The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • Anambra Law students demand bursary

    Students of Anambra State origin studying in the University of Jos (UNIJOS) have called on their state government to speed up the payment of bursary for the Law students in tertiary institutions to prevent them from dropping out of school.

    The called was made when the National Association of Anambra State Law Students (NAALS), UNIJOS chapter, visited Prof Nnamdi Aduba, an indigene of the state and Law lecturer in the institution, in his office at the main campus of the university.

    Speaking to the students, Prof Aduba criticised Anambra State government for “not doing well educationally”, saying the state had highest number of young men in business rather than in school among the southeastern state.

    He said: “It is nothing new to assist students through human capital development as this is very important to youth employment in order to reduce the rate of unemployment and kidnapping amongst young people in the state.

    “I want to lend my voice to appeal to the Anambra State government to alleviate the suffering of the students through the prompt payment of their bursary as is obtainable in other states.”

    Earlier, the president of the association, Obinna Ofodile, said they were in his office to commend him for his continuous support to the association as the patron and to complain the non-payment of their bursary by the state government.

     

     

  • A rare gift for the police

    A rare gift for the police

    It was an unusual day at the Modakeke Police Station in Osun State last Monday. The policemen on duty were stunned when some students arrived at the station with gifts. One of the students, Olusola Amusan, who recently graduated from the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), was marking his birthday.

    Olusola donated food items, bales of clothes, cartons of drinks and accessories to appreciate the police. He also presented a certificate of performance, which he personally signed, to the police.

    The birthday boy, who tagged the visit as Police Appreciation, said he used the gesture to laud policemen for the peace in Modakeke town.

    “We would be hypocrites if we all pretend not to see the efforts being made by the police to secure our lives and property. I admit there are bad eggs in the Police Force just like we have in other public institutions and private organisations alike. I believe the scourge of corruption does not have to do with black uniform alone; it is a general problem. There are still many good policemen, who carry out their duty with honesty, patriotism and diligence,” Olusola said.

    Stunned by the gesture, Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Yusuf Lateef, Modakeke Divisional Police Officer, was emotional. He praised the students for appreciating the police’s efforts to make the country safe. He said Olusola’s appreciation was rare given the public condemnation and criticism of the police. He said his station would do more to ensure law and order in the town.

    Olusola also donated materials to the Osun State School for the Handicapped in Modakeke.

    He started his birthday celebration with mountain climbing. Joined by his friends, Olusola climbed the historic 200 metre prayer mountain on Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) campus. After offering prayers at the top of the summit, the mountaineers descended; they were treated to sumptuous refreshment.

    Olusola and his friends also visited Modakeke High School and Foresight Group of Schools in Modakeke. They taught SSS 3 pupils on some subjects before giving them careers talks. He donate writing materials to the pupils.

    He also visited the physically-challenged homes in the town annd donated gifts.

    The week-long birthday celebrations ended with the launch of his book, Are you branded or stranded? The book launch, which was held at Cameron Hotel, Ile-Ife, was attended by Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Political Matters, Mr Ehile Manasseh. The governor advised Olusola to continue to be a change agent.

    The caretaker chairman of Ife East Local Government Area of Osun State, Hon. Wale Amusan, challenged other youths to emulate Olusola by finding solution to the country’s problems.

  • First among equals

    First among equals

    THE ceremony had been on for a while. Every other thing had been done with, remaining the highlight of the event. The Master of ceremony’s voice stirred many back to life. He said:“This is the moment we all have been waiting for…please, give it up for the people of the moment, the newest pharmacists, who have proven themselves worthy of their calling and have distinguished themselves amongst their peers. Please, can we all rise for the First Class graduands…”

    Before the compere could finish talking, the hall rose in excitement as five graduating students of Pharmacy of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), who made First Class, stepped out for their awards.

    Their names were called out amidst chants from the crowd. One after the other, the valedictorians marched forward to receive their prizes. Some of them shed tears of joy; others beamed with smile.

    Jude Ogunsakin, Jamilat Yakub, Lilian Nnamonu, Francis Agwom and Kenneth Onuh stood tall among their peers as they stepped forward to be honoured.

    The multipurpose auditorium of the university, the venue of the 32nd Induction and Oath-taking was filled to the brim. Students, staff and family members of the inductees filled the expansive hall to witness the epochal event.

    It was the first time the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences would produce multiple First Class graduates in pharmacy. Forty-seven graduates were inducted.

    Jude, the best graduating student, graduated with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.78 to beat other valedictorians. For Lilian, it was a perfect match of beauty and brain. Two years ago, Lilian was crowned the beauty queen of Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS).

    The Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Hayward Mafuyai, said the First Class graduates would be retained as Graduate Assistant lecturers if they wished. Charging them to live above expectations, the VC said: “To whom much is given, much is expected”. He said that the university was committed to producing qualitative graduates, who would not only excel in their fields but also contribute to national development wherever they may find themselves.

    Conducting the swearing in, the Acting Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Gloria Abumere, congratulated the graduands and called on them to stick to the ethics of the profession. Maintaining that UNIJOS is among the best schools for pharmaceutical training, Abumere urged the graduands to strive for excellence in their future endeavours.

    The previous day, the graduands had been engaged by PCN officials, who drilled them on the dos and don’ts of the profession. The interaction was conducted during the dinner and awards night held for the graduands.

    In a show of appreciation to the faculty, the graduating students donated five high-power projectors to promote e-learning. The projectors, valued at about N400,000, would be mounted permanently in the lecture halls.

    In an interview with CAMPUSLIFE, Jude said his “sheer determination” and “hard work” crowned his efforts to make First Class.

    “I thank God that my five years of sleepless nights and rigorous reading has paid off. Even after graduation, I find myself waking up at night to read, as if I was still in school. This is just a clear manifestation of God’s power backed with hard work,” he said.

    Also, the Faculty of Education held its first induction for its graduating students. Officials of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) graced the ceremony, during which over 400 graduates took the oath as teachers.

    Prof Mafuyai, represented by his deputy on Administration, Prof Benjamin Ugwa, said the event was aimed at highlighting the uniqueness of the teaching profession.

    The Registrar of TRCN, Prof Mark Nwokocha, while administering the oath, urged the inductees to stick to professionalism.

  • Our memories of Achebe, by students

    Our memories of Achebe, by students

    LIKE many others in the society, students are also mourning the late Prof Chinua Achebe. His death, they said, has created a vacumn. They described his death as an arrow through the heart of the literary community.

    One of them, Steven Adebola, a sophomore student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), said: “I was shocked when I received a broadcast message on my Blackberry that Prof Chinua Achebe is dead.”

    Rasaq Malik, 300-Level English, University of Ibadan (UI), described the late Achebe as a rare gem whose death would be felt in the education system. “We have lost a great writer, who contributed in no small measure to the development of Nigerian and world literature. The nation’s education is worst hit by the death of Achebe because many literature students still have a lot to draw from the bank of his knowledge. But then, I don’t believe he is dead, rather his works have made him to continue to live.”

    Immanuel Galadima, 400-Level Urban and Regional Planning, Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT MINNA), said Nigeria has lost its literary conscience. “We should ask ourselves how much we valued the late Achebe when he was alive. Despite his grouse with successive governments, the late Achebe never ceased to be a Nigerian; a patriotic one at that. I hope his legacy inspires a new crop of Nigerian writers, who will tell Africa’s story to the world as it is.”

    His works signposted a watershed in the history of African literature.

    Uche Anichebe, 500-Level Law student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK), said: “Prof Achebe left an indelible mark in our literature. By his death, a sharp spear has pierced through the heart of African literature. But we should be consoled by the fact that he left behind immortal works that many generations will read. He will never be forgotten.”

    Williams Onogu, 500-Level Physics, FUT MINNA, said the writer gave Nigeria and its citizens the hope to dream of a better future.

    “Although, I never met him physically, but through his works, some of which I have read, I felt like I had physical contact with Achebe,” Daniel Tsado, a 500-Level Chemistry student, said.

    He added: “I came across the late Achebe’s Things Fall Apart when I was in SSS 2. As I read through the book, I was captivated by his prowess and the accuracy with which he narrated the whole story. His creativity and ability to stitch events together made his stories electrifying. I read a few of his poems too, and these encouraged me to pen a few of mine.”

    Chisom Madu said literature has lost one of its finest grandmasters.

    Opeoluwa Sonuga, 400-Level Law, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife, said: “The demise of Chinua Achebe once again reminds us of the painful reality that derivativa potestas non potest esse major primitiva (the power which is derived cannot be greater than that from which it is derived). This implies that the resourcefulness of our lives does not stop it against the commands of the source of life itself, which is God.”

    Born in Ogidi, Anambra State on November 16, 1930, the late Achebe, who was regarded as the father of modern African literature, came to the limelight in 1958 with his first novel, Things Fall Apart. The work depicts the dehumanising condition and division created among Africans by British colonialists.

    A recipient of over 40 honorary degrees and several international awards, the late Achebe’s subsequent novels, No Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964), A Man of the People (1966), Anthills of the Savannah (1987), described the struggles of individuals to survive in Africa under Western imperialism.

    The late Achebe also published books of essays, short stories and poems, which include Beware, Soul Brother (1971), Christmas in Biafra (1973), Girls at War (1972), How the Leopard Got His Claws (1972), Morning Yet on Creation Day (1975), Hopes and Impediments (1988) and Home and Exile (2000).

    Last October, the late Achebe released his last book, There was a Country, which stirred controversy following his assertion that the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo masterminded the policy of starvation of the Igbo during the 1967-1970 civil war.

    The late Achebe used his last work to emphasise the role of modern African writers. “What I can say is that it was clear to many of us that an indigenous African literary renaissance was overdue. A major objective was to challenge stereotype, myths and the image of ourselves and our continent, and to recast them through stories – prose, poetry, essays and books for our children. That was my overall goal,” he wrote in There was a Country.

    Twice he turned down offers of national awards from the government on the grounds that such honours are often bestowed on thieves and corrupt politicians.

    Until his death last Friday, Achebe was a professor at David and Marianna Fisher University and scholar of African Studies at the Brown University, both in United States.

  • Another look at Jonathan’s scholarship scheme

    Another look at Jonathan’s scholarship scheme

    Last year, President Goodluck Jonathan registered his displeasure over the statistics of the National Universities Commission (NUC), which stated that 60 per cent of lecturers in Nigerian universities have no doctorate degree. The President, in his wisdom, decided to work out a scholarship scheme for the lecturers to make them obtain their doctorate degrees.

    Furthermore, the President decided to send about 25 graduates of universities, who made First Class, these “best brains”, as he called them, to top class 25 universities abroad. This suggests that the President admitted that our own universities are not equipped to impact the kind of knowledge he desires for the young intelligent men.

    To some of us, the idea is laudable and innovative, considering that these First Class graduates achieved such feat under harsh conditions, such as archaic libraries and unsupportive learning environment and literature badly lifted from the internet.

    However, it should be emphasised that the trend of lecturers teaching without doctorate degrees is not good for our universities. There is an urgent need to improve the quality of teaching and research. Given the hurried manner the scheme was packaged, I began to doubt the raison d’etre of the president’s intention to send First Class graduates abroad as the critical way out.

    Sending these geniuses outside the country for further studies is not bad after all. But the idea has raised questions that are begging for answers.

    From the data obtained from the Secretary-General, Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Prof Michael Faborode, in a published article in a national daily entitled The trouble with Nigeria universities, the don stated categorically that Nigeria had 15,000 students studying in the United Kingdom and the figure may likely increase to 30,000 by 2015.

    Some 7,000 are in the United States and 1,500 in Canadian universities. With the revelation of the number of Nigerians studying in renowned universities abroad, in addition to others in developed countries, one would wonder what will become of these foreign-trained graduates after the completion of their studies abroad. Already, there are many foreign-trained graduates still looking for jobs.

    Why have these graduates not gainfully employed with their expertise? Is it that the environment they find themselves in Nigeria is not conducive in relation to the one they were exposed abroad? What noticeable difference have they made to the academic sector that makes them different from their locally produced colleagues?

    But the reality is that most of them are back in the country and the question to ask is whether the federal government has made any considerable attempt to employ those with a doctorate degree except the multinationals who exploit their potentials in a non-academic environment. It didn’t come as surprise to me when Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr Ikechukwu Aduba, announced last year that the most wanted kidnapper in the state is a doctorate degree holder in Mechanical Engineering.

    The poser for the government is: what difference would the “best brains” make when they come back home? Methinks sending graduates abroad for study is not the best when their counterparts who were also trained abroad have not been usefully engaged.

    In another words, sending first class graduates abroad to acquire more knowledge to improve the quality of teaching and research in our universities without addressing the rot in the system will ultimately produce no significant result. Come to think of it, what meaningful step has the federal government made of the Needs Assessment Panel it set up to evaluate the problems and challenges facing public universities?

    The Prof Mahmood Yakubu –led committee came out with its findings and it is still obvious nothing has been done to tackle the anomalies in the report. It has been reported by the committee that less than 10 per cent of our public universities have video conferencing facility, less than 20 per cent use interactive boards while more than 50 per cent do not use public address systems in their lecture halls.

    In as much this type of decay still persists, we do not expect any miracle from the “best brains” when they come back with their loaded brain.

    Aside the prestige, it is needless to say that these graduates will be frustrated at the end of the day and may eventually take an exit route out of the system at the completion of the five years mandate to work as a researcher. Well, the president has even made it crystal clear to them that they could opt out for a different career after the expiration of the mandate. Now, another question: what then is the usefulness, relevance or value of the scholarship scheme when the trained graduates will be sent out of the system after five years?

    In a nutshell, the scholarship scheme looks more or less like a wasteful adventure that lacks purpose and significance. Mind you, it is a good idea but it is ill-conceived by the president. After all, I do not expect these “best brains” to grumble over incessant strikes associated with Nigerian universities when they join their colleagues back home, since these same universities produced them. The difference is that they have seen the world outside their home country and they must adjust to it as some have done before them. They must be ready to carry the banners of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to embark on solidarity missions even against their benefactor who sent them abroad. If I may ask once again, what will be the fate of locally produced doctorate degree holders when their foreign trained colleagues are rated above them? Sadly, the president has demonstrated to parents, through the scheme, that they must work hard to send their wards outside the country if they yearn for a qualitative education.

    Taiwo, a Corps member, NYSC IBADAN

  • Union gets caretaker committee

    Union gets caretaker committee

    Management of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) has inaugurated a caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of the Students’ Union Government (SUG). The committee took over from the interim committee, which was constituted nine months ago after the tenure of SUG officials expired.

    The union election was initially slated to hold when this session began but it was later cancelled by the management, which sworn in interim management committee to run the union offices.

    Though members of the new committee were those in the dissolved interim committee, but the caretakers were given the responsibility to manage the affairs of the union until new election is conducted.

    While commending students for maintain peace on the campus, the chairman of the caretaker committee, Suleiman Abubakar, urged students to support his committee’s drive to midwife a free and fair election. He advised them to direct their complaints and ideas to the SUG office.

  • Praiz wins ‘Voice of the year’ award

    Praiz wins ‘Voice of the year’ award

    The leadership of Student Leaders Alliance of Nigeria (SLAN) has awarded ‘Rich and Famous’ crooner, Praise Adejo, popularly known as Praiz with the ‘Voice of the year’ award. The award was presented to Praiz at the X3M Ideas office in Lagos recently by delegates led by the National Secretary of the group, Tunde Aguntasolo.

    The student leaders unanimously agreed to award Praiz for his outstanding performance in the music industry and his contribution to the breeding and motivation of the Nigerian Youths with his inspirational songs, especially Rich & Famous which serves as a stimulating track that not only encourage the youths to remain focus but also to spur the Nigerian youths into positive actions for posterity sake.

    The award presentation was as a result of conclusions reached at the three-day national convention of Student Leaders Alliance of Nigeria held in Edo state recently. The convention attended by leaders from 118 student organizations across campuses in the country after scrupulous screening from a pool of nominees picked Praiz as the best.

    In his response, Praiz thanked the students for honouring him with the award. The music sensation said “I’m glad to have you guys here today and I want to tell you that the popular ‘Rich & Famous’ is just one of my many inspirational songs. My debut album will be out in May and you should expect nothing less from what is presently trending. I owe my success to God, my record label, X3M Music, my family and my fans; I can’t afford to compromise standard”. He also debunk the insinuations and speculations that his ‘Rich & Famous’ track is analogous to Travie McCoy’s ‘Billionaire’. He said the two songs (his own Rich & Famous and McCoy’s Billionaire) are of the same genre and songs of the same genre would definitely have a common similitude. He, however, denied he got his inspiration from McCoy’s ‘Billionaire’; his inspiration came from his ingrained desire to do what a responsible son will do for his mother. “I want to buy my mum a car” Praiz avowed.

    Earlier, a member of the SLAN delegate and President of the Association of Campus Journalists, Obafemi Awolowo University Sam Adegbola presented the ‘Role Model’ Award to the Chief Executive Officer of X3M Ideas, Mr. Steve Babaeko for his exceptional contribution and remarkable support for the youths across the country.

     

  • Making a point with Option A4

    Making a point with Option A4

    Students of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko (OKO POLY), Anambra State, have elected their union leaders through the Open Ballot System (OBS), better known as Option A4. Is there a lesson in this for Nigeria? FUNKE AYOOLA writes.

    THE Open Ballot System (OBS), better known as Option A4, was first used during the 1993 presidential election. It is an open and transparent process of voting.

    At a glance, it is easy to determine the winner of an election because everything is virtually done in the open. But, following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election, Option A4 was jettisoned. Since then, the electorate have been clamouring for its return to ensure sanity in the electoral process, but the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not heeded such calls.

    While the electoral agency is still dragging its feet, students of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko (OKO POLY) in Anambra State have led the way in embracing Option A4. They conducted their union elections with OBS last week.

    The atmosphere was tense on the campus last year when the polytechnic announced the plan to conduct Students’ Union Government (SUG) election. Students showed interest in who will be their leader. Whoever emerges president, they said, must be the people’s choice.

    Becuase of the tense atmosphere, the management postponed the exercise. When the election date was fixed, the Students’ Electoral Commission (SEC), comprising students, opted for Option A4.

    A day before the exercise, students gathered in the auditorium to listen to the manifesto of each candidate. They questioned the competence and ideology of the candidates during the event.

    The electoral commission chairman, Francis Ekwem, HND II Public Administration, listed the criteria for candidates. They included the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of Upper Credit for presidential candidates. This criterion pruned the number of presidential contestants to six. Other positions were also keenly contested.

    The Senate President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Donald Onukaogu, led other members of the association to monitor the poll – in line with NANS Constitution.

    As early as 8am, students flocked to the campus for the election. The main field, the venue of the exercise, was peaceful, with the school’s security personnel monitoring the exercise.

    The candidates stood on wooden desks. The ballot boxes were placed before each of them. Students defied the scorching sun and queued up behind their candidates to vote.

    When voting ended, counting began immediately in the presence of the students. The candidates and their agents also witnessed the process, which students described as open. Martins Umeokonkwo emerged the president-elect, with 436 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Sylvester Nwachukwu, who polled 233 votes.

    Others elected were Chinyere Agu, Vice President; Maryjane Okonkwo, General Secretary; Ikechukwu Onu, Provost; and Chinedu Agwunike, Director of Social, among others.

    Antonia Anochilionye, a student of Mass Communication, described the exercise as the best she had witnessed since her admission into the institution. According to her, the management did “a wonderful job in sensitising students and providing adequate security to ensure that they voted for candidates of their choice without fear.”

    Announcing the results, Francis thanked the students for the turnout and maturity displayed throughout the process. He praised the management for its support, which he said contributed to the success of the exercise.

    “I commend the management for giving us the opportunity and free hand to organise a process for which students have commended us. I thank the Rector, Prof Godwin Onu, for providing the logistics for the successful conduct of the election,” he said.

    Addressing the students after the election, Donald described it as free and fair, urging students to sustain the peace on the campus. He said if students could adopt Option A4 in electing their leaders without controversy, the country could learn from the process to ensure Nigerians’ votes count.

    He praised the maturity of the students and security personnel.

    The Director of Students’ Affair, Mrs Esther Odigwe, said the large turnout followed the massive sensitisation embarked upon by her office to ensure students exercised their franchise without fear. She praised Onu and the body of principal officers for creating a peaceful atmosphere, which led to the success of the election.

    The Deputy Rector, Dr Don Muo, said the management was happy with the peaceful conduct of the election. He said the conduct of the candidates and their supporters during the manifesto night and election was commendable, saying it attested to the level of maturity of students in the polytechnic.

    Emmanuel Ogbodo, who lost in the election, described the exercise as peaceful, free and fair, saying he was impressed with the maturity the students and the organisers.

    Another student of Science Laboratory Technology Department, Chinenye Anichebe, praised the management for allowing students to choose their leaders without interference.

  • ‘I’m satisfied being a village teacher’

    ‘I’m satisfied being a village teacher’

    Omolola Fadare, 21, teaches in a primary school established by her father in  Waninkin,  a remote village in Osun State. She obtained her National Certificate in Education from the Osun State College of Education, Ilesa. She hopes to read Law at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife. She told OPEOLUWA SONUGA (400-Level Law, OAU) and TAIWO ISOLA (200-Level Anatomy, University of Maiduguri) why she wants to be a judge.

    Can you tell us about your background?

    I am the first in a family of three children. I attended Origbo Anglican Grammar School after which I proceeded to Osun State College of Education, Ilesa. My father is the proprietor of a school.

    What led you into teaching?

    I must confess that I don’t like teaching. This is because my childhood dream is to be a judge. But, when I finished secondary school, I could not secure admission the same year into the university to study Law. The following year, my parents encouraged me to take up a career in education. I consented because I wanted to take up my father’s school as the first child of the family.

    How do you feel teaching in a village?

    I never thought that, one day, I will be in the village teaching. But, when I started, the interest started growing and I can say that I love teaching in villages because it has afforded me the opportunity to bring little children up and to inspire confidence in them that they can also make it in life like their counterparts in the cities.

    What can you say about being a teacher at a young age of 21?

    Well, I believe everybody is a teacher and age is not a factor here. But, then, I must say it is a challenge for me and I also believe it is my destiny. When you find yourself excelling in what you naturally don’t like to do, it means you have found your destiny.

    What are the challenges of being a teacher in a village like this?

    When I started, people looked down on me but, after a period, they came to respect me. I remember when I did my Teaching Practice in 2009. Then, I was 17. The students in the secondary school where I did the practice would not even greet me because they felt I was too young to be their teacher. But, as time went by, they saw the knowledge of God in me and nobody told them to accord me some respect.

    What inspires you?

    My strongest motivation is the passion I have for these children and also for my father’s vision, which I believe must not die.

    What does the structure of your father’s school look like?

    We have kindergarten, nursery and primary classes. We have a few teachers due to the fact that many of them do not want to stay longer because they are not able to adapt to the rural life. I am the sole administrator of the school and I also teach the secondary school pupils.

    Since the inception of the school in 1995, has there been any student who has excelled?

    Yes. I am an example (smiles). We have ex-students who are now doing fine in their higher institutions. One of such person is Sukurat Suleiman, who finished in 2002 and is now a university student.

    Do you have any problem with the villagers?

    If there is anything, it is ignorance. Most of the people living here don’t allow their children to further their education after primary school. They always complain that nobody will look after their cocoa farm. This has hindered the development I envision for the college.

    Where do you see yourself in the future?

    I see myself becoming a judge. This has been my dream. I also want to lecture so that my impact can spread to more people in the village and beyond.

  • Is all well with the house of NANS?(2)

    Is all well with the house of NANS?(2)

    I ended last week’s piece with the petition to President Goodluck Jonathan by Adelu James who contested the post of president of NANS with eleven other contenders. James raised some pertinent issues in the melodrama currently plaguing the association. After reading last week’s piece, Prince Miaphen, one of the contenders who identified himself as the authentic student representative and president of NANS sent me two documents, a statement recounting what transpired at Uyo last year and text of the maiden press conference he granted after being sworn in as president of NANS in Jos on January 13. I will return to the issue of Miaphen and the allegation of attempted assassination leveled against him by Yinka Gbadebo later.

    But in the interim, was Gbadebo eligible to contest the election in the first place? I pose this question because Adelu James, a 500 level Law student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife claimed he is “the sole ticket of the institution to contest at Uyo convention. But it is a big surprise to me and a slap to all Nigerian students that, Mr. Yinka Gbadebo who is not a student of Obafemi Awolowo University could be allowed by the convention planning committee, the convention chairman and the State Security Service to contest the election with the studentship of Obafemi Awolowo University”. If this was the case then the next question that will arise is who was the authentic representative from OAU?

    In order to answer this question we have to rewind a few years back and put things in perspective. Gbadebo was alleged – by all the presidential candidates – to have physically assaulted the former Vice-Chancellor of University of Ado Ekiti now Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Prof. Akin Oyebode now at the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, an offence which led to his rustication from the university. With his result still hanging in Ekiti State University, he allegedly enrolled for a Diploma programme in OAU which apparently led to his eligibility to contest the election.

    Yinka Gbadebo, however, debunked insinuations that he applied for an OAU diploma in order to be eligible to contest NANS presidency. According to him, he “came to OAU to obtain more knowledge after waiting so long for UNAD to release my result all to no avail based on political reasons that are interwoven with my active participation in students’ unionism.”

    He stressed that “rumour peddlers” are ignorant of the content of NANS constitution, adding that the constitution states clearly that to be eligible for presidential election, a candidate must be studying a course of not less than two years duration in any institution of higher learning. “Most of them have never seen NANS constitution and charter of demands in their life and they want to aspire.”

    From this it is not surprising that it has been conflicts on all fronts. In February during a visit to Jos another drama played out. After the Uyo convention, Gbadebo and his executives took it upon themselves to go on fence mending tours of university campuses across the country, that tour brought them to Jos on February 7th where he alleged that an assassination attempt was made on his life. Let’s hear him out: “In our bid to defend the mandate that Nigerian students gave to us at the polls, we decided to embark on a tour of our campuses to familiarise ourselves with the problems facing our students. This tour brought us to Jos on Wednesday, 6th February 2013. Scared of the imminent truth that his fraudulent activities would be revealed to the people of Plateau State who he had earlier hoodwinked into believing his self-acclaimed presidency of NANS, Prince Miaphen sent a group of assassins after me and my entourage on Thursday 7th February 2013”.

    He alleged that the assassins who came armed with guns and machetes ended up kidnapping one of his colleagues, Dimeji Azeez of the University of Ibadan and “totally vandalized and destroyed the two weeks old official bus of the national secretariat of NANS. Azeez was later released after we apprehended the younger brother to Prince Miaphen who led the assault team”.

    He thus declared Prince Miaphen “persona non grata on campuses of all Nigerian institutions of higher learning. That any campus that welcomes the said Prince Miaphen will be indefinitely suspended from NANS and all NANS related activities, including the right to vote or to contest for any national office. That the Plateau State Government under the able leadership of Da Jonah Jang in collaboration with Nigeria Police Force and State Security Service should as a matter of urgency arrest and prosecute Mr. Prince Miaphen alongside his cohorts within 7days. That the Plateau State Government in other to forestall the breakdown of law and order, should with immediate effect provide the leadership of NANS with a NEW BUS AS A COMPESATION, based on the fact that Mr. Prince Miaphen is an indigene of Plateau State from Shendam Local Government Area”.

    Miaphen denied the entire allegation, according to him he was on tour of higher institution campuses in Gombe, Bauchi, Yobe and Bornu States when Gbadebo, who had information on what he was doing paid a visit to Jos. “The question I would like Gbadebo to answer is why did he not go to the campuses of University of Jos, Plateau State University or Plateau Polytechnic? He did not go there because he is an unpopular candidate that believes in grandstanding and hobnobbing with politicians. NANS headquarter is not in Abuja or the various state government houses but on University campuses.”

    Miaphen, who said he has the backing of the other contestants and Nigerian students said his intention is “to relocate the NANS Secretariat from the streets and salubrious confines of Abuja, where it has been domiciled for the better part of the last decade, back to the campuses, where it was originally designed to function. It is pertinent to state that NANS is a force with a dominant constructive component. Its impact, primarily, should be to benefit the students and managements of its respective host institutions, and by extension the entire educational system of Nigeria. This is the only way that the organisation shall muster the zest to contribute to the overall development of the country by deepening democracy, advocating for good governance, a just and egalitarian society for all, among other salient issues contained in the NANS Charter of Demands.

    What I can deduce from what Miaphen and his cohorts are trying to achieve is their determination to go back to the era of NANS of old where Universities at the time are strategic resources for the production of ideas and manpower for societal growth. Students were at the center of this as agents of change as leaders of tomorrow with strong stake in the future of the community. But today in the realm of students all you hear is cultism, fraud, exam malpractices, yahoo yahoo, prostitution etc.

    Aside NANS national leadership intellectual decline, the various structures of the union- state joint committee and students’ unions have either sold out to politicians or lack the requisite intellectual wherewithal to lead successful and genuine struggles of students. While I blame the student leaders, I must also blame the school authorities and the state in destroying the legacy of genuine students’ unionism either by buying over of student leaders or by use of naked force like police and victimisation to deal with genuine student activists.

    Dear reader, does it surprise you the way things have turned out with our “future leaders” and their association? It should not because we are all seeing ourselves in the mirror, in essence, what is unfolding is a stack reminder of our pathetic society today where our students emulate leaders who continue to regenerate itself in brazen corruption, and lack of concern for its citizens, where politics does not go beyond greed and lucre. Student leaders who are supposed to be groomed for everything noble are already in the same track with our “leaders”.