Lagos State Governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said his administration had started taking steps towards building a new orientation camp for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Lagos State to accommodate the large number of corps members sent to the state.

Speaking at the closing of the Batch C Stream 1 Orientation on Monday, Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, said: “I wish to put on record that this administration is very conscious of the increasing number of corps members deployed to Lagos State, hence, we are putting in place all measures towards the construction of a befitting permanent orientation camp that can accommodate the large number of corps members deployed to the Centre of Excellence.”

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The governor also urged organisations where the 2,540 corps members would be posted to accept them and take care of their welfare while the service year lasts.

Reacting to the governor’s speech, the Lagos State NYSC Coordinator, Mr Sunday Aroni, said in an interview that he was happy with the reference to the new camp, an  evidence that something is in the works.

In his speech, Aroni counseled the corps members to be of good behaviour throughout their service year.

“It is important to warn you to desist from acts that are capable of denting the image of the scheme and by extension, your families.  I encourage you to be agents of change and be good ambassadors in your places of primary assignment.  Lead by example and always let ‘Service and Humility’ be your watch word,” he said.

 

Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) students have urged the authorities to resolve the problem of missing results and wrong grades, ABDULRASHEED HAMMAD, a 300-Level Law student, reports.

 

He thought his heart would pop out when it beat uncontrollably after being told that GST results were out. He had no reason to be scared, he assured himself, because the examination had gone fine.  But, somehow, the way he perspired overwhelmed the certainty. Opening the result portal, Hassan Adigu, a 200-Level student, saw he got “F9” in GST 106? How! He screamed.

Hassan is not alone. Adam Olowonuora, a student of Literature, also had to endure a C, instead of the A or B grade he believed he deserved in a particular course.

Adam said he scored 26 out of 30 in the CA of the course.  But the A or B grade never materialised.  He had a C because his scores were not complete.

Issa Ridwanullahi, a 200-Level student of Public Administration, explained that when the GST 103 result was released, himelf and other classmates did not see their result on their individual portal. They complained but when it was uploaded, it was F9 – because only his test score was uploaded.

He said: “When GST 103 was released, I decided to check it but to my surprise, I did not see any grade. I later discovered that I was not the only one. We went to complain and they said they would only include the score for the test for us. I was shocked to hear about this and we later accepted. Some days after, we met F9 in our result.”

Still embittered by the ‘imposed failure’ when he spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, Hassan urged the university authorities for transparency in processing results this session by ensuring that the score of the Continuous Assessment (CA) and exams are uploaded on the students’ portal.

“Transparency becomes assured if done that way” he said.

Reasons for poor results in UDUS

Poor academic performance seems endemic at UDUS.  Students however have given various reasons for their poor performance in the university.  While missing scripts and incomplete results form part of the reasons, which they blamed on lecturers, others believe the students are culpable.

Aliyu Idris, a 400-Level student of Primary Education, blamed students, not lecturers.  He, however, noted that better understanding by lecturers was necessary to curb mass failure in UDUS.

“The only solution that will solve the problem of mass failure is that the students should read. Some students are blaming lecturers about failing some courses.  That is actually unfair. To get good grades in some courses, you must cram. Better understanding of our lecturers’ nature is an important factor to be considered by students,” he said.

Azeez Ridwan, a 400-Level Law student, has a contrary opinion.  He blamed lecturers and the system.

“Mass failure in UDUS cannot be said to have arisen from students angle, as a result of the fact that we have students of this great university who have excelled in academic expedition from other schools. We heard of a law student of this great university last year who is among the overall best students at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos. Also of recent, we heard about another student who was the overall best student in India.  They both graduated from this university with upper credit,” he said.

He, however, said the reasons the system was faulty were numerous.

“What this actually mean is that the system is faulty not the students. The system has been faulty on issues ranging from zero punctuality of lecturers, lost script, missing grades and even some other irregularities. The lecturers are at fault in most cases,” he said.

How to ensure transparency

To ensure transparency, some students said the exact scores of students in their CAs and exams should be published on the result portal alongside the symbolised grades.

Habeeb Gobir is one of these students. He is a 300 level Law student. He suggested to the management to include a column that would display both CA and examination scores.

He said: “This is the problem of the system and only the system can solve it. The new system adopted by the school by including the students’ Cumulative Grade Point Average on students’ portal is a commendable step by the school management. If the management can substantiate it with the creation of column which will display students’ scores in the CA and examination, this can go a long way by improving the level of transparency in UDUS examination policy.”

Promise Eze, a 200-Level student of Education Economics, said to curb the malady of mass failure, the tradition of placing students’ scores in tests and exams on departmental boards should be brought back.

“UDUS can solve the problem of mass failure by being transparent. By being transparent I mean placing all the scores of the students on their departmental boards and online so that the students will be certain about what they scored. If this is done, I believe that the problem of mass failure will soon fade away.”

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Solutions to mass failure

The students have proffered solution to the problem of mass failure. Some are of the opinion that while students needed to be more committed and hardworking, lecturers should also be lenient and ensure ultimate justice while marking students’ scripts; while those uploading results should be very careful and avoid any mistake because they are dealing with the lives of students.

Humar Adam, a 100-Level student, suggested that the school authorities should set up a body for students in case if they have complaints about a particular result while ensuring that lecturers mark the students’ script with credibility and without bias.

“I would say it will be very good if the school management would set up a body to which any student who feel unsatisfied with his/her grade would resort.  The body would do all to make sure the needs of the student is fully addressed.  The Management should make it compulsory for every lecturer to mark creditably and always strictly keep the marked script for a number of days after which if no student comes to tender complaint, they can dispose it off,” he said.

He added that there should be punishment for any lecturer who intentionally gives unjustified grade to students.

“Punishment should be set aside for any lecturer who intentionally accrue an unjustified grade score for students. Because I see no reason why I would leave my hostel by 12am in the midnight and come back to hostel by 6am and at the end I won’t see the value of my sleepless night in my result,” he said.

Ghazali Rabiu thinks that if lecturers were to distribute CA scores to students to know the defects, they would be better prepared for examinations.

“The Continuous Assessment if done should be released before exams so that everybody will see his score. This will encourage the students to add more effort for better performance in their exams, ” he said.

Muhammad Adamu, a 200-Level student of Mathematics, thinks students should not only see their tests scripts but be given access to their examination scripts as well.  By so doing, he said they would correct their mistakes in subsequent examinations.

“The management needs to issue out marked scripts of both exams and tests to students. What are they keeping it for? By giving me my scripts I can know my mistakes and then I will know if truly the grade displayed is what I deserve. If not, I can file a report having my evidence at hand,” he said.

 

Management reacts

In an exclusive interview with the chairman of Examination Monitoring Committe of UDUS, Prof. Babikir explained that one of the factors that precipitated mass failure in UDUS was the blame-shifting by students not owning up to their failures and blaming lecturers instead.

He also identified the misconduct of students during exams, malpractice, unseriousness as factors behind mass failure.

He, however, stated that the fault that comes from the lecturers’ side was their inability to attend lectures regularly yet want to cover the syllabus within three weeks to examination, thereby rushing the lectures.

On suggestions by students to publicise test and exam scores on the result portal, Babikir suggested that the UDUS Students’ Union (SU) should take up the matter with the Dean of Students’ Affairs.

 

Sampson Unamka

A three-day conference, which began on Monday, is being held at the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Ijanikin, Lagos State.

The Dean, School of Early Childhood and Primary Education (SECPED), Dr. Elizabeth Aboluwarin, said: “The aim is to expose pre service teachers at the teacher training institutes and practising teachers to the 21st century trends in the foundational level of the educational system.

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“The theme of the conference is: Exposing the Trends in Early Childhood and Primary Education to the Major Stakeholders in the Educational Sector in Nigeria: The Role of the School of Early Childhood and Primary Education.

“The key note presenter is Dr. Ekine Olufunke from Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.”

From Sola Balogun

Like the hen that lays the golden egg, Achievers University, a private university in Owo, Ondo State has come of age. Not only has the institution earned successes in its 11 years of existence, it has gradually nurtured it’s vision of producing well-rounded graduates with promising careers ahead of them.

At its combined 8th and 9th convocations, the institution again sensitised the Nigerians home and abroad about the gains of using quality education to achieve national cohesion, purposeful leadership and economic development.

The institution, which was founded over a decade ago by an indigene, Dr. Bode Ayorinde, a politician and businessman, also used the occasion to galvanise support for democratic governance, as aptly canvassed by Revd Matthew Hassan Kukah who delivered the convocation lecture.

Kukah, who is the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, bagged Achievers University’s doctorate for his commitment to societal ideals and national unity. He used the occasion to underscore the virtues of the institution and its handlers, noting that parents and their wards should grab the rare opportunities being offered by Achievers to make the younger generation “swim successfully in the ocean of life’.

As a vindication of the institution’s commitment to academic excellence, Professor Tunji Samuel Ibiyemi described the journey so far as a strategic and progressive one. Having obtained its licence to operate as a private university in 2007, the institution took off formally on April 2, 2008 with eight programmes in just two colleges. Today the institution boasts of 22 programmes in four colleges, while it just graduated its first set of post graduate students in Accounting, Business Administration and Computer Science Professor Ibiyemi also explained how he university has blazed the trail having obtained accreditation for such programmes as Nursing Sciences, Medical laboratory Sciences, Law, Sociology, Natural and Pure Sciences as well as Community and Security studies.

On the growth of physical infrastructure in the university,the VC cited the new ultra modern female hostel with a total 810 bed spaces. This is in addition to the existing 756 capacity male hostel; both of which have common rooms, decent restaurants,mini mart and laundry facilities.

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According to the VC, the University shall also complete its engineering building complex before March 2020. The proposed edifice, which has 1000 seater lecture theatre and a well equipped office for staff. On the proposed College of Communication Studies, the VC described Mass Communication as the backbone of all programmes in all Nigerian universities. He hinted that Achievers University has since commenced building of an edifice to house the new college while awaiting the final decision of the NUC    which recently approved Faculty of Communication Studies as a replacement of Mass Communication which used to be a department in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Also speaking on why Achievers University proposed an additional Diploma/ Certificate programme for all its first degree holders, Rev. Victoria Imolehin hinted that beginning with the 2019/2020 session, every student will have the opportunity to earn a diploma or certificate. The programme is provided for all students who are desirous of that extra value and is available on weekends so as not to interfere with regular programmes, morally sound, properly educated and entrepreneurially oriented, who would be useful to himself and to the society.

In line with this vision, the university has a unique feature that gives parents and guardians extra value for their wards during the course of their study at the university. She explained further that each student will henceforth be free to offer a maximum of two out of the following programmes before graduation: Certificate in Computer Programming, Diploma in Law, Diploma in French  Language, Diploma in Procurement Process, Diploma in Theology and Church History as well as certificate in Communication Skill and Public Speaking. On the modality of the programmes, Rev. Imolehin disclosed that students would be allowed to access any two of these programmes at their 200 and 300 levels, in addition to the degree programme. Also the programmes are designed to ensure that students gain confidence in themselves before entering the labour market. Besides, the university has lately initiated collaborations with the United kingdom and the USA on how to assist graduates of Achievers University to proceed on their post graduate studies outside the country.

According to Imolehin, the collaborations would entail processing travel documents in favour of graduates of Achievers University who would be treated in-state students in foreign universities. In addition to these, such post graduate students would benefit from a discount of 60 percent of their total fees while also gaining research grants in their chosen programmes.

• Balogun is a lecturer at Federal Univeristy Oye, Ekiti State.

 

Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

 

SIXTY-three pupils from seven public secondary schools in Lagos State have been presented with bronze medals of the Duke of Edinburgh award by the International Award for Young People in Nigeria on Tuesday at the Ikoyi residence of the Deputy British High Commissioner, Harriet Thompson.

The pupils were found deserving of having completed requirements for the award, which included learning a skill, engaging in social services, keeping healthy through physical/sporting activities and adventurous journeys.

The pupils drawn from Akande Dahunsi Memorial Senior High School, Osborne; Girls’ Senior Academy, Lagos Island; Okesuna Senior High school, Lagos Island; Badore Community Senior Secondary School, Badore; Lagos State Senior Model College, Badore; Etinosa Senior Community High School; and Olowu Community Senior Secondary School, were also given certificates, while their teachers (award leaders) and principals were publicly acknowledged for supporting them.

Some of them testified to how undertaking the programme challenged them to learn and do things they would have considered doing outside their school work thereby gaining confidence, determination, and learning more about themselves.

Kehinde Tomon of Okesuna Senior High School said she learnt that gaining other skills were crucial to success in life beyond academics.

“Before the award, I had no interest  in skills. I had all my attention focused on my studies because I thought that was all I needed to be great in life.

 

Yinka Adeniran, Ibadan

 

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state on Tuesday said the state will release the sum of N500million to the management of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho to settle part of the outstanding salaries arrears owned the staff of the institution.

Makinde made the disclosure during a meeting with the stakeholders of the institution which held on the university campus.

Stakeholders at the meeting include, the management staff, students, staff unions amongst others with the purpose of discussing the various challenges facing the institution and slowing down its pace of progress.

In his remarks at the meeting, Governor Makinde reiterated his administration’s commitment to funding the entire educational sector, including state owned tertiary institutions in order to restore the pace setting status of  state in all ramifications.

While restating that the state has the capacity to solely run the institution, Makinde cautioned the staff of both Oyo and Osun origin to shun any form of malice and rift that could alter the progress and development of the tertiary institution.

He however added that the issue of ownership crisis affecting the institution would be jointly addressed by both the Oyo and Osun state government.

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He stressed that both Osun and Oyo states government are partners in progress toward taking the institution to a greater heights.

He also at the event informed the stakeholders of plans to inaugurate a committee to advance the way forward for the institution on Wednesday today.

It would be recalled that the Osun state government had also recently released N250 million to offset salaries and formed a committee to look at all the issues surrounding the joint ownership agreements and proffer lasting solutions to the challenges.

Speaking earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Michael Ologunde, said the two owners states of Oyo and Osun are indebted to the institution a sum of monies which currently stands at over N6 billion.

Representatives of staff unions and other stakeholders who spoke at the forum agitated for sole ownership, steady academic calendar, the offset of outstanding salaries and warned against any attempt to privatize the institution.

 

Heritable diseases that are passed down through the generations have been known for quite some time. For most of that time though, people had no idea why it was this way, let alone what to do about it. This all changed with the arrival of DNA sequencing from the completion of the Human Genome Project over a decade ago.

Not only do people recognize that genes can play a factor in the likelihood of contracting certain ailments, but increasingly scientists are able to pinpoint where these genes are, how they are contributing to something, and to formulate a solution.

The Importance of Health
It is not enough that people are living longer lives if those extra years are spent in a hospital bed. What really matters is not how many years you spend on this Earth, but how many healthy years. This is why the subject of health is so important. Health can be said to be the key to a truly fulfilling life.

As we age, our body accumulates more flaws and as a result we become less vigorous over the years, generally speaking. But if we take care of our health when we are young, we can slow this process down by quite a bit. There are a good number of retirees who have done this and are reaping the benefits.

In the days of old, most knowledge people had of maintaining good health was traditions passed down over the generations. This of course is not always perfect as some traditions might not be rooted in the best of science. Some traditions might be outright harmful to family and societal health.

The health of one person can potentially affect the entire family. If someone falls ill, the whole family is wrought with worry anxiety because a loved one is in distress. If it turns out to be something major, like cancer, not only is the family’s emotions dragged down, but potentially their finances as well.

The miracle of modern technology is the gift that does not stop giving.  With genealogy and heritage DNA tests available to the public, families might just be able to save a member’s life just by knowing more of something. Through knowledge and preventative medicine, people are being empowered to take matters of life into their own hands. While this of course means that a greater degree of personal responsibility is needed, this also means that we can make better decisions on what to do with our life simply because we now know more about ourselves.

Technology to the Rescue

As with many things, modern technology always has the potential to lend a helping hand. In the past couple centuries, human life expectancy has actually doubled worldwide! Improved sanitation, mass vaccination and germ theory have all contributed to this rise in life expectancy.

Another truly remarkable achievement has been the dramatic drop in infant mortality. Just a few short centuries ago, two in five children did not reach the age of five. In most developed countries, this has dropped to less than one in a hundred. This has resulted in the elimination of suffering for nearly countless families worldwide.

With the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA, scientists were able to confirm that certain gene expressions contributed to the rise of certain ailments and also that some of these expressions were transmitted from parent to child. And through better understanding of these gene expressions, scientists will be able to better combat these diseases.

With the Genome Project completed, the field transformed into an information technology and was able to ride the exponential wave of IT development along with countless other fields that have been swept by the IT fairy. Now, scientists are able to attack the problem of heritable diseases with even more pinpoint precision.

DNA Kits and Their Value

DNA Kit testing has exploded in popularity in recent years. With technology making everything cheaper, DNA testing kits are now within financial reach of millions of families. Some people use this technology to satisfy certain curiosities while for others, it could very well be a lifesaver.

DNA testing kits work by sending a testing kit to your address with instructions on what they need from you, usually a large saliva sample, as well as how to get it back to them. After a certain amount of time, some documents will be mailed back to you documenting their findings.

There are some DNA testing kits that specialize in looking for heritable traits with real world consequences such as predispositions to certain heritable diseases and even certain allergies. Many of us go around our daily activities not even slightly aware that we have certain predispositions we have no control over.

This can be very helpful because a DNA test might produce information that can be applied to a real-life medical situation. If you have a high chance of contracting a certain disease than most, it might make sense to take action now that might save your life and spare your family from suffering a loss in the family.

By Collins Nweze

 

Heritage Bank Plc has leveraged its financial inclusion initiatives to empower over 2,000 female entrepreneurs.

The bank stated that it partnered with Prime Women Builders Foundation of Nigeria (PWOBFON), a Non-Governmental Organisation, in providing skills training to the female entrepreneurs.

A statement by the bank’s Divisional Head, Corporate Communications, Mr. Fela Ibidapo, said it embarked on the empowerment programme taking into consideration the importance of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to the economy.

At the graduation ceremony and award of certificate held at Ikeja Local Government Secretariat, Managing Director, Heritage Bank, Ifie Sekibo, said the bank was keen in cultivating real partnerships with MSMEs.

Sekibo, who was represented by the bank’s head of brand management and sustainability, Ozena Uturu, explained that the lender was interested in initiatives that encourage people to start their own businesses and gradually grow them into conglomerates.

According to him, the partnership with PWOBFON was vital in many ways particularly in the areas of job creation, economic empowerment and financial inclusion.

“Apart from skills training, the women have been told the importance of record keeping in business, savings culture and the benefits of having bank accounts as a gateway to accessing other financial services,”Sekibo said.

He said Heritage Bank has been a leading Nigerian bank with an excellent service culture hinged on working with each customer to create a name, wealth and heritage.

Also speaking, Convener, PWOBFON, Kemi Olofinkua, applauded the bank for its support, and urged other corporate organisations to take a cue from the lender in supporting grassroots women empowerment.

She explained that through the support from the Heritage Bank and the Ikeja Local Government, the women, based on their choices, have been equipped with 15 vocational skills covering event decoration, small chops making, baking and pastries.

Other vocations include bead making, computer training, soap making, makeup, tailoring, digital marketing, photography, hairdressing among others.

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To underscore the importance of women empowerment, the CBN had earlier set aside 60 per cent of its N220 billion MSMED Fund for providing financial services to women.

According to Olofinkua, this training is important because when women are positively occupied, the level of poverty will reduce and great achievements will be recorded not only on the home front, but on several sectors of “our national life.”

“Heritage Bank has been very supportive and our desire is to see participants of PWOBFON Empowerment Day doing great in their various vocations. Each and every one of us must deliberately find something to occupy us and bring good profit.

“There are lots of vocations that each and every one of us can excel in; so that we will not be frustrated along the part of life,” Olofinkua stated.

The Executive Chairman, Ikeja Local Government Development Council, Dr. Mojeed Alabi Balogun, represented by his vice, Yomi Mayungba, said the local government was interested in the initiative because it is in line with its grassroots skills training program.

According to him, this is a way of keeping not only women, but men also out of the streets. He said the first batch of trainees started from Ikeja and this is the 10th year anniversary.

“The local government is delighted to partner with the NGO, Heritage Bank and other interested parties,” Balogun said.

 

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged men to change what he described as their “sexist and patriarchal attitudes” which he says lie at the root of violence against women.

He made the comments on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, just hours after another brutal attack, in which a woman was raped and stabbed multiple times.

Launching a campaign against femicide, Mr Ramaphosa described such violence as “a great shame on our nation”.

Some 2,700 South African women were murdered by men last year, and 100 rapes reported each day.

The government has set aside more than $100m (£77m) for a plan to deal with the issue.

Africa’s Most preferred smartphone brand, Tecno, said it was proud to have partnered with the organisers of this year’s Lagos Fashion Week. It said it is in line with its determination to promote every facet of human endeavour in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, its, Deputy Marketing Manager, Attai Oguche, said the firm was particularly excited to be part of the show as it coincided with the launch of its Camon 12 Series in the market with its camera-centric focus.

“We are proud to be a part of this year’s edition of the Lagos Fashion Week, being official mobile partner is a feat, we proud of.

“This partnership is coming at a time when the brand just launched its Camera-Centric mobile line the Camon 12 Series. The world of fashion is another medium to explore the limitless possibilities of its camera and that is what we are doing here today. Camon series is a phone loves by creatives and fashionistas”

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He said Tecno showing its presence in everything Nigerian including arts, style and now fashion, stressing that the brand is truly for Nigerians.

The four-day event, held at Federal Palace Hotel provided a platform for designers to exhibit their new designs and collections on the runway and maximise their exposure within and beyond the industry.  It also offered guests the opportunity to showcase their sense of fashion to the world. Tecno was there to capture individual creativity of attendees and creativity on the runway.

Every day of the event attracted models, fashion enthusiasts, potential buyers, designers, celebrities and the media to the Tecno Fashion Booth, which was one of the major highlights and the most visited booth of the event as they had the opportunity to experience creativity captured with the Camon 12 Series.

Visitors at the booth had the opportunity to have their images taken by two celebrity photographers Emmanuel Oyeleke and Abdulsalami Photography, as well as the top three from the just concluded CAMission camp.  All images taken at the booth were taken with the Camon 12 Pro, an evidence of its excellent camera output quality.

Also present at the booth were Ex-Big Brother Pepper Dem Housemates: Sir Dee, Isilomo and Esther who came around to take pictures with their fans. Nollywood Actress Toni Tones also came around to take pictures in the booth.