Tag: CampusLife

A CAMPUSLIFE reporter has emerged as one of the best Corps members in Enugu State. Emmanuel Ahanonu won multiple awards during the passing-out ceremony of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) held at Okpara Square in Enugu.

Emmanuel, a graduate of Political Science at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), was one of the 10 outstanding Batch “B” Corps members honoured for their good conduct and life-changing Community Development Service (CDS) projects. He served in Community High School in Emene Local Government Area of the state.

Emmanuel said he had always nurtured a desire to affect people’s lives positively, noting that NYSC gave him an opportunity to actualise his dream.

He said: “It has been my dream that if I have an opportunity, I will give my best to my fatherland in terms of selfless service. Today is a remarkable day in my life.”

He said he was moved by the lack of basic human needs in his host community and embarked on the projects that earned him the awards.

Some of his CDS projects included vocational training for pupils on how to knit sweaters and design beads, donation of press boards to schools, establishment of press clubs in four secondary schools and two higher institutions, organising extramural classes twice a week and initiating new ideas as the head of Editorial and Publicity CDS group.

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi praised the Corps members for their life-changing projects, saying their contributions to the development of the state would not be forgotten. He pledged his administration’s commitment to partnership with the NYSC.

The NYSC Co-ordinator, Mrs N.E. Ukagha, assured that the body would continue to reward excellent service, diligence, hard work and outstanding performance by Corps members. She urged Corps members to continue to show faith in the corporate existence of Nigeria and engage in acts that would promote national unity, peace and development.

Emmanuel was also honoured as Best Corps Member and Most Outstanding Corps Member in Emene. He dedicated the awards to God and his colleagues.

Current and ex-CAMPUSLIFE correspondents made a good outing at the Promasidor Quill Awards held last weekend at Sheraton Hotel and Tower in Ikeja, Lagos. The award, according to Promasidor Nigeria Limited, is to raise the bar of excellent writing and reporting among media practitioners.

Toluwani Eniola, a Punch reporter and former CAMPUSLIFE correspondent at the Ekiti State University (EKSU), won the Best Report on Children with his entry: Man abandons children in boarding school for eight years.

Also, Gilbert Alasa, a Foreign Languages graduate of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and a Corps member, won the Future Writer of the Year with his entry, The change we need – an incisive story he wrote two days to the March 28 presidential election to galvanise the youths on why the need to vote out underperforming government at the centre.

Other CAMPUSLIFE correspondents, who got nominated for other categories in the award, are Emeka Attah and Habeeb Whyte.

Attah, a graduate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Anambra State and a freelance reporter with The Sun, was a runner up in Best Report on Education category, won by The Nation’s Taiwo Alimi with the entry: Where the blind dare to dream. Attah entry’s was School graduation for Sale.

Whyte, a Law graduate of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), was a runner up in Future Writer of the Year category with his entry titled: A date with history.

Multiple-award winning Journalist Seun Akioye won the best CSR and Industry Report category. Akioye was a guest speaker at the yearly CAMPUSLIFE Correspondents’ Workshop held last July. His entry was described as highly professional.

Alimi, a sport reporter, clinched the grand prize as the Best Reporter of the Year. He betrayed his emotion as he shed tears when he walked to the stage to receive the overall prize. Eniola was a runner in the category.

The Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Mr Olivier Thiry, said the award is aimed at rewarding the painstaking works of journalists whose stories redefined the essence of living and business.

The chairman of panel of judges, Ambassador Patrick Dele-Cole, a veteran journalist, said the entries were sieved for their quality, consistency, use of English language and professionalism.

The overall winner, Alimi, will be sent for a five week journalism course at the prestigious Thomas Reuters Foundation in London, United Kingdom. Thiry said Promasidor would bear all the travel expenses, including the course fee, accommodation cost, daily living allowance and return flight ticket.

In the spirit of Christmas and his passion to inspire the young ones, Victor Oguaju, a 200-Level Anatomy student of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University in Uli, Anambra State has held a prize giving day for the pupils of Community Secondary School in Isuofia.

The event, which held in the school premises, was attended by the principal and teachers of the school.

Victor, who is a CAMPUSLIFE reporter, was accompanied by friends, including Francis Egwuatu, Mr Universe Nigeria, who is also a CAMPUSLIFE reporter at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).

For hours, Victor motivated the pupils, admonishing them to study hard for their Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and avoid exam malpractice. He also spoke to the SSS Two pupils, advising them to be responsible and be good leaders after the graduation of their senior colleagues.

Victor also discussed moral values, career prospects and entrepreneurship with the pupils during the event. After the talk, he rewarded brilliant pupils with gifts, urging them to remain focused.

Victor and his friends promised to put the school in the map of “Room to Read” project, Francis’s pet project, to enable the pupils benefit from it.

A CAMPUSLIFE reporter at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Miss Comfort Ogon, has won the beauty pageant organised by Bekwarra Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The pageant with the theme: “Showcasing our rich cultural heritage”, was held to mark this year’s yam festival.

Comfort, who represented Gakem ward in the council, beat nine others to emerge winner of the contest.

Ruth Offie of Ukpah ward and Rose Odobi of Afrike Akpeche ward, emerged first and second runners-up.

The event also featured football match, wrestling, cultural dancing competition and gala night, which culminated in the beauty contest.

Comfort promised to use her office to preserve the rich heritage of the Bekwarra people, adding that she would embark on empowerment projects for girls in the community.

Comfort, who runs Embrace the girl-child, a non-governmental organisation with the UN-Global Funds for Women, said her position would help her to achieve her three-fold project.

“My pet project as Miss Bekwarra will be in three folds. It involves a breast-cancer awareness campaign, quiz competitions for secondary schools and pushing for an end to child-labour through empowerment and advocacy to seek improved living conditions for women,” she said.

Members of the judges included wife of the Cross River State Commissioner for Works, Captain Cassandra Idagbor, Hon Akachu Cecilia, Vice-Chairman of Bekwarra Local Government Council, among others.