The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • Divided by soccer

    Divided by soccer

    Some students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) in Imo State, last week, clashed during a football match. What is the round leather game turning to? GERALD NWOKOCHA writes.

     

    SOCCER is an emotional game. While players are displaying their skills on the pitch, their fans are busy on the stands, making comments and snide remarks which sometimes cause friction. Also, the referee’s action, at times, could spark a fight either on the pitch or on the stands.

    Last week, there was a fight on the pitch during a soccer game at the Federal University of Technology, Oweri (FUTO) in Imo State.

    The match was between the Biotechnology and Biochemistry departments in the ongoing tournament of the Nigerian Association of Science Students (NASS). The game ended a 1-1 draw.

    After the referee’s final whistle, players from both sides exchanged punches in a free-for-all. The match, played on FUTO Primary School pitch, was part of the activities marking the Science Students’ Week.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that a member of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) from Biochemistry Department, John Achike, was at the centre of the commotion. Uche Dominic, 500-Level Physics, said the referee’s decision led to the fight.

    He said: “When the match was almost over, a defender in Biotechnology department team fouled on the goal line but the referee simply looked away and later issued a yellow card to the player. Instead of awarding a penalty to the Biochemistry side, he allowed the Biotechnology players to play a kick out.”

    The decision angered John and his colleagues from Biochemistry department, who allegedly hit the referee with a stick.

    Our correspondent learnt that the Biotechnology players, moved to rescue the referee and a fight broke out. In the ensuing melee, stones and wood were freely used by the students.

    John, who denied attacking the referee, was overpowered by some Biotechnology students and was almost beaten to a pulp before a Man O’ War official, rescued him.

    The NASS Director of Sports, Ismael Abudu, was also mobbed. He was accused by students to have allegedly compromised the referee. But Ishmael denied the allegation in a telephone conversation with our correspondent.

    On the same day, another clash broke out in Prince and Princess Hostel in Ihiagwa community.

    Fans of Chelsea and Benfica football clubs went violent after Benfica lost in the Europa Cup final.

    Chigozie Anumudu, a resident, told CAMPUSLIFE: “About 80 per cent of occupants are Chelsea fans. The rest support other European clubs. Chelsea supporters contributed money and organised a party, fans of other clubs joined. When the students came back from where they went to watch the match, they were disturbing others, who were reading. This led to a fight in the hostel and everybody was afraid.”

    To mark Chelsea’s victory, Jude Agbasi, a student, feted all students, who came to watch the match at Kenfloor Kitchen and Viewing Centre in Umuchima, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.

    Jude was said to have spent over N70, 000 on drinks and food bought in the restaurant.

    To reciprocate the gesture, Manchester United (Man U) fans promised to entertain Jude if their club won its match against West Brom United last Sunday.

    The game ended in a 5-5 draw. Though, Man U won the English Premier League (EPL) but the draw did not go down well with the club’s fans, who had promised to reciprocate Jude’s gesture.

    Angered by the development, Jude was said to have engaged some Man U fans in a fight at the viewing centre. The quick intervention of security operatives and natives of the community calmed the situation.

    Ken Nwankwo, manager of the viewing centre and owner of Kenfloor Kitchen, described the incident as unfortunate, saying the disagreement would have turned to “total disorder.”

    “I was so excited when my club won,” Jude, who is studying Landscape Architecture, told CAMPUSLIFE, adding: “I planned travelling to Onitsha last Sunday to see my parents but I decided to stay back and watch the match because I wanted Chelsea to win. After the match, I wanted to travel but the Man U fans, who I bought drinks for, pleaded that I should wait till Sunday for them to entertain me. I had to call my parents that something came up in school and they believed me. My stay was a waste.”

    Students, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, condemned the fanaticism of some students over the round leather game.

    Ifeany Nwaiwu, a Computer Science student, said: “The manner with which people watch football matches nowadays makes me to hate the game. I would rather die playing it than go to watch it. I was almost attacked with a broken bottle when a fanatic thought I was supporting Chelsea.

    “Why should people go to that extreme because of European clubs that do not even know if we exist?”

    Emmanuel Okereke, another student, said: “In a world that is full of sadness and bad news, football has been the medicine to cure our miseries. But while I will not condemn anyone for supporting football clubs, I rather hate the fanaticism with which many of these guys go with it. We don’t need to fight. Football is supposed to unite us and not divide us.”

    “Most people supporting teams and squandering their tuition on celebrating their teams’ victory are not serious. They don’t know they are wasting away gradually. With the level they are engaging themselves in clashes now, only God can save these fanatics. It shows football is getting dangerous,” Daniel Nwankwo, 300-Level Transport Management Technology, said.

    Jonathan Unaegbu, 400-Level Chemistry, said: “I don’t like football at all. The reason is that I see it as a waste of time. I gain nothing from it. I would rather sit in my house and watch a nice documentary than be involved an unproductive venture.”

  • Now that educational tourism has come to stay

    In the process of writing today’s article I called up some undergraduates to authenticate some facts I had and to ascertain if they have professors or lecturers on sabbatical on their campuses. I was shocked when all of them did not hide their ignorance about what sabbatical actually meant. They were honest enough to tell me they simply couldn’t say what the term meant; this is the sad place we find ourselves today meaning we have serious work to do.

    As I turned the flipside of the issue, should I really hold our undergraduates responsible for their ignorance? Yes and no. Yes because they ought not to wait for anyone to teach them but strive to be knowledge seekers which invariably is what the university system is all about; and no because our varsities are no longer attractive for visiting professors from outside our shores to come for their sabbatical leave, so if there are no professors on sabbatical – some will argue – how then will undergraduates know what it is? It is against this backdrop that I want to address a new lexicon that has entered our vocabulary because of our peculiar situation: educational tourism.

    Educational tourism is the marketing and sale of a product or service which main purpose is to disseminate knowledge, in one form or another. It involves the collection of knowledge, both local and specialized, from which a well-defined product is created, which is then developed and marketed. Even the most casual observer would have noticed the series of education fair taking place almost on a daily basis, Nigeria is now one huge ‘untapped market’ for education tourists.

    A worrisome data I came across recently said Nigerians allegedly spend an average of $500 million annually on European and American universities, which represents about 70 per cent of the total allocation to all federal universities in 2008. In the United Kingdom, over 20,000 students are said to be undertaking various courses there. Ian Stewart, a member of the British parliament, was quoted by a British Council Report published a few years ago as saying that by 2015 the number of Nigerian students studying in British universities will reach 30, 000 and would constitute seven per cent of the entire university student population in the United Kingdom. Stewart went on to say that this is significant and, of course, that Britain should make the most of the opportunity.

    The British Council report said: “Calculations are based on a number of factors including the poor quality of Nigerian universities and the rapid growth in the number of families that can afford to send a child overseas to study.” Sadly, everyone knows that Nigeria has the wherewithal and human capital base to create at least a few decent and qualitative universities; but for some inexplicable reasons we just cannot, so why would others not cash in on this.

    Britain, for one knows this and they did their thorough home work. They knew that the growth and prominence of both tourism and education as key industries over the past few decades has led to growing recognition of these sectors from both an economic and social perspective. It may also be argued that developments in the tourism industry during this time, allied to changes in education, have seen the convergence of these two industries. Education increasingly enables or facilitates travel mobility and learning has become an important part of the contemporary tourist experience.

    In this unprecedented global economic time, the Tourism Alliance – comprising 50 Tourism Industry Organisations that together represent some 200,000 businesses of all sizes throughout the UK – highlighted the fact that the UK will be faced with two crucial issues: ‘maintaining employment and generating sustainable economic growth’. This proclamation comes at the same time as the Government’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) published its higher education blueprint document – Higher Ambitions. As we all know most European countries are passing through difficult economic times with unemployment rate soaring and this framework for universities acknowledges that higher education has been a success story and sets out the important role universities must play in securing the country’s economic recovery and long-term prosperity.

    For instance, total spending by international students on all types of course in the UK – from English language to doctoral degrees – was estimated to be a whopping £14 billion with the potential to grow to £21 billion by 2020. The industry is seen as one of the keys for rebuilding the UK economy and for generating employment, especially where it is most needed such as in rural communities or among young school-leavers. In 2011, inbound tourism revenue grew at over 5 times the rate of the economy as a whole while it is estimated that domestic tourism revenue ended the year 14% higher than 2010. In total, this is additional expenditure in the sector of £3.8bn – enough to generate 76,000 new jobs in 2011 alone! Did you get that? We were instrumental in creating jobs for British citizens while we have millions roaming our streets in search of elusive jobs.

    The British are very smart people; they know that as the global landscape changes more students would travel and study abroad, boosting their tourist industries. Not only will friends and family come to visit them while studying, but students are likely to spread the news of their positive tourism experience to other travelers and return for future visits. In essence, they become “brand ambassadors” for Britain to the detriment of their home country.

    Is it only Britain that is cashing in on our woes? Certainly not, Ghanaians must be jubilating wildly for failure to get our act together. Recall that the Chairman, Committee of Pro-chancellors of Nigeria, Dr. Wale Babalakin, first alerted the nation last year to the fact that over N160billion annually is expended by Nigerian parents to educate their wards in Ghana, this he said, is higher than what our government votes annually for education. With over 75, 000 Nigerians studying in universities in Ghana for 2012, the Ghanaians would simply not believe their luck. This figure is bound to soar this year in the light of the recent revelation that of the almost 1.7 million Nigerian youths that sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, only 520, 000 will be admitted to our universities.

    A more desolate picture of the status of the educational system emerges, when you factor that less than 750, 000 out of the 1.7 million scored 200 and above in the exam. In other words, there is both a crisis of quality and a quantitative shortage of facilities, bedeviling the once world-class system of Nigerian education and opening the floodgate for other nations to swoop on us like vultures feasting on a decomposing animal.

    You think it is only the Ghanaians that are cashing in? Wrong, you only need to travel to Benin Republic and Togo to realise that universities are set up basically for Nigerians with full-fledged faculty members from Nigeria.

    The obverse side of educational tourism is the exposure of impressionable Nigerian youths to other countries and cultures which often comes with a price tag which includes their being taken advantage of by unscrupulous operators. There are reports on how unethical private university owners in Ghana exploit Nigerian students, sometimes by issuing certificates in the name of an established university and transcripts in the name of another virtually unknown private university.

    Don’t get me wrong, studying abroad undoubtedly has its own merits, including opportunity to attend top-class universities in different cultural settings and, of course, brighter international career opportunities, but what about our home front? Unfortunately, much of the resources of the universities, which should have been used to rectify these anomalies end up as recurrent expenditure – payment of salaries and spending on non-capital projects. The precarious situation is ever bogged down by poor funding as well as ill-conceived, inconsistent and outright failure of government policies. For instance, the 2013 budget’s allocation of N426.53 billion to education, though a drastic improvement over those of past years – is still a far cry from a bail-out.

     

  • Career fair for students

    A Corps member serving in Enugu State, Tosin Adesile, has floated a career fair for graduates and students with a view to proffer solution to the unemployment challenge facing the nation.

    The fair is billed to be attended by the Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Tunde Lemo, who would present a keynote address on Opening new grounds: Breaking the barriers of unemployment through sustainable development. The programme will be chaired by Sen. Adegbenga Kaka.

    Other speakers include Prof Raheem Bello, Online Editor, The Nation newspaper, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin, Dean of Social Science Faculty, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof Omololu Soyombo, Mr Gbenga Adeyinka, Sir Prince Niyi Olatidoye and Seyi Law, all comedians, will be at the occasion.

    The Ogun International Career Market (OGIOCM) is a career building programme designed to rescue frustrated youths from the grip of unemployment. The participants will be taught how to turn idea to money-spinning venture.

    The programme, which is coming up on June 13 in the main auditorium, UNILAG, would afford job seekers and prospective entrepreneurs opportunity to meet employers of labour and gain motivational tips from successful people.

    Tosin, a Mass Communication graduate from UNILAG, said the programme had been designed in a way that people who were ready to break free would be the ones to benefit from the programme.

    Expected participants at the event include post graduate student, members of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), students, graduates and other categories of job seekers who want to generate employment for others.

    Highlight of the event will include business talks and motivational lectures. Gifts would also be won at the event.

     

  • OAU gets new Registrar, Bursar

    The Governing Council of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has announced the appointment of Mr David Oladotun Awoyemi as the Registrar and secretary to the Council. The university also appointed Mrs Josephine Akeredolu as the Bursar.

    A release by the Public Relations Officer, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that while the appointment of Akeredolu took immediate effect, Awoyemi’s resumption would be effective from June.

    Born on January 23, 1959 in Ile-Ife, Awoyemi attended Osogbo Grammar School between 1970 to 1974 before proceeding to the then University of Ife, where he obtained a degree in Philosophy.

    Awoyemi, who joined the service of the university on August 9, 1982 as an Administrative Officer II, was until his appointment the Director of Academic Affairs. He worked in all the units of the Registry department and rose to the level of Director in charge of Academic Affairs in 2008.

    He also served in the Vice–Chancellor’s office from 1986 to 1990, Centre for Energy Research and Development from 1996 to 1998. Between 2005 and 2006, he worked at the College Secretary Office of the Postgraduate College and the Centre for Distance Learning of the university from 2007 to 2008.

    Awoyemi has attended and delivered papers and reports at several conferences, workshops and seminars both within and outside the country. He is also a member of different professional organisations.

    Mrs Akeredolu, who hailed from Badagry in Lagos State, joined the services of the university as an Accountant II on August 9, 1982 and was posted to the cash office and the Bursary department. In October 1986, she became an Accountant I and was posted to the Expenditure Control of the Bursary department.

    She rose through the ranks to become the Deputy Bursar, then acting Bursar before being appointed as substantive Bursar. She is a member of several professional institutions.

    Born on the November 8, 1956, Akeredolu attended Our Lady of Apostles Primary School in Lagos between 1962 and 1969, before proceeding to the Holy Child College, Ikoyi, Lagos between 1970 and 1974. She also attended Federal School of Arts and Sciences, Victoria Island, Lagos between 1976 and 1978.

    She studied Accountancy at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and graduated in 1978. She proceeded to Toronto School of Business, Canada, where she obtained a Diploma in Micro Computer in Business Application in 1989. She also has a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in 2002.

     

  • Igbo students inaugurate leaders

    Odumegwu Christian, 300-Level Public Administration, has been sworn in as the new president of Federation of Igbo Students (FIS), University of Calabar (UNICAL) chapter. The inauguration followed a keenly contested election held at Hogan Bassey Open Pavilion recently.

    The swearing in ceremony, which was held at the parliamentary hall, Malabo Republic, attracted large number of Igbo students in the institution including the president and vice president of Students’ Union Government (SUG), Bassey Eka and and Mercy Mbakwu respectively.

    Other students’ leaders at the event included Ekpo Tete, SUG Director of Welfare, Kelechi Nkoroh, outgoing president of the federation, Emmanuel Ahanonu, National President of Nigeria Union of Campus Journalist (NUCJ), UNICAL council and presidents Igbo students in Abia, Anambra, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi states.

    A lawyer, Barrister Prince Udoka, administered the oath of office on the executive members, which is led by Christian Odumegwu. Others officials are Chiamaka Onwugharam, Vice President, Kingsley Okeke, Deputy General Secretary, Anthony Okoye, Director of Socials, Priscilla Ulu, Financial Secretary and Nnaemeka Nwaele, Director of Welfare.

    In his acceptance speech, Christian expressed gratitude to the students, who voted for him, stressing that his administration would focus on three cardinal objectives which are reviving, re-branding and restructuring of the association.

    He noted that his administration would not relent in encouraging and strengthening Igbo culture, which he said remained one of the riches in Nigeria.

    Kelechi, while giving account of his stewardship, expressed gratitude to God on the success of his administration and also thanked the students for giving him the mandate and support to serve them.

    President of National Association of Anambra Students (NAAS), Henry Ogbueziora, advised the executive members not to forget their academic pursuits as they discharge their duties.

  • Muslim students tasked on time consciousness

    Muslim students have been advised to manage their time effectively for the attainment of success. This charge was given by the chairman, Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO), Mallam Abdullahi Shuiab, at a symposium held by Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), University of Lagos (UNILAG) College of Medicine, Idi Araba.

    The annual programme was tagged Islam Propagation Week.

    Shuaib, who spoke on time management, took the students through the importance of managing time and adhering strictly to one’s set goals. Noting that proper time management is pivotal to success in life, he listed responsibility, commitment, confidence, curiosity, optimism, courage, risk-taking, determination and ingenuity as elements of success.

    Shuaib said successful students were blessed with the habit of acting professionally and being friendly with their instructor.

    “For you to manage your time effectively, you need to set goals that are realistic and achievable; break down tasks into steps; prioritise your programme and lastly most important avoid procrastination,” he told the students.

    The Amir of the society, Lagos State Area Unit, Alhaji Qazim Badrudeen, urged the students to be serious with their studies. He said they should aim high and work towards achieving their set goals.

    Badrudeen urged the students to take to what the lecturer has told them and start implementing them in their lives for them to achieve their desired goals.

     

  • Students fled as fire guts hostel

    It was 5:30pm last Saturday and students were relaxing in their rooms. Suddenly, the shouts of “Fire, fire, fire…” rented the air. The scream came from the IB Block, a female Hall of Residence in Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS).

    In no time, occupants of the hostel barged out of their rooms, moving in different directions. Before the fire could be put out, a room had been completely burnt.

    The fire, which was said to have started in the hostel’s matron office, was said to have been caused by faulty electrical appliance. The office could not be accessed at the time of the incident because the matron, who was with the key, had left the office. Ceiling of the common room was also affected.

    Smoke bellowed from the affected room as the inferno raged, burning the ceiling cardboards. In the ensuing chaos, many students struggled to move their valuable properties out of their rooms, while male students rushed to the scene to help put out the inferno. The students climbed the top of the building to remove the roof made of zinc sheets in order to put out the fire.

    The Acting Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the university arrived at the scene with security officers, who came with fire extinguishers to extinguish the inferno.

    One of the occupants of the burnt room, Shafa’atu Danjuma-Baba, said she was in her room when she perceived a smell of a burning wire. “I quickly disconnected the electrical connection in the room but I realised that the bulb and the ceiling fans were still working,” she said.

    She said shouts of “fire” from her roommates alerted her that there was problem. “We all ran out for help,” she added.

    Many students were affected by the smoke. Three female students were rushed to the school clinic. When CAMPUSLIFE visited the university health service department in the evening, a nurse said the students were hale but denied our correspondent access to see the affected students.

     

  • Rainstorm destroys poly hostels

    A midnight rainstorm has destroyed hostels and properties in the Adamawa State Polytechnic (ADAMAWA POLY), Yola, last Monday. Rooms in the affected hostels, Quarters 1, 2 and 3, were badly damaged after the storm subsided.

    The incident happened a week to the first semester examination of the institution, which is to start next Monday.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that students were sleeping when the incident, which left the roofs of the hostels blown open by the wind, occurred. The storm sent many of the occupants scampering, with many moving their personal effects to hostels stores and common rooms, which were not affected.

    Our correspondent learnt that five rooms, with the room number 8, 9, 11, 14 and 15, were badly affected. Each room had 11 students occupying them. Food stuff, O’Level certificates and note books of the victims were destroyed.

    The affected rooms were flooded, trees in the hostels uprooted, causing damage to the structure of the hostel buildings. While the incident lasted, the campus was in commotion, with many watched helplessly as water carried their mattresses and materials away.

    Students lamented their fate. Jerusha Musa, an English language student, told CAMPUSLIFE that she remained in prayers as the storm raged on. She said: “The wind was too much. Nobody could move anywhere because trees were falling down and the roof sheets were flying about. I could not move; I was just praying. Everybody was shouting. It was a bad experience for us because we never expected such thing at that odd hour.”

    At 6am, some of the affected students protested at the Rector’s residence. But Dr Umar Boboi, the Rector, was said to have travelled to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj. Our correspondent gathered that the protesters were addressed by the Deputy Rector, who called for calm, promising that the hostel would be rebuilt.

    Abdulazeez Yusuf, ND II student, said he thought the end of the world had come. “The storm was the least we expected. I was sleeping when it happened. I quickly ran out of my room almost naked. When I got out of the hostel, I saw some trees uprooted, then I remained in the common room.”

    Meanwhile, the management has shut the campus for two weeks and ordered students out of the hostels for renovation work to start immediately. The semester examination has also been postponed to allow the victims of the storm to regain their strength.

  • In search of knowledge

    In search of knowledge

    Education students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, went on an excursion to two historical sites in Osun State. OLUWAFEMI OGUNJOBI and WILBERFORCE AREVORE (400-Level Language Arts) write.

     

    It was an expedition that will linger in the memories of participants, who visited historical sites of Osun State.

    Students in the Faculty of Education, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, last Friday, converged on the Humanities car park, for a journey to Osun-Osogbo grove, a sacred forest, which forms the history of the people of Osogbo.

    Dr. Babatunde Adeyemi and Dr. Adesina Adegbenro, lecturers in the faculty, joined in the expedition.

    The students also visited Erin-Ijesha Waterfall, which is also known as Olumirin Waterfall. Olumirin is a mysterious cascade that is appreciated for its nature essence and warmth with several mountain tops, which stand at elevated feet.

    Osun-Osogbo grove, a dense forest, on the outskirts of the city of Osogbo, has endured since time immemorial. It is regarded as the abode of the goddess of fertility, Osun, one of the pantheons of Yoruba gods. The landscape of the grove and its river are dotted with sanctuaries and shrines, sculptures and artworks in honour of the Osun goddess and other deities such as Ogun (god of iron), Sopona (god of thunder) and Yemoja (mermaid) among others.

    At the Osun-Osogbo grove, the students were received by Mr Emmanuel Adesiyan, who narrated how the sacred forest came to be. He told the students: “The Osun-Osogbo grove is among the surviving heritage of the sacred forests, which adjoined the edges of Yoruba cities before extensive urbanisation. The sacred grove, which is being seen as a symbol of identity for all Yoruba people, is probably the last in Yoruba culture. It testifies to the once widespread practice of establishing sacred groves outside all settlements.”

    The tour guide, Mr Yomi Afongbomoja, conducted the students round the locations littered with frightening objects. He explained the myths surrounded the scary statues found in the groove. The interior of the groove contains deposit of statues of various shapes and sizes. There is also a shrine where Osun deity is being worshipped by its devotees.

    The students left the groove to Erin-Ijesha Waterfall. Located two kilometres east of Erin Ijesha town along Ilesha-Akure road, the cascade is a beautiful scenery stationed in between mountains.

    Excitement suffused the air as the bus that conveyed the students stopped at the tourist site. The students embarked on climbing the mountains, but a few managed to get to the top. Many of them stopped half-way as they could proceed to the zenith of the seven layered summit. After several hours of climbing, the students came down to play under the waterfall.

    As they were catching fun, music blared from a high-sound speaker set-up by a Disc Jockey (DJ) brought to the site by the students.

    Speaking to CAMPUS LIFE, John Adetola, 300-Level Language Arts, said: “This is certainly more than a excursion; it is pure fun. Although, I have gained a lot of things and I have just added to my travelling experience. The two places we visited are not just historical places; the classrooms for me to learn many things about my culture.”

  • Tuition: OOU students protest government’s directives

    Tuition: OOU students protest government’s directives

    Students of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, on Monday protested the state government’s directives, asking the institution authorities to stop students owing tuition fees from writing the Harmattan Semester examinations.

    Several students, including the university’s student union president have been arrested and taken to Ijebu-Igbo for questioning.

    The state government had earlier said students owing school fees would be barred from entering examination halls during the period.

    Following the expiration of the deadline given to students of the institution to regularize their records, the state government directed that only those that met the deadline should commence their examinations slated to begin on Monday.

    This was made known in a statement by the Secretary to the state Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa.

    The government warned all students who have not completed the registration formalities, or fully paid their school fees, to stay away from the university campuses.

    The government, Mr. Adeoluwa said, had compelled the university authorities to postpone the harmattan semester examination three times in the past to allow all students to regularize their records.

    He said five categories of students were identified in the student audit conducted by the Olusegun Osinowo Visitation Panel set up in 2011 to review situation in the university.

    The first category of students included those who are properly registered, have matriculation numbers and are up to date in the payment of their school fees.

    The second consist of students who have matriculation numbers but requested that they be allowed to pay their school fees in installment; while the third category are those who have matriculation numbers but have defaulted in the payment of school fees over the years because they claimed their parents could not afford to pay.