The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Students

  • Edo students unveil plans to immortalise Amodu, Keshi

    •Sports festival in motion

    Tertiary institution students from Edo State have taken the bull by the horns as they unveiled plans for an annual Sports Festival to honour two of the greatest coaches Nigeria has ever produced in Shuiabu Amodu and Stephen Okechukwu Keshi.

    The students under the aegis of the National Association of Edo State Students (NAESS), said through their Planning Committee Chairman, Comrade Oloke Emmanuel and their Director of Sports, Comrade Adeoye Raphael, that the plan is to hold an annual Sports Festival to honour two of the best coaches Nigeria and indeed Africa has ever produced.

    The duo said they have spoken to relevant authorities in  Edo and Delta states as well as football managers at the federal level and that they hope to get support for what they have tagged NAESS National Sports Festival in honour of Shuiabu Amodu and Stephen Keshi. Venue of the maiden event has been scheduled for the University of Benin Sports Centre, as  stakeholders meet to fine tune the date for later this year, with the middle of the year already touted.

    Comrades Adeoye and Oloke, were emphatic that they were not kidding on the project as they wish to use the sports festival to redefine the way heroes are treated in Nigeria, declaring that they were not quite satisfied at the way the duo of Amodu and Keshi were treated at both Federal and state levels when they passed on.

  • Stranded Amnesty scholarship students seek Osinbajo’s intervention

    This is not the best of times for the Niger Delta Scholarship students studying abroad under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP). They are complaining of hard times because of what they refer to as poor funding of the programme.

    In fact, they want the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to wade into the financial difficulties facing the programme. They want Osinbajo to treat their matter with seriousness in the spirits of the ongoing move by the Federal Government to find lasting solutions to the crisis in the Niger Delta.

    The students’ representatives, Mr. Emomotimi Pius, in a statement, lamented that they were no longer allowed by their schools to undertake academic activities for not paying their tuition fees. Pius said they were also facing eviction from their accommodation over nonpayment of school fees and in-training allowances.

    He said: “It has come to our notice how the ministries of finance, budgeting and planning, the Accountant-General and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are frustrating the Amnesty Programme by not releasing funds being approved by President Muhammad Buhari to the Amnesty Office.

    “We are making it known to the general public the suffering the Niger Delta students are facing in foreign land due to poor funding of the amnesty programme.

    “Students have also been asked to return back to Nigeria from America due to inadequate funding of the programme. We are totally against such decision of abrupt termination of our education.

    He further said that students from the various universities were yet to receive a dime from the little sum of money that was released to the amnesty office.

    He noted that Swansea University, Wales; Hertfordshire University, Hartfield; University of Portsmouth; University of Plymouth, University of Birmingham and others had not received their money for  five months.

    “We are in our final year of study and will be graduating soon. We are calling on the acting president, the House of Rep and Senate to take the necessary steps to salvage us from this precarious situation we are in due to lack of funds.

    “While we commend the effort of the Acting president in seeking sustainable peace in Niger Delta through his visits to various states in the region, we call on all youths, ex-agitators, in the region to embrace the move.

    “We are calling on the Finance Minister, the Minister of Budgeting and Planning, Accountant-General and the Governor of CBN to stop frustrating the effort of the Special Adviser and Coordinator of the Amnesty Hrogramme, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh (retd) in achieving success in the amnesty programme.

    “We are asking they stop playing politics with the release of funds for the amnesty program and support the effort of the special adviser in bringing the needed peace in Niger Delta and Nigeria”.

  • LASPOTECH graduates 9,228 students

    The Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu, will graduate 9,228 National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) students today.

    The Rector, Mr Samuel Sogunro, said at a press briefing ahead of the institution’s 25th convocation and 40th anniversary last week that 273 of the graduands made the distinction grade; 1223 had Upper Credit, 5693, Lower Credit; and 2106 Pass.

    The ceremony, which is themed “LASPOTECH aloft at 40” will be graced by the Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwumi Ambode, and his Deputy, Dr Idiat Adebule.

    Sogunro said the polytechnic, which took off on June 1, 1977 and ranks fifth in Nigeria, has produced graduates that have contributed immensely to the growth of the economy, especially in areas of commerce, technology and engineering.

    He added that the polytechnic runs a compulsory Students Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Scheme (SEES) for the students benefits even while in school.

    He said that the polytechnic’s Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre had been upgraded to provide quality research through donation from Huawei Limited which was facilitated by the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr Obafela Bank-Olemoh.

    He said the school recently partnered with Afrione Limited to establish a mobile phone and ipad repair laboratory on the campus.

    Other features of the one week ceremony included the Convocation Lecture  titled “Unlocking Entrepreneur and Agricultural Potentials in Tertiary Education Institutions for National Food Security”, which will be delivered by Prof. Abayomi Fasina, Faculty of Agricultural Science (March 7); convocation drama and football (March 6); and convocation dinner/variety show at the Sheraton Hotel (March 4).

    He added that the 40th anniversary celebration will come up in November.

  • History students mourn ‘amiable’ HOD

    History students mourn ‘amiable’ HOD

    It was a moment of grief at the Department of History and Strategic Studies in the Faculty of Arts of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), last Monday. Students gathered to mourn the department’s head, Prof Michael Ogbeidi, who died on February 25 after a protracted illness.

    Clad in black, the students held a candlelight procession round the campus in honour of the late Head of Department (HOD). They turned out in large number for the procession, which started at 7pm. They moved round the school, chanting dirges. Some of them wept as they paid tributes to the deceased.

    The late Prof Ogbeidi took ill last year. He resumed this year after he recovered. Weeks after, he took ill again and died.

    In tears, many students spoke on his “kindness” and “fatherly care” towards them. Deborah Emmanuel, a 200-Level student said: “I received the news of Prof Ogbeidi’s death with shock. At first, I thought it was a hoax. When I learnt it was true, I broke down in tears and wept uncontrollably. He was a nice man. I can’t forget the favour he did to me while I was in my first year. He helped me with the signing of my course form. I would miss his words of encouragement, too. He always made us believe nothing is impossible as long as we are determined.”

    Razak Aminu, also in 200-Level, described him as a “lovable father” and “easygoing teacher”. His death, Razak said, has left a vacuum that may not be filled in the department. He said: “We never saw it coming. He was an easygoing lecturer and a mentor to all students. We will miss him dearly. He talked to us as a lovable father and we will miss his word of encouragement.”

    Suleiman Oluwatosin, a 400-Level student, said the deceased taught Business History and he was supposed to have his lecture on the day the procession was held.

    “I am sad, because we have lost a fine lecturer. In fact, today (procession day) is supposed to be the time of his lecture. He postponed the lecture because he took ill. We will miss him.”

    The procession ended with  prayers at the front of Faculty of Arts. Students sang dirges as they gathered their candles around the picture of the deceased before leaving for their hostels.

  • FUT Minna fines students

    Students of the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMinna), have @been fined N4,950 for properties destroyed during an unrest that occurred two weeks ago.

    The university has also postponed the resumption date of the mid-semester break to March 18, 2017.

    The decision of the management was contained in a circular signed by the Registrar, Mrs. Victoria Kolo.

    “The extension is to enable management carry out some repairs and replacement of properties damaged during the unfortunate students’ unrest of Wednesday, February 15, 2017″, the circular read.

    On that day, the students went berserk over the death of their colleague at the university clinic, where they alleged that health workers did not attend to the deceased.  They burnt down the clinic and destroyed a lot of properties on the Bosso Campus.

    Apart from the restitution fee, the students are to bring an undertaking of good behaviour which must be written and signed by their parents.

    “Each student is to pay a restitution fee of N4,950.00 only between Saturday 4 and Saturday 11 March, 2017, through the university portal. Students are to obtain letters of undertaking to be of good behavior written and signed by their parents/guardians, which must be supported with a sworn court affidavit.

    “Students are to submit to their appropriate school secretaries evidence of payment, letter of undertaken and court affidavit”, the circular reads.

  • Report suspicious movement, students told

    Amid a wave of kidnappings, ritual killings, robberies and other social vices in the country, students of the Micheal Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED) Epe, Lagos, have been advised to be more security conscious and report any suspicious movements to either the school authority or security agencies.

    Provost of the college, Prof Olu Akeusola, gave this warning at the 2016/2017 matriculation held at the school premises on Tuesday, last week.

    As a non-residential institution, Akeusola said the institution and its host Noforija community were doing their best to ensure adequate security, urging that students should complement the effort by being their brothers’ keepers.

    The professor of Comparative Grammar, congratulated parents, guardians and particularly the 400 successful students who he said survived the stringent admission policies of JAMB.

    He further advised them to be law abiding, and to explore all avenues provided by management to seek redress when their rights are breached, rather than take law into their own hands. He promised that that the college would continue to encourage an open door policy for both students and staff.

    “The college authority would not condone or entertain any act of indiscipline such as cultism, sexual misconduct, indecent dressing, examination malpractice and other vices which are out of place in an academic environment as ours,” Akeusola warned.

    He admonished the students to always comply with management’s administrative charges so as not to extend their stay in the college owing to backlog of fees.

    Akeusola praised the Lagos State Government for subsidising tuition – a gesture he said has made education affordable across all tertiary institutions in the state. He also thanked the host community for providing accommodation for students at reasonable cost.

    The college, he further explained, has continued to improve with more assets in human capital and infrastructure, especially Information and Communications Technology.

    “I make bold to say that the college stands out among other colleges of education in Nigeria today, with respect to infrastructure and human facilities. In recent times, the college has greatly improved on its ICT facilities,” he said.

  • Gastroenteritis outbreak: 4 students die, 7 others hospitalised in Kebbi

    Four students of the Government Secondary School, Fannah, in Suru Local Government Area of Kebbi State have died sequel following an outbreak of Gastroenteritis.

    Gastroenteritis, also known as infectious diarrhoea, is the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract that involves the stomach and small intestine.

    The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that seven other students from the school have been hospitalised at Kamba General Hospital in Dandi Local Government Area.

    Alhaji Abubakar Mua’azu, the Press Secretary to Gov. Atiku Bagudu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kamba on Monday, that the governor led a strong delegation to sympathise with the school authorities.

    Mua’azu said that the delegation, which included the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kamba, also visited the seven students in hospital.

    He said that the governor directed the immediate provision of clean water to the school and other requirements as well as paying sympathy visit to the homes of the deceased families.(NAN)

  • NANS declares 3-day prayers for Buhari

    NANS declares 3-day prayers for Buhari

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has declared three-day prayers for the quick recovery and early return to Nigeria of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    A statement signed by NANS President Chinonso Obasi and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, said that the prayers would start on Wednesday.

    Obasi said that Nigerian students would join other patriotic citizens to intercede on behalf of the President, who has been on extended medical vacation in the UK.

    “As leaders of tomorrow and champions of a better Nigeria, we should not be left out in the national call for prayers for the President, especially now that his presence is needed for the country to navigate its way out of economic recession and political despair.”

    He, therefore, enjoined all students in the tertiary institutions to join their hearts in prayer to God to heal the President.

    He said that the prayers of 40 million Nigerian students would bring quick recovery and rejuvenation to the President.

    “It is our belief also that the early return of Mr President to the country after he must have rested well, will increase the tempo of the anti-corruption battle which is the cornerstone of his mandate.

    “As NANS has elected to take up the challenge of whistle-blowing to assist in the fight against institutional and official corruption, our hearts go out to God in prayer for the captain of the anti-corruption armada, President Muhammadu Buhari.”

    Obasi added that his return would help continue the fight against graft in academic institutions, where “the cancer has eaten deep, threatening the destiny of millions of Nigerian students”.

    He called on Christian and Muslim students to round off the prayers during the Friday Jumat prayers and Sunday services nationwide. (NAN)

  • MOUAU matriculates 5,615 students

    The Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, (MOUAU) in Abia State has sworn in 5,615 students admitted into various academic programmes of the university for the 2016/2017 academic session.

    Its Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof. Francis Otunta, said at the 24th matriculation that the figure covers the university’s quota of 4,300 plus a 30 per cent attrition value decided by the Senate.

    Otunta expressed delight that despite the closure of some departments by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the institution was able to fill its quota.

    He said that it was also gratifying that the university’s admission process was adjudged as one devoid of racketeering and other unwholesome practices, unlike what it used to be in the past.

    The VC said that the institution was rapidly, evolving as a centre of excellence, where training, research and community service were pursued to achieve national development.

    He charged the new students to abide by the rules and guidelines of the university and be focused on their studies.

    Otunta said, “Our programmes and curricula are well structured and designed to bring to fore, the creative genius in you to enable you maximise your potentials, therefore, your duty is to avail yourselves of such a unique opportunity by regular attendance of lectures.”

    The VC warned the students against unbridled freedom and anti-social behaviour such as cultism.

    “However, this freedom is exercised within the ambit of the regulations governing the university which you are not expected to abuse or the university disciplinary measures will be evoked,” he said.

    “Cultism is a social menace that has eaten deep into the fabrics of the society, which also served as a breeding ground for criminal elements in society and we will not allow such to destroy the image of our university.

    “Shun cultism, our university has no space, no place and no tolerance for cultists and cultism in its entirety, including indecent dressing by students, we have put measures to enforce the institution’s dress code,” he said.

    He said that the university was also taking steps to check prostitution among the female students, called “runs”, which he said students engaged in for pecuniary interest or to hoodwink the lecturers into awarding undeserved marks.

  • Unilorin warns students against cultism, pornography

    Unilorin warns students against cultism, pornography

    The authorities of the University of Ilorin (Unilorin) has warned its new students against cultism and pornography.

    The students were advised to adhere strictly to the rules guiding the institution’s operations as anyone found contravening them will be rusticated.

    Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, and Acting Registrar Mrs. Rebecca Okojie, gave the warning in Ilorin.

    Prof. Ambali told the students they were the lucky few of the 110,675 candidates who applied for admission, noting that the figure was the highest number of applicants for a single university in the country.

    According to him, 103,482 candidates chose Unilorin as their first choice, with about 65,417 making 180 and above in their Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations.

    Seventy-five thousand, six hundred and five candidates registered for the post-UTME screening. The university admitted 13,570, of which only 10,886 registered.

    Ambali told the students the admission was a golden opportunity to launch them to lofty heights if properly treasured.

    “I expect the best from you our new students. I expect nothing but hard work from you. There is no room for vices here, once you are caught, you are gone.

    “This set means a lot to me because you are the last I will admit before my tenure ends,” he said.

    Mrs. Okojie warned the students to shun cultism and pornography on and outside the campuses, adding that the university had zero tolerance for indecent dressing.