Category: Education

The news of the victorious emergence of our very own Temidayo Adenike Oladiji, FAS, renowned professor of biochemistry, as the first female, new vice-chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure stirred up an uncommon, ecstatic excitement in many of us. As a friend and colleague we now reckon with as a family member, we were more than proud.

But almost immediately, I remembered Ile-Ife. I remembered the ancient community in relation to a similar announcement for the great citadel of learning, OAU Ife, beclouded by strange decibels of confusion. Some folks who claimed to be Ife people wanted an indigene, by all means, to be VC. It didn’t matter to them if their preferred candidate who did not make it this time could emerge next time around. They staged marches in their community going as far as the university campus to flaunt their fetish fangs, but the deed had been done and could not be undone. The university council’s decision was final!

Beyond resounding condemnations that the unpopular protesters in Ile-Ife attracted to themselves, the historical reality of FUTA countered the ethnic jingoists. The sitting VC then, Prof Joseph Fuwape, hailed from Ile-Ife, but no one ever bothered about that. FUTA had been on the path of greatness and all everyone wanted was for the leadership to sustain this and possibly boost it.

Unfortunately, the Ife violence merchants seemed to have infected some pseudo-scholars, ironically in FUTA. In the same spirit with the minority Ife locals or so it seemed, Professor Oladiji stood condemned as the winner of the just concluded appointment process. Most distastefully, they found sheer illiterate collaborators in some media with passive or absent-minded editing. Otherwise how do you describe such media lapping up same headline with same story far from aligning with the headline? More disturbing really was the fact that even a particular title that had some of its journalists punished for a similar recklessness in the past got caught up with this! You will wonder for eternity why a news organization supposedly run by trained professionals will deliberately position itself in the path of progress of an ambitious university like FUTA.

Who is not in awe of the excellent job of public image management by our good friend and colleague, Adegbenro Adebanjo?What about the indomitability of FUTA’s academics, by all means, active researchers combined with the alumni who have been relentless in upscaling the profile of their university globally? Expectedly, the informed voice of ASUU FUTA called out to controvert the earlier rancorous intervention smacking of unmistakable ignorance by folks not familiar with university tradition. How capacity deficient? How else could the council have told the story of how Temidayo Oladiji triumphed over her rivals in the contest for the VC’s seat? How much more can we say FUTA needs Oladiji now more than any other time?

From accomplishing groundbreaking researches and winning internationally competitive grants across assorted disciplines of Agricultural Science to trendy engineering feats, FUTA has been recurrent. As a mentor and father to some engineering budding stars including a doctoral student in environmental engineering in England with a Commonwealth Scholarship up his sleeves, I have more than a passing interest in engineering and allied researches in which FUTA has come to distinguish itself. Time, again, has come for the ambitious university to move higher up on the scale of global ranking. And I make this valid claim based on my evaluation of the profile of the energetic, young VC just clocking 54.

Let’s do this again together: Born Adenike Temidayo Folayan, the Biochemistry scholar belongs in the category of first generation of what has come to be known as Better by Far University. It was the same generation that produced the incumbent, high performing Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja, Kogi State, Prof Olayemi Akinwumi.

Young Adenike bagged a Second Class Upper Honours degree in Biochemistry in 1988. Notwithstanding the hard-hitting economic policy of the Structural Adjustment Programme, SAP, Kwara Breweries in Offa could not resist the brilliance exhibited by the young graduate in the course of examining their potential recruits. She was hired immediately. More than 25 years after leaving the brewery for the academia, Prof Oladiji keeps researching about food, gloriously sustaining the good memory of her humble beginning at Offa. Check out the list of research products developed from herbs by the new FUTA boss: AHRI Sweet Basilspices(listing with NAFDAC); Pangas Anti-anaemic supplement (being processed for regulatory approval); Blosorg Supplement (awaiting regulatory approval); Iron-fortified tomato and pepper paste(awaiting regulatory approval)

Since joining her alma mater, the University of Ilorin, as a lecturer, diligent Oladiji, in addition to being faithful to her primary responsibilities of teaching and researching, has served in several other capacities most meritoriously earning her multiple distinctions and research grants. How else could anyone have been sufficiently prepared for VCship? Take a glance at this:
I Dean, Faculty of Life Sciences 2021 – Date
ii. Dean, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Kwara State University, Malete (Sabbatical) 2018- 2019
iii. Director, Central Research Laboratories 2016 – 2018
iv. Director, Centre for Research Development & In-House Training 2013-2016
v. Coordinator, Intellectual Property Technology Transfer Office 2012-2015
vi. Deputy Director, Centre for International Education 2012
vii. Board Chairman, National Water Resources Capacity Building Network, University of Ilorin Centre 2013-2016
viii. Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Unilorin STEP-B 2013- 2015
ix. Acting Head of Biochemistry Department 2008 – 2010
x. Assistant Hall Mistress (Female Hostel) 2002- 2004
xi. Hall Mistress (Female Hostel) 2014 – 2018
xii. Member, Senate, University of Ilorin 2004-2007; 2011 to Date
xiii. Sub Dean, Faculty of Science.

A Guest Professor at the University of Gambia since 2012, she was at different times a Plenary Lecturer, Uka Tarsadia University in India and a Fellow of the Israeli Agency for International Development Cooperation in addition to being 1989 Federal Government of Nigeria Scholar as well as being a winner of the 1995-97 winner of the University of Ilorin Staff Development Award. It was therefore no wonder she emerged the lead researcher for the over N17 million Naira NNPC Renewable Energy Research Project in 2019. That was even after leading multiple research projects supported by TETFUND.

Though a scientist, Prof Oladiji is as much a public intellectual in a society notorious for partriarchy. In 2019 alone within a very short space of time, she delivered two highly celebrated public lectures. She was the guest speaker at that year’s valedictory ceremony of the popular Adeola College Offa. Soon afterwards, she did another major address at the Hooding Ceremony of the College of Pure and Applied Sciences of Landmark University, Omun Aran, Kwara State, to mention only two.

Perhaps most interesting about Oladiji is her clean triumph over typical Nigerian pettiness bothering on religion and ethnicity. Farouk, a professor of telecommunications based in Dutse once confessed to me how motherly, Oladiji was, to her wife when she was supervising her for a postgraduate programme. “She was a mother to our daughter as well as the mother of the baby, my darling wife”.

A most cosmopolitan Prof Oladiji also effortlessly deploys basic Islamic greetings to the admiration of many Muslims on account of her sociability and her vast educational exposure across all the continents. My personal interaction with her frankly betrays a personality without airs in spite of being so heavily credentialed at her age.

It’s FUTA’s turn to benefit from the thoroughness, speed and vigour of the Midas touch of the world class scholar they never had its like before having been brought in from outside FUTA and especially from a university that has remained the envy of others for several years netting awards from local and international quarters. For instance, Unilorin, Oladiji’s cradle and base till date, remains about the most internationalized university in Nigeria.

I can only enjoin FUTA to harvest the best from one of the best of nation’s best in the university system.

•Tunde Akanni, PhD, former Distinguished British Chevening Scholar, Associate Professor and Acting Head of Journalism Dept, LASU doubles as the Director of Digital Media Research Centre, LASU.

Vice Chancellor Anchor University, Ayobo, Lagos State Prof. Samuel Bandele has said the institution will be repositioned for effective service delivery.

This, he said, necessitated the process to introduce three new programmes – Law, Nursing Science and Architecture.

He spoke during the sixth matriculation and investiture of the vice chancellor last Saturday on campus.

“As part of the on-going re-organisation on campus, the management has started the process to introduce three new programmes. They are Law, Nursing Science and Architecture,” he said.

Bandele noted that the mandate to reposition the institution was driven by his new vision to build on the core value the institution is noted for, character, competence and courage.

He explained that his vision was anchored on three pillars enrolment, enrichment and engagement. He said he would deploy available resources in ensuring that he achieves everything  within a shortest possible time.

The former Ekiti State University Vice-Chancellor, however, congratulated matriculants on being admitted into the university as full-fledged members.

“After today’s ceremony the matriculants can raise their shoulders as bona fide students who can lay claim to good or officially recognised things that describe or define a university undergraduate.

“I, therefore, heartily congratulate you, your parents and attendees who came to add to this joyous moment in your lives.

“We also thank God that there is gradual increase in enrolment of matriculants at today’s ceremony. Over 200 students are having their matriculation. We know it will get better in the next edition of this programme,” he said.

He also told the new students about positive development within the campus that would make their stay in the school more enjoyable, fulfilling, and rewarding.

“For instance, the cafeteria has undergone radical upgrade to very high levels, comparable with any cafeteria in Nigerian universities.

“Also, the supermarket has been upgraded to serve the staff and the students on campus.”

Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), UNILAG branch, Dr. Dele Ashiru, has said the union is open to suggestions on new methods to make the Federal Government accede to its demands rather than resorting to frequent industrial action.

Critics of the union and some students had called on the union to explore new strategies to make the government do its bidding.

However, in an interview with The Nation, Ashiru noted that the union would implement whatever recommendation it got.

Ashiru, who said strike was the only option left for the union, stated that ASUU had exhausted  strategies that could make the government act.

“ASUU has exhausted all strategies that we know. Strike is the last option. And this is the option left that the government will listen to. As researchers and scholars in the university system, we are open to suggestions and we will implement whatever recommendation we are given.

“Recently, a similar thing occurred in UK and within a twinkle of an eye, everything was resolved.

“Here, they are busy raising N100 million to buy forms. Corruption agencies are yet to ask any of them how they got the money with a minimum wage of N30,000,” he said.

The ongoing ASUU strike started on February 14, with a four-week warning to the Federal Government to fulfill its side of the agreement.

The union on May 9 announced an extension of the strike by three months to allow the government address the issue.

The Lagos State government is working to fulfill its promise of providing qualitative education for its people. Whether in the junior or tertiary level, the government is evolving strategies to reposition the system in accordance with its THEMES agenda. OYEBOLA OWOLABI writes.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu indicated his determination to change the state of education when he assumed office in 2019. His administration is working hard to fulfill this through its Project THEMES – an acronym for his administration’s six strategic development agenda namely, Traffic Management and Transportation, Health and Environment, Education and Technology. The governor’s Special Adviser on Education, Tokunbo Wahab, in an interview with reporters, highlights efforts being made to ensure the state sets the pace in tertiary education as part of the Project THEMES.

On two new universities

One major milestone the administration has achieved is the conversion of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) and Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) into universities, a move that many said was long overdue.

According to Wahab, converting LASPOTECH to the Lagos State University of Technology (LASUTECH) and AOCOED to the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) was a move to lessen the burden of LASU, being the first state university.

“Beside, NCE/ND/HND have become outdated, especially with the history of the dichotomy and discrimination between university and polytechnic graduates.

“These are legacies that will mark out Mr. Governor’s tenure in years to come. LASU will be 40 next year, serving a population of about 22 million in the country’s commercial nerve and fifth economy in Africa. It goes to commonsense and vision to say it’s time to have a new thinking. So, we had to bring something new, very creative and very acceptable, that can also take part of the burden off LASU.

“That is why stakeholders involved in the conversion were proactive with the Executive Bill, which was passed on February 8, and by February 11, we got the licences. So, technically, we have three universities in Legos – one conventional and two specialised,” the commissioner said.

Other technicalities

But beyond the name change, Wahab said certain technicalities would need to be addressed to achieve a full conversion. One of such is ensuring lecturers meet up with the new standard expected of a university. This, he described as “re-classification and re-designation of lecturers to make them fit for purpose”.

He added: “Our starting capacity for LASUTECH is about 66 Ph.D. holders, and for LASUED about 95.These people are already in the system. So, all we have to do is re-classification and re-designation to make them fit for purpose. This will start in days or weeks. We are already engaging them, and there is a template of the personnel, their level, books written and everything else. We have also included the unions in the technical committee. So, they are part of the discussion and process.

“Having submitted the names and profiles of the lecturers, the technical committee and the provisional governing councils will engage them to see where each person fits in. The committee will determine the yardstick. But, our take is that no one must lose their job. We don’t want anyone to lose their jobs, but carry them along as much as possible, see how you can give them the room, transition period and the moratorium they will need to enable them meet up with whatever yardstick they need to fit in in the new need.”

With re-classification and re-designation comes the fear of pay cut, but the special assistant said nothing of such would happen, except perhaps an increase.

“We won’t take away their welfare package. As a matter of fact, a chief lecturer in the polytechnic earns more than a university professor. So, we’re just going to reclassify them to make them fit for purpose. The salary structure will not be affected, they will keep their salaries. The committee will only examine as appropriate but nobody will take anybody’s salary, if it goes up, fine, but there won’t be a cut. What we have agreed in principle is they keep their salaries while we re-classify them.

“While that is ongoing, we already have applications from about 30 professors wanting to come for their sabbaticals in these new schools. The schools are like a universe of knowledge to attract the best across the country. It is a good thing and we will not leave these new babies to have any issue, we will water and nurture them and ensure they are not over fed or underfed.

“I am also glad we have the infrastructure in place already – the physical and human capital, so we will work on what we have and improve on it,” he said.

Transition timeline

The name has been changed, but a full conversion might not be anytime soon, especially as it involves re-classification and re-designation of lecturers. A full conversion, according to Wahab, might take another two years.

He said: “We’re yet to determine that. We want the unions to be part and parcel of the discussion. But, it won’t be a year or two, in my personal opinion. It’s left for the technical committee and the governing council to determine that. A lot of parameters have to go into it, and our own concern is that the workers must not lose their job. As much as possible, we will do everything possible to ensure that.”

Capacity-building workshop

In April, the special adviser took the heads of institutions abroad for a three-day capacity-building workshop to improve their efficiency in administration and management. According to him, the training encapsulated many other things required for the smooth-running of a tertiary institution.

He added: “We took these heads of institutions abroad because we have to expose them to the new thinking in the way universities are run to add value. You can’t continue to be a big fish in a small pond. We needed to put them on a global pedestal and let them see that getting to certain points require certain efforts and methods.

“The three-day capacity training was beyond just management, but also about funding and free collaboration. It was intense and I was there from beginning to ending, from 9am to 5pm daily. It is when you give them the exposure that you can call them to task and put their legs to fire because to whom much is given, much is expected.

“The training is also structured in a way that there will be a second batch for the second level of management. The first batch comprised the Vice Chancellors, one Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) and the Registrar, while the second DVC took charge of the school because we couldn’t leave the school without headship. The second batch will then comprise the DVC, deputy registrars and librarians.

“This is the only way you can build capacity and build very well, and there will be a transition so that there will be more institutional knowledge and know-how. We are opening up the space for them, giving them the exposure they need, and then we can start ticking the boxes to say yes, you have done this, but you can do better. You’ve done this for this new milestone, but this is the new yardstick we are using to judge you.

“And of course, we expect them to take the schools to the next level in all ramifications and have a better ranking. Why can’t LASU be the first in the country?”

Tuition

Perhaps, one reason why Lagos State schools are thriving is because of the reasonable tuition. A comparison of some state institutions in the Southwest showed that LASU charges the least amount of about N57,000 for its stream One students and N150,000 for stream Two students.

Wahab also assured that the new universities would operate a reasonable fee regime that would be beneficial to  stakeholders.

He said: “People should understand that education at the tertiary level should not be this cheap, but we are always very emotional about it. We did a survey of tuition in all state-owned institutions in the Southwest and it comes that Lagos is the cheapest, in fact so ridiculous that you can’t charge that for even junior secondary school.

“This current LASU fee came into force last year and, before the increase, we told the management to engage with the students. I can assure you that the new universities will also have a very reasonable fee regime from the beginning so we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot.”

Funding/Welfare

Funding is one major factor that helps to keep a university running. A cut in funding might ground activities in the system. But the state government said it has been able to keep its institutions running through constant funding and welfare packages for the lecturers.

“Mr. Governor has done things differently and so our schools are running despite the consistent strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). What are the basic needs of the university system? Lecturers want proper working conditions, their earned allowances, bonuses, more funding for the institutions. Last year, the governor increased their funding across board, including bailouts. LASU’s funding was increased by 40 per cent.

“Beyond their monthly subventions, the bulk of their funding comes from the government, running into about N1.5 billion monthly for all the institutions, and the governor has been very dedicated to it. So, when civil servants get paid third week, those in the institutions get paid too, even after salary increase. So, I think that is what we have gotten right.”

Infrastructure

No institution can thrive without commensurate infrastructure to complement its human resources. That is why the state government said it keeps investing in physical infrastructure and its component interventions to cater for the ever growing population of its schools.

According to the special adviser, there were 243 library interventions as at the end of 2021, libraries that were upgraded and updated with IT facilities. “What we tried to do is to establish hybrid libraries where schools will have the conventional books and a proper IT infrastructure. We did 243 last year. We are doing 60, but our target is 500 by the year end.

“We met an abandoned library project and Senate Building at LASU. We have completed the Senate Building and hope to complete the library before next year’s convocation. We will also give them an infrastructure to take care of their education faculty, which is the biggest, and also give them a technology hub.

“In Epe, we inherited an abandoned 460-lecture theatre, but the contractor is back on site. We are also looking at the furniture so it can be ready before the next session starting in September/October.

“For Ijanikin and Ikorodu, we are doing the same thing also. We’re ensuring they have a lecture theatre that will facilitate a proper lecture environment for the new students. Ikorodu will get a world class administrative building, which we hope to open in August. We are also trying to give Ijanikin its own administrative building which is nearing completion,” the adviser said.

The government last year laid the foundation for a 8,272 bed-hostel in LASU, which will be inaugurated soon but, still, this looks like a drop in the ocean as the school has said it might not be enough since the number of year one and final year students already outweighs it. Wahab also promised that the new universities would get befitting hostel facilities.

He added: “For the new universities, we are still looking at the numbers but we will look at the number of students vis-à-vis the facilities needed, whether it will be attractive to developers. Already, LASU has told us that the 8,272 bed-hostel will not be enough. So, we may have to increase it by two more blocks. But, first, we have to inaugurate the 8,272 this year.

“We have also approved hostel for the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), which is in dire need of hostels. It will be a PPP arrangement. So, we have to make it attractive to developers before they can put in money for that long term business.”

Coordinator, African Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL), Nigeria, Joshua Atah has said the problem of access to tertiary education can be addressed by using technology.

He said this in an interview during the fourth training workshop in digital education, hosted by ACETEL Nigeria.

Atah noted that the experience of COVID-19 pandemic took the world by surprise and also taught it a lesson.

He said: “The experience means we can no longer run away from technology. The way we do things in education has changed and that change has come to stay.

“Before now, we started having issues with very large classes as the population was growing.The number of people that need to access education was increasing every day. So, the problem of access can actually be addressed by using technology.

“Technology has come to bridge that gap, so we must continue to engage in new tools, technology and new methods of enhancing access to education.”

Project Manager, ACE, Sylvia Mkandawire said the ACETEL intervention was helping Africa to advance the quality of higher education, by providing various components, the state-of-art facilities, helping the universities to implement innovative approaches to teaching and learning, as well as creating a conducive environment for the functionality of higher education system.

She said: “The workshop was to train a group of teachers or lecturers that would have competencies or skills to deliver a digital education system in a manner that they can actually reach out to many other students.

“COVID-19 affected the education system. So, our plan is to ensure that we respond to this new reality in higher education by providing, at least, innovative teaching approaches where the teachers can use digital education to continue teaching in Africa.

“So far, we have trained over 200 teachers from different countries. So, the project is managed in a way that we have francophone countries participating, Benin and Burkina Faso, and then the Anglophone countries, Nigeria and Ghana. So, for the four countries that are participating, we have trained over 200 technical staff and each institution contributed, at least, 30 staff.”

Vice-Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Olufemi Peters, noted that digital education was the way forward in the 21st-century world driven by technology.

Peters said NOUN had recorded many milestones in its online platform, saying that the training was an additional expertise and skills opportunity for further improvement.

He advocated increased opportunities for people who are involved in digital education, so they can be up-to-date with technological inventions that will make them achieve more results in an easy working environment.

He confirmed that NOUN, through its Regional Training and Research Institute for Distance and Open Learning (RETRIDOL), has been able to impart knowledge to at least 20 universities in training, and about 15 universities in the West African sub-region.

He said: “Through the NUC, universities are beginning to know the quality of experts that are housed at NOUN. We are beginning to receive requests from other universities to either show them how to develop these courses to be delivered online or help them develop what they require as a management system.

“But what is more important is that ACETEL has actually led in the deployment of these technologies in our undergraduate and postgraduate ways of doing things.”

National Librarian/Chief Executive Officer, National Library of Nigeria (NLN), Prof. Chinwe Anunobi, has decried the shortfall in the manpower of the organisation, stating that this has affected service delivery to the public.

Anunobi stated this during a meeting with the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. David Andrew, where she briefed him about the organisation.

She said the National Library had not employed new staff in the last 10 years within which period some staff have exited the organisation due to retirement, transfer of service and few have deceased.

In a statement by the Head, Public Relations Division, National Library of Nigeria, Vershima Orvell-Dio, Prof. Anunobi said: “The effect of this is that more than 50 per cent of our staff have exited, and we are left with less than 50 per cent to run the organisation’s 33 state branches and the headquarters. This is grossly affecting the turnaround time of our service delivery to the public.

“It is affecting the processing of newly acquired books to enable them to get to the shelves. It is affecting our standard numbers processing, especially in reporting the utilisation back to the headquarters in Paris and London. This has stalled the release of the new ISBN to us.”

The permanent secretary promised to give support to the progress of the National Library.

“My duty, for which I am paid for, is to support and drive government policy in the education sector for the growth and progress of our dear nation.

“I will give my best, with the support of all concerned, to realise this,” the permanent secretary said.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has accredited more courses for the Oduduwa University, Ipoetumodu, Osun State.

Computer Engineering, Electrical Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Architecture, in addition to many that had hitherto enjoyed the commission’s full accreditation across all colleges of the institution, were given full accreditation.

The NUC officials, as a statutory government agency saddled with the task of overseeing and ensuring the smooth running of the Nigerian Universities system and academic programmes with its high-powered delegation of seasoned accreditation team, were at the Oduduwa University campus recently for the exercise.

A statementby the Registrar, Princess Adeline Adeyemi, said: “This is good news for our university. On behalf of the entire management, I congratulate and appreciate everyone that has made this feat possible.

“We as a university that is grounded in meeting research and learning as a key development tool for the next generation of leaders in all fields, are benefiting from the consistent strides, initiated and monitored by the commission, which has helped us to live up to expectations and also catapult us to such enviable and commendable heights.

“This indeed is an attestation of hard work, particularly in the area of financial support from our founder and Chancellor, Dr. Abdulrahman Adegoke Atobatele Adedoyin, as we remain focused and promise never to relent.

“Indeed, the vision of positioning the university as one of the top 10 leading universities in the world is gradually becoming a reality.”

Only recently, in the list of the best 50 Nigerian universities, as released by AD Scientific, a notable ranking system of World Universities, for Nigerian universities with topmost scientists that bring such great honours to those universities, Oduduwa University emerged 37th, with Professor Benjamin Segun Aribisala, who is also the current Vice-Chancellor of the institution.

AD Scientific also ranked Oduduwa University as the 221st in Africa and 5413th in the world for the year.

These rankings were based on the academic scholarship, number and quality, together with the impact of academic publications of scientists all over the world.

Also, the commission, in a letter dated April 14, 2022, and signed on behalf of its Executive Secretary by the Director of Accreditation, Dr. Maryam Sali, listed the programmes accredited in LAUTECH as including Fine and Applied Arts, Agricultural Engineering, Chemical Engineering as well as Pure and Applied Physics and Statistics.

The letter explained that the accreditations granted to the programmes, which are not new, are consequent upon the accreditation exercise carried out in LAUTECH between October and November, 2021.

Winners emerge in Rotary essay contest

FIVE winners have emerged in the semi-final of the Essay Competition organised by the Rotary International District 9110.

They are Tajudeen Fatimah of Saddiyah Model Schools, Alagbole-Akute; Emmanuel Babatunde of Biyem International Group of Schools; Glory Olaniyo Adolphus of Hearstart Private School; Ifiok Idara Israel of Command Day Secondary School, Ojo and Jesutofunmi Bhadmus of Isolo Senior High School – all of Lagos.

They won after a keenly contested presentation that involved 21 pupils from 12 schools, who were screened by the clubs in the district.

Rotary International District 9110 (Four Way Test) Essay Competition Committee Chairman Adeniyi Otuniyi expressed satisfaction with the event and presentations by the pupils.

He said the contest had not only helped to hone the skills of the pupils in writing and presentation, but also enable them to imbibe the tents of the Four Way Test of Rotary to enable them become better citizens.

“The essay has helped you to learn one or two things about Rotary, a non-profit organisation, which serves humanity. One of the pillars of Rotary is vocational service where the Four Way Test is learnt and practised. Rotary takes service serious. That is why we embarked on this programme: to drive the youth towards being better citizens. Indeed, to catch them young,’’ he added.

He said the five winners of the yearly event would still go for the finals where only three would eventually be picked. He assured that the winning essays would be published in the Rotary International District magazine to give the winners more publicity. He thanked the schools that participated as well as the clubs that sponsored the pupils.

They were Rotary Clubs of Akute, Isolo, Lagos West, Ikoyi Metro, and Gbagada.

Earlier, a Screening panelist /past president, Rotary Club of Akowonjo, Bisi Taiwo, confirmed that 21 essays were submitted. She said their scoring was done follows: writing (60 per cent) and presentation (40 per cent).

Another panelist/past president, Kunle Aliyu, advised the pupils to keep to the topic and time, be audible and composed to succeed.

Rotary International District (9110) Governor-Elect Omotunde Lawson also praised the pupils for a good job.

A PHILANTHROPIST and Chairman of Platform Capital, Dr. Akintoye Akindele, has redeemed his pledge to reward the best graduating students of Caleb University with N5 million each.

Akindele, who made the pledge while delivering the university’s convocation lecture in February, presented cheques of N5 million each to the best male graduating student, the best female graduating student and the best postgraduate student last week.

He described the overall best graduating student and best female student, Jezry Ejehi Iredia of the Computer Science department; overall best male student, Humphrey Ifezue also of the Computer Science Department; and the overall best post-graduate student, Mrs. Olufunso Irene Fasuyi, as game-changers and urged Nigerian students to emulate them.

He also offered the trio automatic employment.

Akindele presented a cheque to cover the tuition of 22 new students of the university to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nosa Owens Ibie,  and the Registrar, Mr. Mayokun Olumeru.

He also announced plans to  build an Information Technology Centre and an Institute of African History and Archaeology at the main campus of the university in Imota, Lagos State.

Reacting to the gesture, Prof. Owens Ibie thanked Akindele for his generosity and passion to fulfill his promises, describing them as “ground-breaking and game-changing.”

The yearly inter-schools Rotary International District 9110 Four-WayTest Essay Competition has ended in Ikeja, Lagos with a call on pupils to imbibe the tenets of the Test to make them better citizens.

Making the call at the presentation of awards to the winners of the debate, the District Governor Remi Bello said Rotary adopted the Test as a barometer to test the behaviours of citizens.

“It is one of the ways of pushing or promoting one of the Objects of Rotary, which is also the number one of the Four-Way Test, which promotes ethical behaviour. It is applicable to every area of our perception.The test will mould and check you. And you will never be the same again,” he added.

Chairman, Essay Committee, Adeniyi Otuniyi, also stressed the importance of applying the Test to one’s life. He said aside the schools, DG also took the message of the Test to the Lagos and Ogun states’ House of Assemblies, where he addressed the lawmakers at plenary. He said the district also made effort to reach the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas in Lagos, but that they couldn’t make any head way. He urged members of the forthcoming committee to take this up. He thanked the clubs that sponsored the 21 schools that participated in the event.

He recalled that the test was adopted by Rotary International in 1943 and has been translated into many languages and entered into the lexicon of business.

The winners of the essay contest were: Master Babatunde Emmanuel of Biyen International Group of Schools, Akute, Ogun State (first position); Adollphus Olaniyi Glory of Headstart Private School (2nd), Israel Idara Ifiok of Command Day Secondary School, Ojo, Lagos (3rd).

Tajudeen Fatimah of Saddiyah Model Schools, Alagboke, Akute, Ogun State (4th), Bhadmus Jesutofunmi of Isolo Senior High School, isolo, Lagos (5th) and Adeniyi Alimat Abiodun of Hortative Comprehensive College.