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Tag: Students Union Government

  • UNICAL SUG constructs N4m laundry bay for students

    The Students Union Government (SUG) of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), has constructed an ultra-modern laundry bay for students living in the hostel, popularly known as Malabor Republic, estimated at almost N4 million.

     

    President of the SUG, Enyam Kelvin, said the bay, which also has provision for ironing clothes, became necessary as some of the hostel halls in the Republic had nowhere for students to wash their clothes.

     

    Speaking at the commissioning of the project, he said the bay could take up to 500 students washing at the same time.

     

    Kelvin, who assumed office about three months ago, said funding for the project was through partnership with the University management.

     

    He said a structure has also been put in place to ensure the proper management of the bay.

     

    “We had to develop a means where students can wash comfortably and make it up to standard considering the equipment and facility. The project cost almost N4 million, the funding came through partnership with the University management because of the Vice-Chancellor is students oriented and he assured that the project must be completed and we want to thank God for it.

     

    “The bay can simultaneously carry up to 500 students washing at the same time. We have a maintenance structure in place because if we don’t manage it, it will become a problem. We have put up modalities to ensure the facility is maintained to serve all Nigerian students. This is the first capital project in the republic. We would also orient the students on the need to maintain the facility so other students can also enjoy the facility after them.

    Read Also: Final year UNICAL student killed by armed robbers

     

    “The Vice Chancellor has been very encouraging. He made this a reality. He is a student oriented VC. He has always promoted the students agenda and we are grateful to him,” Kelvin said.

     

    Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Zana Akpagu, said students’ welfare was his priority.

     

    Akpagu who promised to do more to make life better for the students, said he would avoid bureaucracies to provide facilities for the students.

     

    He congratulated the leadership of the SUG for the project, saying they have etched their names positively in history.

     

    Former Senator representing the Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, Prince Bassey Otu, who commissioned the project, lauded the SUG for their effort to improve the lives of the students. 

     

    “This gives the consolation that the future is bright if young people can embark on such endeavours,” he said.

     

    The Senator representing the Central Senatorial District of the state, Mr John Owan-Enoh, promised to support the students to do more.

     

    Senator Owan Enoh, who was represented by Mr Patrick Okon, urged the students to continue to support the SUG.

  • KSU students decry ‘No Fees, No Exams’ policy

    Students of Kogi State University (KSU) on Monday staged a peaceful protest against the “No fees, No Exams” policy restricting students from writing the ongoing semester examination in the varsity.

    According to the Public Relations Officer of the Students Union Government (SUG), Emmanuel Thomas “The school management has earlier passed a memoranda of understanding to inform the students beforehand in order to ensure strict adherence on or before the stipulated time for the examination.”

    Thomas further expressed his gratitude to the school management for their cooperation and urged the students to comply with the directive in order to achieve a mutually beneficial relationship.

    “Students should adhere strictly to the school management’s directive as efforts have been made to see that all students write the ongoing exams.”

    The students, who took to the Idachaba Lecture Theater of the institution, disrupted those writing Exam before returning to other faculties of the institution to continue the agitation.

    Read Also: KSU Medical Students protest over non-accreditation of Course

    One of the protesters, who spoke on the condition of anonymity with our reporter, said “Some students were denied access to the Examination hall today in spite of the fact that the state government led by Governor Yahaya Bello has not paid workers.”

    Another aggrieved student who don’t want to be mentioned said “Some students who had not fully paid their school fees were the ones protesting and the School management has been so determined to ensure strict adherence to the “No School Fees, No Exams” policy.”

    According to him, “The students should have been allowed to write the ongoing examinations because the government has failed to play their role by paying our parents as at when due.”

    In a recent development, the school management has passed a memo to allow defaulters write the exams on a condition deemed fit for the students to comply with if they must be considered.

     

  • Sacked by parliament, recalled by congress

    Sacked by parliament, recalled by congress

    The impeachment of embattled president of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Students’ Union Government (SUG) by 37 of the 151 members of parliament has been overturned by a congress convened to discuss the union’s proscription by the management. TEMITOPE YAKUBU and KABIR ADEJUMO report.

    Days after the authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State proscribed students’ politics on campus in response to the crisis in the Students’ Union Government (SUG), the necessity of the school management’s decision is still a subject of debate among students.

    The proscription of the union followed the controversial impeachment of the SUG president, Ibukun Edward Oyekan, by 37 of the 151 members of the parliament. The General Secretary, Adeoluwa Boluwajaiye, and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Simon Okediji, were suspended.

    The management described the development as an “embarrassment to the school”, resulting in the union ban.

    There was a free-for-all at the union secretariat between the school security officers and students, who resisted the move to lock the union building. Parties left the scene with injuries as students engaged the security officers in fisticuffs. Items brought by the security personnel, including sledge hammers and video camera were destroyed.

    Before the ban on students’ union politics, a congress of students convened at the instance of the embattled union president declared the removal of the key union leaders as illegal. The congress, held at the Sports’ Complex on November 6, reinstated the president and the two officials suspended.

    At the congress, Ibukun described his purported impeachment as “a product of political game” by opponents of his administration.

    He said: “We have shown commitment to lift the union in a way that makes our opponents feel unsettled. We have embarked on student-oriented projects. Right now, there are plans to provide fans in all Halls of Residence. Some people do not like what we are doing.”

    The embattled president apologised to the students for not meeting their expectations with respect to welfare, but promised his administration would leave good legacy.

    Olamilekan Ayodeji, a Quantity Surveying student, told the congress that the president’s impeachment and suspension of two union officers were illegal, because the parliament did not form a quorum.

    He suggested Judicial Council, the third arm of the union, be approached to solve the controversy. This suggestion was opposed by Victor Oluwafemi, a Law student, who submitted that taking the matter to the Judicial Council would amount to accepting the “illegal action” of the 31 members of the parliament.

    At the end, the congress resolved that the action of the parliament was null and void. CAMPUSLIFE gathered that some 3,000 students attended the congress, which, according to the SUG constitution, is the highest decision making body. Resolutions made by congress, according to the constitution, are binding on all members of the union.

    Meanwhile, mixed reactions are trailing proscription of the union and reinstatement of its sacked leaders by the congress. While some students applauded the management’s decision, other condemned it.

    Iyanu Akinbobola, an English student, said the suspension of the union activities was a “right thing” to do to prevent the closure of the school.

    He said: “Considering the allegations levelled against the union officers by the management, if the union is not suspended, we may have crisis that may be fatal. If such happened, the institution would be closed down and we would all be sent home. Why would all student be made to suffer the consequence of disagreement between people in the SUG?”

    Another student from Faculty of Technology, who pleased for anonymity, criticised the embattled president and the Speaker, Temitope Falaye, for “purposely” handing over the union to the management.

    He said: “Ibukun’s infamous tenure will not be forgotten in the history of our union. The only time we were privileged to see him was during congresses. He would never recognise students that can give progressive submissions, except members of his cabal. We even heard he was advised on several occasions by the former union leaders but he is so stubborn and allowed his selfish interest to override the interest of all students who voted for him.

    “The Speaker is also selfish. I now agree with the saying that ‘the beautiful ones are not yet born’. Suspension is not a bad idea by the authority, because these union leaders are highly irresponsible.”

    An ideological group, Education Rights Campaign, condemned the suspension of union activities. According to a statement by its national coordinator, Hassan Taiwo (aka Soweto), OAU is gradually becoming military barrack where unionism is a crime.

    He said: “We call on the Federal Government and in particular, the Visitor to the university, President Muhammadu Buhari, to call the school management to order before the institution is turned into a regimented environment.

    “As far as we are concerned, unionism is a right. Students have the right to pilot their union affairs as they like and to punish their erring officers.”

  • Crisis rocks UNN Students’ Union

    Crisis rocks UNN Students’ Union

    A crisis is brewing among members of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) Students’ Union Government (SUG), following the impeachment of its president, vice president and director of Transport for alleged misappropriation of funds and embezzlement. The impeached students’ leaders were on an official trip to Sweden when they were removed. The development has generated misgivings among students. Some believe due process was not followed. Others support the impeachment. JAMES OJO (Mass communication) reports.

    A crisis has hit the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) Students’ Union Government (SUG), following the impeachment of its President, Joshua Ezeja, Vice President Janefrances Chukwu, and Director of Transport, Kene Anumba.

    The three members of the executive arm of the union were removed last weekend by members of the Student Representatives’ Council (SRC) – the union’s legislative arm – following allegations of financial misconduct and embezzlement against them.

    Some members of the union have condemned the impeachment, describing it as an hasty decision” and an “abuse of constitutional procedures”. The affected officers, the antagonists of the impeachment said, were not given the opportunity to defend themselves on the allegations against them before the impeachment was carried out.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the embattled union leaders were on an official visit to Sweden when the impeachment was carried out.

    Was the impeachment justified when the affected officers were not allowed to defend themselves? This is the puzzle students want the SRC members to explain.

    The union has two legislative houses – Senate and the SRC – but the power to remove any member of the executive is vested in the latter.

    The impeached union leaders, it was alleged, did not follow due process in making withdrawals from the union’s account before embarking on the European trip. CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the development was being seen as “envy” on the parts of some union members, who were not selected for the trip.

    In a statement, the SRC Speaker, Kenneth Tabugbo, announced that the decision to impeach the union leaders was reached during a sitting of the legislative arm’s members.

    The statement reads: “This is to bring to the notice of all that the legislative arm in its sitting held on October 30, 2017, upon deliberations on the allegations of financial misappropriation, embezzlement of union funds and gross incompetence brought against the President, Vice President, Director of Transport; the House has come to the following conclusions.

    “Having had before the House, indubitable evidence of embezzlement of funds to the tune of over N4 million by the SUG President; the president stands impeached.

    “On the grounds of financial misappropriation, embezzlement of union funds, denigration and complete disregard for the House, the Vice-President stands impeached.

    “Having been found guilty of financial misappropriation, commercialisation of union properties without the consent of the House, crass negligence and ineptitude; the Director of Transport stands impeached.

    “All impeached officials are forthwith, denied all privileges of membership of the executive council and mandated to return all properties of the union to the General Secretary within seven days.”

    Controversies have trailed the impeachment, with students alleging that the process did not follow constitutional procedures.

    The union’s Senate President, Izuchukwu Asogwa, told CAMPUSLIFE that the SRC did not follow constitutional procedure for the impeachment.

    He said: “The 2016 Constitution of the union makes provisions for the process of impeaching any official of the union. The relevant sections of that constitution are Sections 112 and 113. Section 112 requires that a notice of allegation against an officer in writing must be signed by no less than one-third of members of the House and presented to the Speaker, stating the misconduct against the officer.

    “A copy of the notice must be served on the officer within seven days by the Speaker, who is required to also serve each member of the House a statement made by the officer in response to the allegation. Afterwards, the House must resolve by a motion within 14 days whether or not the allegation needs be investigated.”

    Izuchukwu said the motion would only be valid if it is supported by no less than two-thirds majority of all members of the House present. Within seven days of passing the motion, the Senate President said the union’s Chief Judge needs to appoint persons of impeccable character at the request of the Speaker to investigate the allegation. He said any officer being investigated must go on suspension pending the outcome of the investigation.

    He said: “Section 113 provides for a panel that will investigate the allegations and report to the House within 21 days. Where the allegation was not proven upon investigation, the matter dies a natural death. But where it is proven beyond doubt, the House must consider the report within 14 days.

    “If the report is supported by no less than two-thirds majority of all members, then the investigated officer shall stand removed. The proceedings of the panel or House in this regard cannot be entertained in any court.  A bye-election is, therefore, conducted within two weeks after the office becomes vacant.”

    Izuchukwu said the spelt out procedures were not followed in the impeachment of the President, Vice President and the Director of Transport.

    He said: “This is why the impeachment is null and void, and it is clearly unconstitutional. It is crystal clear, audible to the deaf and visible to the blind that the dictates of the constitution were not followed by the House.

    “The issue of embezzlement, corruption and financial mismanagement is not something anyone jumps into. Whether he actually did it or not is a matter that must be investigated by a panel. It is not what the House members can justify without evidence.”

    The Senate President dispelled opinion that there was friction among members of the union over the European trip, urging the students to disregard the rumours.

    An executive member of the union, who pleaded for anonymity, said: “The president and others impeached were not served letter of impeachment neither were they given fair hearing. For God’s sake, all these happened when they were in far away Sweden.”

    However, a member of the SRC, who did not give his name, said the impeachment was in order. “Though it may contradict provisions of the constitution, such decision should be seen as law of emergency that will promote accountability in the union,” he said.

    At the time of the report, the impeached officials were in Sweden for official engagement. When contacted, Joshua pleaded with our reporter to allow him return to the country before making statement about what he called “purported impeachment”.

    Asked if the allegation of embezzlement against him was true, Joshua simply said: “Do you believe that?”

     

     

  • Ex-union leader, rector clash over SUG election

    The immediate past president of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi (AUCHI POLY) in Edo State, Samson Okoduwa, has called on the institution’s management to allow students hold elections into the union.

    He said there were plans by management to impose a caretaker committee on students when there was no crisis in the union.

    Activities of the union were suspended last month over alleged threat to the second semester examination.

    The institution’s spokesman, Mustapha Oshiobugie, said the proscription of SUG activities followed threat by the Okoduwa-led executive to disrupt the examination to protest management’s postponement of union elections till after the examination.

    Okoduwa said the union’s proscription was uncalled for, accusing the management of a plot to impose its preferred candidates against students’ wish.

    The former SUG leader urged the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, to prevail on the school to stop what he called militarisation of the campus with local hunters, vigilante groups, police and military men from the 195 Battalion of the Nigerian Army.

    The Monday protest at the school, he said, is to remind the management of the pending SUG election.

    Okoduwa said: “There has been no problem in the union. The students protested on Monday because we told them the dangers of writing examinations without a new elected SUG leadership in place. The students came out, but the Acting Rector used police, hunters and local vigilante to suppress the protest. Many students were injured in the protest. As we speak, there is no identity card for the students, even after each student paid N1,500 for the card.”

    The Acting Rector, Dr Sanusi Jimah, said plans were on to gear to start the issuance of ID cards to students. He denied the school wanted to impose caretaker committee on the students, saying Okoduwa refused to submit names for the constitution of electoral committee members, because he was on the run for embezzling the union fund.

    Jimah said: “Other departmental and faculty elections have been held successfully, except for the School of Engineering. We have brought up schedule for examination when we saw a letter that there would be no examination without election. Okoduwa brought armed boys to the school on Sunday. On Monday morning, he went to the hall to stop examination. He insulted me and I didn’t care when I tried to call him to order.

    “The disruption happened only at the ICT. Others were writing examinations. The police arrested him and left him to write examination. We suspended SUG activities for the now until after examination.”

     

  • Abraham Adesanya Poly students elect leader

    A Higher National Diploma (HND) II student, Ibrahim Lawal, has emerged the leader of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic (AAPOLY) in Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State. Students went to the poll last week, to elect their leaders in an open ballot process described as peaceful, free and fair by observers.

    The election, held at the Multipurpose Hall, recorded low turnout, because most students had travelled for the semester break.

    Ibrahim polled 67 votes and was declared winner over his opponent, Adekunle Adebowale, who garnered 25 votes. Kayode Balogun, who was a strong contender for the president, was disqualified by the Students’ Affairs Directorate for an unknown reason. Students, who spoke with CAMPUSLIFE after the election, said the exercise was free and fair.

    Others elected included the Vice President, Shola Ogundahunsi, General Secretary, Ayomide Erinle, Treasurer, Seun Okupe, Financial Secretary, Tolulope Odukoye, Social Director, Ibrahim Ganiyu, Public Relations Officer 1, Ijioma Caleb, and Sport Director, Samuel Okewunmi.

  • UI students urge FG to prioritise education

    The Students Union Government (SUG) of the University of Ibadan, has called on the Federal Government to preserve the future of the Nigerian students by making education its priority.

    Mr Oluwanifemi Ojo, the president of the union, made this call while addressing a news conference on Tuesday at the union’s secretariat on campus.

    Ojo, who called on the Federal Government to urgently pay attention to education, which could drive other development factors in the country, noted that education remained the key to the future of the youth.

    “The decadence in the education sector is alarming and as a key stakeholder in the sector, we say no to the ill treatment being given to the sector.

    “If there is anything that should be on top of government’s agenda, it must be the education of its citizens,’’ he said.

    He wondered why government authorities released funds that could not pay the salaries of staff of the universities, adding that the budgetary allocation to universities was nothing to write home about.

    Ojo, who decried the poor facilities in the universities, said government authorities needed to maintain the existing facilities and provide new ones in all the nation’s higher institutions.

    The union leader, who lamented that the University of Ibadan was not getting enough fund allocations, urged  the government to increase its monthly allocations to the university to foster development.

    According to him, If the university, which is the first in Nigeria is currently underfunded, what is the fate of other federal universities and tertiary institutions in Nigeria,’’ he queried.

    The union president, however, advised universities in the country to look into some ways of increasing their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) through gainful ventures rather than increasing school fees.

  • Students’ protest stall activities at Akwa Ibom State University

    Students’ protest stall activities at Akwa Ibom State University


    Students of the Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU), Obio Akpa Campus, on Tuesday started a protest over closure of school portal. The students, whose protest disrupted activities on the school campus and force businesses in the neighbourhood to close down, are also angry with the institution over boycotting accreditation and mid semester break. The peaceful protest, led by the Students Union Government (SUG) Secretary General, Comrade John Bassey, was under Akwa Ibom Student Protestscontrol following the presence of heavy security men. According to eye witness, who pleaded anonymity, the Police Area Commander of Ikot Ekpene, Mr Chidozie Ike, was present at the scene of the protest. The Nation, gathered that the students are demanding that the institution opened school portal for full payment of tuition for 2014/2015 academic session Also, students demand that the new policies on the hiring of school bus by the students at about N30, 000 should be addressed. Similarly, a Campus Press Club member, reported that some students were unable to take examinations due to non-payment of their first semester tuition. Although, the eye witness could not confirm the number of students affected by the situation, it was gathered that most students had to pay house rents with their tuition since hostels were no more available. Akwa IbomMeanwhile, the students are appealing to the school management to understand the prevailing challenges that forced them into diverting their tuition. According to the students, landlords increased house rent upon knowing that School hostels were no more available for the students. They further blamed the situation on economic challenges in the country, where some of their parents are yet to receive salary. Hence, they (Students leaders) on behalf of the students make the plea on the grounds of humanity, saying: "However they are going to do it, we want the portal to be open for full payment of the entire session school fees," Comrade Bassey, SUG Secretary, was quoted to have said. The Nation was unable to confirm directly, the situation of things around the campus, but it was gathered that major road leading to the school was closed by heavy traffic as commercial activities were also interrupted.