The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Students

  • Students win prizes at Dawah Camp

    The University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) has concluded its 48th Dawah Camping.

    The six-day event, with the theme: The melting ice, featured Islamic lectures, seminars and contests, such as Quranic Recitation, Arabic Language Speaking and an essay, on Austerity and fear of Allah, a recipe for a change in Nigeria.

    Winners were presented prizes, which the organisers said would encourage them to improve their writing skills and knowledge of Islam.

    MSSN Editor Yusuf Ayodele said the essay was organised to engage students in intellectual research and help them develop their writing skills.

    Dawud Abdulsalaam of the Physiotherapy Department, got the first prize; Ibrahim Anifowose of the Faculty of Law came second and Ibrahim Olalere, a student of Biochemistry, third.

    Aisha Akinola beat Ghufranah Abdulwahab and Asmau Adebari to win the Quranic contest.

    Sadiq Onituju won the Arabic Language Speaking contest;  Sulayman Ahmad and Abdullateef Muhammad came second and third.

    About 400 students attended the event. The MSSN president, Abdulrasheed Adeoye, said the event was a yearly reminder to make students understand Islam in its undistorted perspective and to uphold its tenets as a complete way of life.

    He said the theme was coined to improve the understanding of participants about the religion, using the process of melting of the ice.

    He said: “The similitude of an ice is the love for materialism while diamond depicts our spiritualism, morality and intellectual inclination, which will surely give us eternal life and salvation. We have put this camp exercise in place to instill the sense of confidence in the life of Muslim youths and to pursue essence of creating an upright society.”

  • We are coming to serve students

    We are coming to serve students

    The newly-inaugurated Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) has rekindled the hope of the students living in the school hostels, assuring them that the union would improve the conditions of the Halls of Residence when the school resumes second semester.

    The assurance was given during the visit by campus journalists to the president of the union, Raymond Omorogbe. The visit was to assess the level of progress in the union.

    Answering questions from the writers, Raymond said the union was making efforts to provide water in the hostels to make the facilities neater and comfortable to live.

    His words: “I know what it means to stay in a dirty and unkempt environment. The dirtiness of our hostels is because of shortage of water in all the blocks. Some don’t even have water. But this administration has mapped out plans to address the water problems. It would be a thing of the past when students resume for second semester.”

    The president showed the campus reporters documents that indicated that the union has had the approval of the management to start the water project in all the hostels.

    Speaking on security situation on the campus, the union Public Relations Officer (PRO), Divine Oguche, said the SUG was to the task of solving the challenges. He said the union was in discussion with the school security office on how to improve security in the school. He said there was a plan to end campus robbery and other crimes.

    The president thanked students for electing him as their leader, promising to always pursue programmes that would address their welfare.

    “The students are tired of people toasting them with long speeches. All they want is a better environment for learning, better accommodation and a responsive union. This is what we want to give them,” Raymond said.

    Other members of the union include Aisha Kanabe, Vice President, Emmanuel Ndueche, General Secretary, Great Oju, Director of Welfare, John Ogegegbe, Director of Sport, Andrey Anavhe, Director of Social, Davies Ignonosa, Assistant General Secretary and Osayuki Agbonghae, Attorney-General.

  • Seyi Law, Waje, Mannie, others inspire students at Project Capable

    Seyi Law, Waje, Mannie, others inspire students at Project Capable

    Rubies Ink initiative held its sixth edition of the Project Capable event, an annual all-secondary school summit, at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, Lagos on the June 10, 2015.

    The theme of this year’s edition is Young, Empowerment and Succeeding, YES. Present at the event were Aituaja Iruobe, Matthew Femi Adedoyin, Emmanuel Essien, Oluwaseyintan Aletile with over three hundred students from various secondary schools.

    Emmanuel Essien, one of Nigeria’s leading On-Air Personality spoke on the role of youth and celebrities in nation building. He noted that not everyone is born lucky or with a silver spoon, as such, one needs to work smart to achieve greatness.

    The second speaker, Matthew Adedoyin, a popular abstinence advocate and child psychologist spoke on the topic; “What no one tells you about sex”. He said many people fall prey to abortion and unwanted pregnancies because they were misguided and feel the urge to be part of ‘the normal thing’ syndrome. He wrapped his speech by saying abstinence is the key to a safe life.

    In her contribution, popular songstress, Aituaja Irobe popularly known as Waje, spoke on ‘discovering your purpose in life’. She told the students that for them to attain the height they want, they need to find out what they love, they need to be motivated, get a mentor, be focused and purposeful, and put God first.

    The students were thrilled when it was the turn of Oluwaseyintan Aletile popularly called Seyi Law to speak. He told the students that talent is not enough, and that they need to be educated, whether or not they want to make use of the certificate. “It will serve a bragging rite for the person,” he said, adding that, for one to become great in life, one needs to make some sacrifices.

    The Assistant Head Boy of Isheri Senior High School, Kayode Dolapo, was greatly inspired by the lectures. He said: “From today I will build my passion, will be focused and do my best in my education to be a better person tomorrow, and I am sure every student present were inspired as well.”

    The coordinator, Esther Ijewere- Kalejaiye, she said it has been God all the way, to have held a successful sixth edition.

  • NCC’s 20 PCs not enough for 10,000 girls, say students

    Some students of Girls Senior High School, Agege, Lagos, have urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to take a critical look at the number of students in their school with a view to increasing the number of personal computers (PCs) it gave the college.

    The students who spoke on the sideline after the official commissioning of a computer laboratory under the Digital Access Programme (DAP) of the NCC, expressed gratitude to the regulator for the gesture, adding that it will assist them to prepare very well for their final examination.

    “I have seen computers before but I have not interacted well with it. I sometimes go to cybercafé with my aunt who tries to teach me how to operate it. Now that almost all external examinations, including the one conducted by Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) are becoming computer-based, it will help us. I am grateful to the Commission. It will help us a lot but the PCs are too few for our population here,” one of the girls said.

    Another student of the school said the gesture of the NCC is good but lamented that the PCs are far too few to make any appreciable impact in the short run on the students. She said: “You can see that this is a large school. You heard the principal saying the number of students in the school is about 10,000 and here are only 20 PCs. Anyway, the school authority will find a way of planning it in such a way that all of us will benefit.”

    Like the students, the school’s Principal, Tajudeen Adeyinka, expressed his gratitude to the NCC for the gesture. He however urged the regulator to explore the possibility of powering the facility with alternative energy source such as solar. He said this will reduce the cost of fuelling and maintenance of the generators.

    Speaking on the occasion, NCC Executive Vic Chair, Dr. Eugene Juwah said DAP is one of the programmes which the NCC introduced to bridge the digital divide existing in secondary schools, adding that its concept is a designation of a classroom fully equipped with computers and other ICT facilities, including a generator and internet connection to enable the schools and its immediate environment to have access to the internet.

    He said: “Many of the secondary schools, including those in remote villages of this country have testified to how this programme has facilitated their online examination activities such as subscription to JAMB, WAEC, NECO among other examinations.

    The idea is to ensure that students, who are the leaders of tomorrow, are early adaptors of ICT, especially the internet which has limitless resources. It is also designed for the surrounding communities to have access to the internet, especially when the students are not available to ensure maximum use of the bandwidth subscription for the affected school. So far, more than 200 schools have benefitted from DAP.

    “Apart from DAP which is designed for secondary schools, we also have the Digital Access Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADAPTI) under which we provide about 110 computers to the beneficiaries to equip the lecturers with new ICT skills in order to impact same on their students. “So far, more than 300 institutions of higher learning in Nigeria have benefited from the programe since its introduction in 2008. This is in addition to the introduction of the Wireless Cloud, a complimentary package comprising of laptops with wireless internet facilities. Another 144 institutions, including some who already have ADAPTI, have benefited from the Wireless Cloud.”

    He said the key objectives of these programmes are to prepare the nation for a digital future and equip the youth with the necessary skills to tap into the potentials of the digital age, adding that in the case of DAP, it is aimed at building a foundation for young generation and to also prepare a good background for the broadband revolution that is being currently pursued by the commission.

    He added that the Commission is vigorously pursuing a programme to provide pervasive broadband availability and affordability across the country. He expressed hope that some of these programmes would create a fertile ground for usage and exploitation of broadband for the benefit of the economy.

  • Macaroni Experience Night excites students

    The Bunmi Oyeyemi Julius-Adeoye (BOJA) Art Theatre of the Redeemer’s University (RUN) was agog last Saturday when students held the Macaroni Experience Night.

    The show was an initiative of a 200-Level Theatre Art student, Debo Adedayo. It was supported by his department.

    Debo said the aim of the show was to encourage good theatre performance among his colleagues. It will also improve their drama, dance, music and fashion skills. He said the show’s title was his nickname “Mr Macaroni”, which he said was associated with fun and entertainment.

    The show featured a drama that taught the essence of hard work and honesty, and reward for laziness. There was also a dance performance by Tupeez Osha, Blackman, Nurty, Jahblend, DJ Psychotune and others campus artistes.

    Jahblend described the show as interesting, saying it provided opportunities to students to display their talent. He said: “Debo did a good job and I see him going places.”

    A member of the audience, David Chukwu, said: “The fashion show was fantastic and I also enjoyed the drama.”

    President of RUN Students’ Association, Adelekan Adedoyin, hailed the organiser, students to be more creative in whatever they do.

     

  • Students set agenda for Buhari

    Like many Nigerians, students are looking forward to President Muhammadu Buhari solving the nation’s problems urgently. To them, the best way he can succeed is by prioritising his programmes. IBRAHIM JATTO (Zoology) and HALIMAH AKANBI (300-Level Law, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto) report.

    I am for everybody and I am for nobody.” This is a quote from the inaugural speech of President Muhammadu Buhari last Friday after he took the oath of office.

    Going by the tone of his delivery,  it appears the change which the people are yearning for may have begun.

    Buhari, a former military Head of State, was sworn in as the fifth democratically-elected president. He defeated the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 28 election.

    Buhari’s second coming as leader is at a time of enormous challenges for the nation. The country has been battling Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast, high-level corruption, crumbling economy and infrastructure decay. At the twilight of the last administration, the problem was compounded by feul scarcity and drop in power supply.

    Although the Buhari administration has taken off, the challenges are yet to disappear. Given the widespread support enjoyed by Buhari, much is expected from him.

    How can the government endear itself to the people through its message of change? Students, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, advised President Buhari to prioritise his programmes in the first 100 days.

    Ezekiel Efeobhokhan, a 400-Level Pharmacy student of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), does not expect much from the president in the first 100 days. “President Buhari cannot solve all the nation’s challenges,” he said, adding: “He can only solve some of the problems at a time.”

    Ezekiel said he believed there would be change in the way the nation is run, going by the president’s courage and integrity.

    He added: “Within the first 100 days, I want President Buhari to restore rule of law in the polity and fish out rogues, who are milking the nation dry by stealing our crude oil. This may be somewhat a difficult task that may take longer time, but he should set the record.”

    Toyin Ali, a 300-Level Law student of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), wants President Buhari to focus on youth and socio-economic development. He said: “He should also extend his scope of governance on to the other sectors of the economy to create employment opportunities. It is no news that the youth are suffering because of unemployment. He must keep to his promise of providing jobs for the willing youths. This should his topmost priority.”

    To Abdulrazaq Ahmed, a 300-Level Law student of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), security should be the priority of the new government. Buhari, he said, should consider strengthening security agencies in counter-terrorism measures to contain insurgency in the Northeast. “If security challenge is solved in the first 100 days, this will set the pace for recovery in power and economy,” he said.

    Jamylah Yusuf, a 200-Level Law student of UDUS, said President Buhari must prioritise the rescue of the 219 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in Chibok, Borno State, last year. She said: “Expectations are high, but I want the president to rescue the Chibok girls and deal with shortfall in power supply. After this, he can now move to other sectors to effect changes.”

    Jennifer Umeh, a Mass Communication student of the Federal Polytechnic in Offa (OFFA POLY), Kwara State, said: “I expect the president to rejig the fight against corruption and reduce it to the barest minimum. This, I believe, will restore our pride and the values that past governments have dented.”

    Aminat Afolabi, a final year Chemistry student of UNILORIN, said the government should be concerned with the salaries of workers and gratuity of pensioners because “they are really going through hard times”.

    Kingsley Amatanweze, an Engineering graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), said: “I expect President Buhari to produce a workable roadmap for combating corruption, reduce the huge salaries of politicians and make the country work again.”

     

  • FUPRE students to construct racing car

    The Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Petroleum Resources in Effurun (FUPRE), Delta State, Prof Akii Ibhadode, has urged lecturers and students to engage in ground-breaking researches and inventions that would promote the institution globally.

    The VC spoke at the inauguration of Eco-Marathon Team sponsored by Shell Petroleum Development Corporation (SPDC). He described the sponsorship as an opportunity to give expression to the specialised skills being acquired by students.

    SPDC  is  partnering with the school to design racing cars that could be exhibited at global platform. Other higher institutions being sponsored by the multinational company include University of Benin (UNIBEN), University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, Kaduna State.

    The project, according to Prof Ibhadode, would be achieved by a collaborative effort of the team, which is made up of technically-oriented students and staff drawn from Mechanical Engineering and Electrical and Electronic Departments. Also, some Corps members serving in the school, who were part of previous project at the UNIBEN, would contribute technical support to the work.

    The project was applauded by lecturers and other staff members. The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Desk Officer in the school, Prof Mary Edema, hailed the initiative, noting that the university could tap into the agency research grant to replicate the project.

    As a specialised school for oil and gas exploration, Prof Edema suggested that the team could also build the first modular refinery that could be adopted by the government.

    Responding on behalf of the team, Ewhrudjakpo Efemena, a student, said it was a rare privilege to be selected for the project that would project the image of the school to the world. He assured that the team would do its best to ensure the vision is realised.

    The technical team leaders, Osas Omijie and Adekola Adeyemi, praised the VC for creating the platform for research and project that can promote the country.

    This team is charged with two tasks,  to produce a prototype vehicle/go-cart for 2015 edition of South Africa Shell ECO-Marathon coming up in October and to produce Shell ECO-Marathon or Formula vehicle for national and international competitions.

    The team comprises Precious Otuazohor, Oghenero Otaigho, Oghenekaro Okolosio, Essien Aniekan, Lawson Udonsek, Onome Aboribo and Ewhrudjakpo.

    Also, Mr ThankGod Boye of the Mechanical Engineering Department is the Project Supervisor, while Mr Charles Igbinoba of the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department is the Assistant Project Supervisor.

    At the inauguration were the Deputy VC, Prof Olatunde Damisa; Bursar, Mr Sam Inengite; Librarian, Prof Esharenana Adomi and Dean, College of Science, Prof C. Osunbor, among others.

  • 10 nursing students slump from inhaling stench

    10 nursing students slump from inhaling stench

    No fewer than 10  students of the Lagos State School of Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health at Igando General Hospital, have allegedly slumped from inhaling the stench from a dumpsite behind the hospital.

    Many of them slumped from the smell.

    They reportedly slumped last week, raising the students’ fear that their health is at risk.

    An eyewitness said: “Last Wednesday’s incident was the third this year. There had been cases of students becoming unconscious as a result of the smell they inhaled from the dump site beside the school. They were, however, revived with oxygen and immuniser. Some were taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja. Where they were attended to and we suspect they might have ended up with asthma.”

    A source said: ‘It is alarming to have parents send their children and wards to school only to end up being exposed to an hazardous environment that could lead to asthma. My child was among the victims and she was asked to buy Augmentin tablets, Inhaler and Salburtamol tablets by LASUTH where they were taken to. I refused to take any action since the school has promised to look into it.”

    A victim told The Nation: “We were receiving Anatomy and Physiology lecture that Wednesday between 9am and 10am. When we ended the lecture, we just observed that some of our colleagues were collapsing; they were taken to the Igando Hospital and were attended to. But as we got to our hostel, more people slumped. That was when the alarm was raised.

    “I did not know when I slumped too. I found myself at LASUTH. More than 10 of us were involved. Three were older students. At LASUTH, we were treated for asthma-related complications. The first batch was attended to at Igando while I was among the second batch treated at LASUTH.”

    The management, it was learnt, is working to get the waste managers to clear the site. “This is why we resumed lectures as early as 9am,” the student said.

    An official of the Ministry of Health said the ministry was aware of the matter adding that it is the present government that would address it.

    When The Nation sought to know what was being done by the school,  its coordinator, Mrs Orenuga Oyefunso said: “I am a civil servant. If you need any information on the matter, go and speak to the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health. I am not going to answer your questions.”

    A resident, Mr David Odeh, said the smell from the dump site is terrible, adding that it is capable of causing serious health hazard. He said: “But what can we do than wait for the government to look into the issue. Health is wealth. So, they need to look into the issue and not sweep it under the carpet.”

    Odeh described the problem a recurrent, urging the government to do something fast about it.

    A bus driver, Mr Lukman Rasheed said: “Most passengers often urge me to drive fast anytime I am plying the route. The kind of odour oozing out from there is very bad.

  • Three Nursing students ‘violate’ teenager

    •NGO threatens to sue suspects  •Police: we are probing incident

    A six-year-old girl has allegedly been defiled by three final year students of the Edo State School of Nursing on Sapele Road in Benin, the state capital.

    Two of the students have been arrested while the third is said to be on the run.

    The victim is the daughter of a petty trader in front of the school.

    It was learnt that the victim was lured into one of the boys’ rooms when the mother went to the market.

    Her hands and mouth were allegedly tied to prevent her from screaming.

    The bubble was said to have bust when the victim narrated what happened to her mother, who noticed that she was urinating and stooling abnormally.

    The mother was said to have reported the matter to the Commissioner for Health.

    The school’s Principal Mabel Omobude said the case had been reported to relevant authorities for further investigation.

    She said: “Yes, we are aware. The case was reported to the Director of Nursing Services. The Commissioner of Health is also aware.

    “She (the mother) wrote a letter to the Commissioner of Health, which was sent to my director to investigate. That was on Thursday. We have started our investigation.”

    A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Child Protection Network’s Coordinator Jennifer Ero said the school’s authorities threatened to eject the victim’s mother, if she made the case public.

    She said the woman discovered that semen was coming out of her daughter’s anus and was behaving strangely.

    Ero said: “We will ensure that this matter is charged to court. We will ensure justice for this child and make sure she goes through counselling. The girl is now restless. They activated the hormone that relate to sex. She does not behave well. It is a life-time damage they have done to this child.

    “It’s because she was too small. It (the alleged act) affected her womb. She started stooling and urinating profusely. But she’s on treatment now.

    “The little girl said when they (suspects) took her there (hostel), they tied her hands and mouth. But she was able to identify the three of them.”

    The police, last night, said they were investigating the incident.

    Police spokesman Stephen Onwochei, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said a proper case of defilement had not been brought before the police headquarters.

    Onwochei said the accused had petitioned the Area Command against the mother of the victim for false accusation.

    He said: “That matter is not too straightforward. The little we know is that on May 15, the mother of the girl, who sells at the school, had a problem with some student-nurses because they asked her to pack out of the shop.

    “Later, on May 16, she reported to the school that something of that nature (defilement) happened. But she did not report to the police, in the first instance. So, it was later that the lawyer to the accused wrote a petition to the Area Commander that someone was trying to tarnish his clients’ image.

     

  • Don’t lose focus, students urged

    The Amir (President) of Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Yaba Area Council, Mallam Sulaiman AbdulRaheem has urged secondary school pupils to be focused.

    This, he said, would assist them to secure a better future.

    Speaking at a Youth Conference to commemorate the World Children’s Day at the Yaba College of Technology yesterday, AbdulRaheem urged the pupils to be morally upright and spiritually balanced to excel in their study.

    He said: “What you do today would determine what you would become tomorrow. To secure a better future, you must first have confidence in yourselves. The second is to be focused. Never lose focus on whatever you are doing. Also, at every point in your life, you must be conscious of who your friends are and to have total reliance in Allah for He alone knows what is going to be.”

    The event also featured a quiz competition among ten senior secondary schools. At the end of the contest, Muslim Children Private School (MCPS), represented by Halimah Oyedotun and Salman AbdulAziz emerged as the second runner-up; International School Lagos (ISL) represented by Mardiyyah Ayinla and Hikmat AbdulGaniyy, the first runner-up. Fazl-Omar Senior High School represented by Aminat Isa came first.

    Other highlights of the event were pick and talk and Quran recitation.