Tag: FUT Minna

For three weeks, politics suffused the atmosphere of the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT MINNA) in Niger State. The campus witnessed moments of intense political permutations and intrigues, culminating into presentations of manifestoes and screening of aspirants. The electioneering ended with a period of high-wire politicking, where candidates moved from one lecture room to the other to canvass votes.

Then the students went to the poll to elect a new set of leaders into all levels of the Students’ Union Government (SUG). After the keenly contest election through electronic means, 12 candidates were elected to fill the position in the union’s executive arm; 28 students were elected into Student Representatives’ Assembly (SRA).

The e-voting started at 9am at the school’s Electronic Test Centre (I) in Gidan Kwano campus, amid tight security provided by Man O’ War cadets. The election ended at 5pm.

On the election day, students trooped out en masse to exercise their franchise. Agents of the candidates engaged in a last-minute moves to convince students on voting their candidates. Students at the Bosso campus of the school left for Gidan Kwano campus in shattered buses and cabs to vote.

In drumming support for their friends, some students displayed big campaign posters, banners and distributed flyers to prospective voters on the election ground.

CAMPUSLIFE learnt that the candidates took their campaigns to the social media platforms, such as Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram and Twitter to sell their programmes to students. Some of the contestants shared customized items, such as books, t-shirts, fez caps and mufflers.

The Students’ Union Independent Electoral Commission (SUIEC) chairman, Prof Salawu Sadiku, explained that the school’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Unit, explained that the commission designed a unique login pin for each student, which they supplied together with their matriculation numbers before they were allowed to vote. The move, he said, was to prevent irregularities in the process.

He said: “We have succeeded in conducting a transparent, fair and credible SUG election. All the contestants were part of the process and all agreed with the outcomes. We had no technical hitch, logistics concern, controversies, and malpractice during the exercise. No ballot was hijacked or stolen. Those who won were the popular choice of students. The electoral body allowed the wills of the voters to prevail by conducting the SUG election through e-voting method.”

A 400-Level Crop Production student, Mathew Fajoye, was elected the union president, having polled 3,510 votes to defeat his two rivals, Adeiza Saidu, a 400-Level Civil Engineering student, and Abdulbasit Yusuf, an Electrical Electronics Engineering student, who garnered 1,734 votes and 571 votes.

Also elected were Vice President 1, Nurisat Abisola, Vice President II, Isaac Adariku, General Secretary, Zachariah Olaore, Assistant General Secretary, Joyce Nomigo, Financial Secretary, Yewande Rafat, and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ismail Abdulrasheed.

Others are Director of Sport, Moshood Abdulquadri, Director of Social, Jonathan Anyanwu, Treasurer, Faruq Muritala, Welfare Director 1, Damilola Adejube, and Welfare Director II, Toyeeb Abioye.

Students, who spoke with CAMPUSLIFE, praised the electoral committee for the peaceful conduct of the exercise and the innovation introduced to make the process rancour-free.

Greg Adeniyi, a final year student, advised the successful contestants to run an all-inclusive, transparent, accountable and service-oriented administration.

He said: “The incoming students’ leaders have had their work cut out for them. We have lingering issues of burglary in students’ lodges off-campus, transportation challenges, and inadequate accommodation to mention a few. These issues need to be addressed urgently by the incoming union executive members.”

Aisha Suleiman, a Building Technology student, charged the elected leaders to build on the achievements recorded by their predecessors. She also advised those who lost during the election to join hand in support of the elected executive members.

Abdulazeez Lawal, a 300-Level Geology student, observed that victory usually comes with responsibility, urging the successful candidates in the election to offer selfless and exemplary leadership. He also urged them to be disciplined.

A female student, who simply gave her name as Rejoice, appealed to the SUG to revive social activities on the campus, saying such would relieve students of academic tension. She said money accrued to the union should be utilised judiciously on legacy projects that will outlive the union leaders.

The president-elect, Mathew, promised to initiate reforms that will address the welfare of students and improve their academic performance.

He extended a hand of fellowship to his opponent, assuring that his administration would be proactive in addressing the challenges faced by students in their academic pursuits. He said he would prioritise actions that would harness students’ creativity and innovation.

The adverse effects of heavy metals on living organisms have been highlighted at the 66th inaugural lecture of the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT MINNA) in Niger State. MAHMUD ABDULSALAM, NATHANIEL ADEBAYO, SAMUEL BOB-UMAHABA and UTHMAN OLADEJI report.

Copper, Zinc and Lead are among the trace elements naturally found in the soil. But, an academic researcher, Yahya Ahmed Iyaka, has said increase in concentration of these heavy metals in any soil is toxic and hazardous to plants, animals and man.

Iyaka, a professor of Chemistry and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC), Administration, at the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT MINNA) in Niger State, made the shocking revelation when he disclosed that there was an increase in soil pollution across the world due to increased geologic and anthropogenic activities, thereby increasing the concentration of heavy metals in the soil.

The development, he said, is affecting the growth of plants and resulting in low yield, which in turn is increasing food insecurity.

Iyaka delivered the 66th inaugural lecture of the university titled: The fascinating elements in soils: Are you seeing what I am seeing?, held at the Caverton Lecture Theatre in Gidan Kwano campus.

He noted that the heavy metals, which he described as fascinating elements, affected the number, diversity and activities of soil organisms, adding that soil aeration, microbial activity and soils’ mineral compositions had been influenced by the presence of heavy metals.

He listed activities that can aid quick contamination of soils by heavy metals to include mining and smelting of metals, burning of fossil fuels, use of fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture, production of batteries and other metal products in industries, metal sludge and municipal waste disposal.

The don observed that the term “heavy metals” is often used as a group name for metals and metaloids that have been associated with contamination and potential toxicity or ecotoxicity. He, however, said various remediation processes could still be applied to check the rate of soil pollution by heavy metals.

He said: “Encapsulation, solidification, stabilisation, electro-kinetics, vitrification, vapour extraction, soil washing and flushing, both are the physical and chemical methods of remediation. But they are expensive and make the soil unsuitable for plant growth. The safer and cost-effective biological methods include bioremediation, biostimulation, genetic engineering and phytoremediation.”

Prof Iyaka said it was dangerous for human body to have excessive Lead build-up, saying: “Chronic migraines, irritability, aggressive behaviour, sleeping disorder, abdominal pain, poor appetite, constipation and anaemia, all result from Lead poisoning in humans.”

He added: “Complications from Lead poisoning are also suffered by children. They include loss of body development, behavioural problems, hearing loss, kidney damage, reduced IQ and slowed body growth.”

The don described the 2014 Lead poisoning in Zamfara State, which caused the death of more than 400 children living in small mining communities, as “the worst case of acute Lead poisoning in modern history”.

The Chemistry professor charged Ministries of Environment and Agriculture to constantly monitor the level of heavy metals in soil across the country, with a view to mitigating their dangerous effects on the ecosystem.

Highpoint was the announcement of endowment fund in honour of Alhaji Ibrahim Baba Iyaka for the Overall Best Graduating Student in the Department of Chemistry.

Starting from next academic session, the inaugural lecturer said outstanding 100-Level Chemistry student from Niger State would be awarded “Professor Yahya Ahmed Iyaka scholarship.

Prof Iyaka, a former Dean of Students’ Affairs, joined the school in 2002 as an Assistant Lecturer, and rose through the ranks to become a professor of Chemistry in 2015.