quarter of children under five are underweight. Malnutrition is still a major cause of child mortality in Africa, where one in five children will never live to see their fifth birthday.

    The Head Teacher of the school, Mr Sarafa Iyiowun, who was represented by his Assistant, Mr Ayuba Arohundara, commended the gesture, saying the donation would go a long way to encourage the pupils to face their studies.

    In his remark, Achebo advised the pupils to face their studies and to always care for people when they grow older.

    He said: “Hunger and malnutrition are the main challenges in Africa, which pose great threat to education. Lagos Business School supports students’ activities that are entrepreneurial and add values to the society.