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Tag: DON

  • Don laments erosion of varsity culture

    Don laments erosion of varsity culture

    The Deputy Vice Chancellor [DVC] of the University of Port Harcourt [UNIPORT], Prof Bene Willie Abbey, has lamented the erosion of the university culture through unethical behaviours of administrators in the system.

    She said environmental factors and lack of commitment on the part of university administrators, workers and students have militated against the return of the culture, which was once prestigious and envious, and the reason universities were called ivory towers.

    Delivering a lecture titled, “University Culture: Meaning, Scope and Imperatives” at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Prof Abbey said the university culture of research through cooperation with industries was gone.

    This erosion, she said, has become a serious concern for university managements, especially as the declaration made in Keffi, Nasarawa State, to restore the age-long best practices of university culture, was yet to be done.

    She said unethical behaviours in universities were undermining the very foundation of higher education in the country, adding that unethical behaviour has to do with what is morally wrong,

    “Or when an individual or organisation gains an advantage at the expense of the larger society”.

    She listed some of the unethical behaviours to include cultism which she attributed to long years of military rule and its attendant brutalization of the universities, and the situation where students who are less brilliant are admitted leaving out the brilliant ones.

    Prof Abbey frowned at the situation whereby lecturers have refused to complete their course outline and instead depend on selling hand outs, sorting which is the situation where students offer lecturers either their bodies or money for marks.

    She said: “When a lecturer takes money or sleeps with his female student for marks, such a lecturer has lowered his esteem before such student and it will also be difficult for such student to have the moral to come back and offer any helping hand to the institute as alumnus of the university”.

    Prof Abbey said that the only way forward for the restoration of the valued university culture is to advocate for a strong commitment on the part of university administrators, staff and students, to uphold institutional core values for a sustainable university culture.

     

  • Don counsels pupils

    Pupils of Sasa Community Senior High School, in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State have been challenged to discover their potential.

    A senior lecturer at the Lagos State University (LASU), Dr Doyin Hassan, made this call during the school’s counseling and career day, themed ‘Unlocking your potential’.

    He said: “Students should know where their strength lay and how well they can strategize to use their talents to make them better citizens.”

    Hassan said this process should start early so by the end of their secondary education they are sure which careers to embrace.

    “As they are growing-up, it is important for them to know certain things. By the time they leave secondary school they have a lot waiting for them outside there. So it is about looking around you; what is embedded in you to shape the present situation with resources at your disposal,” he said.

    Outside his lecturing job, the don said he mentors youth, especially those that want to be actors.

    Another speaker, Mr John Fagbemi, also encouraged the pupils to be driven to fulfil their potentials.

    Mrs. I.E Fagbemi, the school counselor, said that the programme has provided a platform for her pupils to meet seasoned professionals who graduated from the school.

    “When the Ex-students came here, they challenged the present students that they can do more and be effective in whatever field they have chosen,” she said.

     

  • Don advises Nigerians on attitudinal change

    A professor of Social Studies and Citizenship Education at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye Professor Abiodun Ogunyemi has said that it was the responsibilities of all Nigerians to make the country great again.

    He said the negative attitude of the leaders and followership in Nigeria is responsible for the numerous challenges facing the country at the moment, urging Nigerians to pay more attention to national development.

    The university teacher who spoke at the 69th inaugural lecture of the institution said the evidence of the bad citizenship reflects in the way we handle our government affairs, business, economy, marital and family relationships, cultural life, legal practice, religion and ethical conduct and more importantly, education sector in Nigeria.

    The Don who tagged the lecture: “The Search for Good Citizens and the Curriculum as Compass”   highlighted some newspapers headlines report to buttress his point that the attitude of many Nigerians is responsible for the challenges facing the country at the moment.

    Ogunyemi described good citizens as the one who obey and respect the law of the land adding that a good citizen would be honest in all his private and public dealings. He said it was the duty of each citizen to be devoted to duty, ready to help the needy and sympathetic to others.

    He maintained that the job of restructuring the country should not be left in the hand of the leaders alone, adding that individual also must make the effort to ensure the success of national development.

     

  • Moderate your utterances, don urges politicians

    A professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Olanrewaju Badmus, has urged politicians to moderate their utterances.

    Badmus urged them to avoid any action that could cause violence before, during and after the elections.

    The university don delivered the  256th inaugural lecture of the institution. Its title was: “Utilising the Qu’ran, Stabilizing the Society.”

    He criticised the current leadership for squandering the resources and fueling corruption.

    Badmus said: “That  Nigerians are passing through a difficult period is reflected in the inability of the government to rescue the abducted Chibok girls; it has also reflected in the insecurity of lives and property, the lack of effective poverty alleviation programme and the absence of prosperity-driven policies.

    “A large part of the world today, including our dear country, is experiencing instability and insecurity because leaders promote injustice and corruption and neglect the welfare of followers.

    “Only recently, a former Secretary of State for the United States of America, Mrs. Hillary Clinton, lambasted the Nigerian leadership for squandering the resources of the people and indirectly festering corruption.

    “Leadership as a position of trust is fragile and it has to be handled with care by eschewing unethical behavior and conduct, which hinder peaceful co-existence and stability of human society. If leaders will function well according to expectation, there will be a functional economic package which will benefit the rich and the poor.

  • Don delivers UNIBEN’s 149th inaugural lecture

    Don delivers UNIBEN’s 149th inaugural lecture

    Professor Ambrose Isah has delivered the 149th inaugural lecture of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) last Thursday. The consultant of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics spoke on: The Clinical Pharmacologist: Sentry, ombudsman, arbiter, and custodian of therapeutic care in health care system in the lecture held at the Akin Deko Auditorium.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Friday Orumwense, represented by his deputy on Administration, Prof Lawrence Ezemwonye, congratulated the lecturer, noting that inaugural lectures were avenue through which scholars educate the public about their achievements in research.

    Prof Isah said he took interest in clinical pharmacology after he read a journal titled: Adverse Drug Reaction Bulletin at the Prof Latunde Odeku Memorial Library at the University of Ibadan (UI) in 1977.  He said as an arbiter, clinical pharmacologist served as a gatekeeper on the drugs entering market.

    The role of the clinical pharmacologist, he said, is important if people must have safe drugs. He said the clinical pharmacologist should act as an ombudsman to regulate movement of drugs in the society.

    The lecturer urged government to address cost of drugs and tariff of medicine. He said drug information must be made available to people, while charging government to support the National Agency for Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) with workable legislation and fund to carry out its function as required by law.

    Prof Isah told the audience that his involvement in drug research led to the establishment of the Pharmacovigilance Center at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), which he said was the first of its kind in the Niger Delta region. He was decorated with a medal for the lecture.

    Nwaobi Oge, president of the UNIBEN Medical Students Association (UBEMSA) hailed Prof Isah for the lecture, saying: “The lecturer just proved that he is scholar in the field of drug regulation; government should wakeup to its responsibility because the challenge is beyond legislating laws but implementation that matters.”

    Prof Isah studied Medicine and Surgery at the University of Ibadan and proceeded to the University of Newcastle for training in clinic pharmacology. He was the Dean and Head of Department of Medicine at the UNIBEN and a fellow of the West African College of Physician and the Royal College of Physician.

  • Don plans for sports

    To stimulate the interest of UNILORIN students and members of staff in sports the institution’s new Director of Sports, Prof. Adetayo Talabi, has unveiled plans to introduce two sports championships.

    Prof Talabi said the workers would compete in The Registrar’s Championship during the first semester, while the students would compete in the Vice-Chancellor’s Championship in the second semester.

    He said: “I just need to run what I call a sport festival for both staff and students. The Registrar’s Championship for staff will come in the first semester when students are just settling down; the students will have their own Vice–Chancellor’s Championship in the second semester when they are already familiar with the University environment.”

    The Professor of Human Kinetics and Health Education said presently, the programmes in place, the Vice-Chancellor’s Cup and Registrar’s Cup only feature football.  However, he said the new championships would feature other sports.

    to Vice-Chancellor’s Championship and Registrar’s Championship respectively where athletes will be able to compete in other sporting events aside football.

     

  • Education is expensive, but churches should consider members, says don

    Professor of Guidance and Counseling, Prof Mopelola Omoegun, has debunked claims that mission schools charge too much.  However, she said church-owned institutions need to consider ways to help their members afford the fees for their wards.

    Prof Omoegun, who is the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Lagos Girls Anglican Grammar School (LAGGS), Lagos, spoke at a press conference to commemorate the school’s 60th anniversary last Friday.

    The University of Lagos (UNILAG) don said given the facilities that churches provide without government support for their schools what they charge as tuition is not expensive.

    She said: “Let me correct that notion: education offered by religious institutions is not expensive.  By the time you compare private schools and those owned by churches, you will know it is not expensive. They have to break even because it is business, they have to pay the teachers well, and on time, so that there will be commitment. They also have to procure equipment and make sure the learning environment is conducive for the students to meet up with international standards. Now when they charge, it must be done in such a way that will make them run the school properly.”

    Prof Omoegun, however, said that members who fund institutions built by churches should also be able to send their wards there.  She called on churches to find ways to achieve this.

    “I know the fees, like I said, must be expensive since there is no government involvement. But I think that is where there is a problem, if they used the tithes and offerings of the people to build the schools, there should be concession. That is my grouse, if you have used tithes and offering of the people, there should be consideration. But on the fees, it has to be high because people will expect standard, they should be ready to pay for it,” she said.

    Speaking on the school’s diamond jubilee, Prof Omoegun, who is the Dean, Faculty of Education at UNILAG, said it has achieved the milestone of 60 by providing quality education.

    “We are celebrating the 60th anniversary of this college today and it is commendable that the school owned by the Anglican Communion has come of age in providing quality education at affordable rates for the society,” she said.

    The principal of the school, Mrs Mercy Akin-Ajayi, added that this would have been impossible without the commitment of the Anglican Dioceses to educational development.

    Akin-Ajayi said the school has improved tremendously from when it was returned to the Anglican Mission by the state government in 2003.

    She said: “Since the school was returned to the original owners about 12 years ago, it has been a lot of efforts. It is a pity we cannot bring back the pictures of how it was in those days. This place was a house for miscreants. Boys from Mushin and Ojuelegba used to come here to smoke, but today, the story is different.

    “We have converted the Jakande-style shed to a block of class rooms.  We have it in a storey building housing 24 classrooms.  The Jakande structure had no windows. When it rained, every student would be in the rain and when it was hot, it would be very hot, making teaching and learning so difficult.  We have also upgraded the hall. When we took over from the government who had taken it from us initially, there was no single glass left on the windows of the hall, it took some millions to fix. We were able to do this with the fees from the students. And we still have the fees at affordable rates.”

    She added that the school hopes to use the anniversary to raise more funds, and thanked the old students who have supported the school in the past.

    “We have an old student who is a professor; she recently endowed a N5 million scholarship for students that performed well in certain subjects. This is very commendable,” she said.

    The school is one of the colleges run by the Anglican Communion in Lagos State and administered by diocese in the Lagos area. The dioceses include Lagos, Mainland, Badagry, Lagos West and Diocese of Awori.

     

  • Don wins award

    Don wins award

    The International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance (ICHPER.SD) has honoured a senior academic staff of the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education in the Faculty of Education, UNILAG, Prof Grace Otinwa as the pioneer recipient of its Dong Ja Yang Award on Leadership.

    Prof Otinwa, who has served as the Regional Secretary of ICHPER.SD Africa for over 12 years received the award on December 18, 2014 during the 56th ICHPER.SD Anniversary World Congress and Exposition held in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.

    The International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation (ICHPER) was founded in 1958 in Rome, Italy and was renamed the ICHPER.SD at the World Congress held in 1993 in Japan. The body is committed to the promotion of professional and curriculum standards, scholarly pursuits and exchange of knowledge among professionals in health, physical education, recreation, sports and dance.

    Born on March 17, 1964 in Jos, Plateau State, Prof Otinwa nee Akintunde had her elementary education at St. Luke Primary School, Jos, Plateau State (1970 – 1974) and Baptist Day Primary School, Kaduna State (1974 – 1976). She attended the Women Teachers College, Zaria (1976 – 1981), and the Advanced Teachers College, Zaria where she obtained the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) in 1982.  She earned a first degree in Physical and Health Education from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1987.

    She studied for her Master of Education Degree and Doctorate Degree in Exercise Physiology at the University of Ibadan (1990 and 1998).

  • Osun students honour don

    The UNILORIN Branch of the National Association of Osun State Students is planning a Personality Lecture in honour of the former Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof. R. D. Abubakre.

    Abubakre has also served as the former Vice Chancellor, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin; and Federal Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission, Osun State.

    The event, which will take place Tuesday next week at the main auditorium, will be chaired by Justice Idris Abdullah Haroon.

    A Senior Lecturer in Arabic at the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, Dr. Hamza Ishola Abdulraheem, will be the guest speaker while the Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, is the Special Guest of Honour.

    The UNILORIN Vice-Chancellor, Prof AbdulGaniyu Ambali, will be the Chief Host while his KWASU counterpart, Prof. AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, and the Aare Musulumi of Iwo, Alhaji AbdulRasheed Adelani Salinsile, will be the special guests. The Grand Qadi of Kwara State Shariah Court of Appeal, Justice S. O. Mohammed, is also expected at the event.

  • Don for inaugural lecture

    The 1st Inaugural Lecture of UNILAG for the 2014/2015 Academic Session entitled: Cancer The Unwanted Guest That May Visit will hold on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at the Main Auditorium, of the university.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Rahamon A. Bello, will preside over the lecture which will be delivered by the Head, Department of Radiation Biology, Radiotherapy, Radiodiagnosis and Radiography in the College of Medicine, Prof Aderemi Tajudeen Ajekigbe.