Category: Campus Life

What prompted you to join politics?

Active participation in politics has never crossed my mind due to the time-honoured slogan that ‘politics is a dirty game’. When I came into the university, I noticed our congress meetings were dominated by verbal fights and the entire struggle was punctuated with the usual Nigerian problem of socio-tribal and religious divide coupled with inactivity. From then, I made up my mind to join politics and show others that politics is, indeed, not dirty.

What were the challenges you encountered when you contested to lead Taraba State students?

It was the usual challenges encountered even in the larger society: students kept inquiring whether I belong to this or that religion; whether I hailed from the northern or southern part of Taraba and the usual tribal angle. In fact, some were of the view that a 200-Level student, as I then was, should not be allowed to lead them. But by God’s grace, I am a southern Taraba Muslim. Naturally, my tribal brothers from the south found it very difficult to reject me. In a similar vein, I also won the sympathy of students from the northern part of the state. So, I came to bridge the ethno-religious divide within TASSU politics.

How would you describe your relationship with other members of the executive?

I had a cooperating people in the executive. We all had a mindset that we were on revival mission to redeem the image of what was known as TASSU. So far we have made appreciable progress. I did see dedication, accountability, betrayal and laziness during our days and I learned from those things.

What achievement did you record during your tenure?

We were able to organise orientation programme for students. Needless to say, this was not achieved in the last three years. We also organised unity trips at the end of each semester to take interested students to Jalingo. We were also able to create unity through congress meetings and disseminating necessary information to members such as, bursary news and other scholarship among other things we did.

Would you advise students to join campus politics?

Let me be a bit philosophical. My answer is yes and no. I said ‘yes’ because if students shy away from campus politics, who will take their place? So the advice is for the students who can strike a balance between their academic workload and extra-curricular activities. I will say ‘no’ because campus politics is not for those not properly grounded in their academics. Students who hold their lecture notes without reading but venture into student politics will definitely be committing academic suicide.

As part of capacity building and to deliver trained personnel in public health, the Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON) in conjunction with the department of Public Health, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), organised a three-day workshop on design and construction of Biogas Digester. The experiment was supervised by the head of Public Health department, Prof Amadi Nkwa.

Students of Environmental Health Technology in undergraduate and post-graduate level, lecturers and participants from Colleges of Health Technology across the Southeast and Southsouth regions of the country were trained on methods to manufacture a functional for Biogas Digester.

Biogas Digester is a technology that digests organic waste products like cow dung, pig waste, effluent, garbage, human faeces, saw dust, rice mill, crops residue, dairy etc. This is possible in the absence of oxygen to produce methane gas.

The gas is used as fuel in cooking and also for various industrial applications. The technology reduces deforestration and improves sanitation by linking toilets with biogas plant.

The trainer was Prof M.C. Sridhar, who was assisted by Mr Hameed Taiwo, Dr Gbolade Ogunwade, Prof Amadi Nkwa and Mr A. Ashak.

After the training, Celestine Onah, 500-Level Environmental Health, said: “The training on Biogas technology construction and installation is timely. It comes at a time streams of waste in our cities have reached epidemic proportion, but the technology will utilise wastes and produces a gas that is useful in our life”.

Bello Jibril, 500-Level student, said the training was to increase the knowledge of students in the technology. He added: “Though methane is dangerous in causing global warming, nevertheless, tapping it for utilisation will certainly reduce its effect on the ozone layer.”

The Vice-Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Prof Bamitale Omole, has unveiled a giant billboard that displayed the map of the university and the location of every building and route on the campus.

Erected at the main entrance of the university, the large billboard is visible enough to direct a first-time visitor to locate his way on the campus.

Prof. Omole praised the staff of Advanced Space Technology Application Laboratory, OAU, under the supervision of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Abuja, for donating the location guide, which he said was the first of its kind since the establishment of the university 50 years ago.

Presenting the location guide to the VC, the co-ordinator of the technology, Mr Ezekiel Eguaroje, appreciated the management for providing a conducive environment for the staff, stressing that the cordial relationship between OAU and the body would continue.

Prof Omole stated that management would continue to provide the needed leadership for the university community in order to maximise the potentials of all staff and students.

THEY didn’t expect him to be there, but when word got out that he was coming, students trooped out to receive Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi. There was excitement as they filed into Lady Jobowu Hall in the Government House of Ekiti State.

“This is going to be a remarkable day for me because I have never had the opportunity to engage a governor in an interactive session,” said Adejoke Kalejaiye, 300-Level Business Administration student of Ekiti State University (EKSU).

In no time, the governor arrived. This sent the crowd into a frenzy. Every student wanted to catch a glimpse of the governor, who arrived with officials of the Ministry of Education.

Welcome to the celebration of the International Students’ Day. It was organised by Adeolu Oyebode, an activist and 2010 graduate of EKSU.

The event was preceded by a press conference at the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel by members of the Ekiti State chapter of the Joint Campus Committee. The students addressed the state of education in the country.

They canvassed the creation of office of Special Assistant to Governor Fayemi on Students Affairs.

The anniversary started in 1939 when Nazi security forces stormed the University of Prague after students demonstrated against the killing of Jan Opletal and a worker, Vaclav Sedacek, who revolted against the occupation of Czechoslovakia during the Second World War. Nine student leaders and over 1,200 of their colleagues were massacred in a concentration camp.

The day means a lot to student activists in Nigeria. In Ekiti State, student leaders across higher institutions joined the rest of the world in celebrating the day.

The theme of the event was Creating a sustainable partnership between the students and government to enhance participatory governance.

Fayemi had dinner with the students. The participating schools included EKSU, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti (ADO POLY), Federal University of Oye (FUOYE), College of Education, Ikere, School of Nursing and Midwifery and College of health Technology, Ijero Ekiti.

In the governor’s entourage were the Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Hon Olabode Folorunso; Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr Eniola Ajayi; Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs K. Aderiye, and the EKSU Vice-Chancellor, Prof Oladipo Aina.

Stressing that education remains the shortest route to poverty eradication, Fayemi said his administration was committed to providing functional education through the introduction of skill acquisition in schools. He said idle youths posed a serious threat to the society, adding that this was why he initiated the Volunteer Programme and Youth Empowerment, Entrepreneurial Scheme.

Folorunso gave the vote of thanks before the governor stepped out to dance with the students. Fayemi surprised many when he performed the step Azonto song. He was joined by the his cabinet member present at the programme.

Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE after the event, a student from ABUAD said Fayemi showed a rare gesture by joining students of the state to commemorate the students’ day. He said people in position of leaders should emulate the governor for his simplicity.

Tears flowed uncontrollably at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) when 300-Level students of Computer Science heard one of their classmates, Zainab Towolawi, was dead. The news hit the campus on a Monday morning when students were preparing for lectures.

Zainab, who was known among her colleagues as Zeelahwee, participated in a game of chess held during the West African University Games (WAUG) at the University of Ilorin.

Zainab, 19, could not resume the present session because she was in hospital for an undisclosed ailment she had been battling with for over three months. She finally gave up the ghost last week. Her course mates, who were already prepared for lectures, cancelled the classes immediately. They also called off lectures the following day.

Students moved round the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences in black shirts to mourn their late colleagues. A classmate, Omodolapo Yakub, said: “Life is a journey and the world is the path we have to pass through. We were all born and definitely we shall all end our journey one day. Towolawi Zainab concluded her journey just like that, so also everyone will one day. We all love her but God needs her now. Zeelahwee, you shall live forever in our hearts.”