The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Students

  • NMGS boss hails students

    The President, Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), Prof. S.C. Teme, has said that student members of the society are the future of mining in the country.

    Teme, who made this statement during the maiden edition of the Mid-Western Students’ Conference hosted by UNILORIN, said such programmes showed that “NMGS is being prepared for a long lasting legacy of a certain and bright future.”

    Represented by the Vice President of NMGS, Prof. Olugbenga Okunola of the University of Ibadan, Teme said the students are the future since the baton of leadership would eventually be handed over to them.

    In a lecture titled: “Geosciences: The Bedrock of Nigeria Economic Development,” Prof. M.A.O. Rahaman of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, said geologists have enormous responsibility to ensure the growth of her wealth and safeguard the welfare and well-being of the citizenry.

  • ABUAD’s N87m scholarship woos students

    ABUAD’s N87m scholarship woos students

    Many students were all smiles as the news was broken – N87,658,176 was expended on scholarships to students of the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) at the university’s fifth Founder’s Day.

    The figure ballooned from N28 million spent in the previous edition courtesy of endowments, grants and other private donations to the university.

    Ten students who made Cumulate Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 5.00 were presented with N500,000 cheques each. Other students also received cheques ranging from N50,000-N300,000, depending on their performance.

    The scholarships were split into categories, including: Hayford Alile scholarship for the College of Law; Chevron Star Deep Water Petroleum and Partners Award; Raymond Zard award for free tuition and accommodation; and the Ewi-In-Council award for five best graduating Ado-Ekiti indigenes, grants for educational advancement, compassionate grants and prizes by individuals.

    The occasion was also used to usher in new students who took the oath of matriculation for the 2014/2015 session, which the founder, Aare Afe Babalola said gave them the opportunity to see what they can get if they work hard.

    Aare Babalola said ABUAD spent N5 million on the 10 university scholars, another N16,605,000 on compassionate grounds; N15,108,176 and N1,100,000 went into  grants on educational advancement and merit award to workers.

    Other donations, according to him, came from companies and organisation as well as individuals.

    The celebrated lawyer said the award on compassionate ground was to help indigent students study at the university.

    He said: “The reason we have the award on compassionate ground is because ABUAD is committed to ensuring that the dream of every students here is fulfilled. If in the course of study, any student loses his or her parents or that the parents loses their job, this university will take up the financial responsibility of the child in question till he or she graduates. Similarly, if we have a brilliant student from a poor home, we will take care of such student’s tuition until graduation.

    “This is the only university established as a non-profit making nationwide. “Every kobo that is made by the university goes back into the university.  There is no shareholding here, and I am not entitled to a kobo as profit. In fact, if the university runs into a problem, it is my duty to rescue it financially.

    Babalola also praised the dedication of ABUAD teachers.

    “Here, our lectures begin by 8am everyday and our lecturers are already in class before the time. This is a university where lecturers make extra sacrifice to teach between 7pm and 10 pm.

    “I have a crop of dedicated lecturers because I shopped for them myself. That is why our students graduate in record time. We have graduated two sets and some have completed their youth service while 12 of them are already teaching in the college,” he said.

    Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), enjoined parents to visit the Engineering complex and the Talent Discovery Centre, which houses 28 types of sports and skill acquisition centre.

    Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof Michael Ajisafe admonished the news students to get set for greater challenges.

     

     

    “You will be challenged by the transition from a dependent child to an independent young adult. There may be no shoulders to lean on. Sometimes the environment may appear choking and unfriendly. You must constantly remind yourself that you are not the first person to attend a university. Remember that others before you faced same or even worse challenges; and yet they overcame, “he said.

    A parent Mrs Stella Akintade told The Nation that the vision of the Founder motivated her to bring her ward.

    “I was impressed by the vision and achievements of the founder” she said. “I am also impressed by the aesthetic outlay of ABUAD, its infrastructures and drive for morals. My daughter just came in, but I’m hopeful that with an academic-friendly environment like this, the sky is her limit,” she added.

     

  • Students rally against electoral violence

    Students rally against electoral violence

    To sensitise students on how best to conduct themselves in the coming general election, students of Mass Communication Department of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu have held a rally on the campus against electoral violence.

    The rally was held to commemorate the annual costume day of the Film Unit of the department. The students, who carried different placards, said they were worried by the spate of violence happening before the elections, urging the political class, security agencies and their colleagues to avoid bloodshed during the elections.

    Olusanjo Oladele, who spoke on behalf of the students, said: “The costumes we wear today reflect our diversity in ethnicity, professions, religion, and other interests. But we are united and we want to use this occasion to send a clear message to everybody in this country that we don’t want electoral violence.”

    Some of the placards displayed by the students had inscription such as, “No to violence before and after election”, “Free and fair elections we want”, “Your vote, your power”, “Let your vote count” and “Shun Violence”, among others.

    The students went round the campus, sensitising their colleagues and staff on the need to support peaceful conduct on the election.

    The Deputy Registrar (Students’ Affairs), Mrs Temitope Kolawole, who addressed the students, praised them for patriotism, while urging them to extend the campaign to electorate and youths outside the school.

     

  • Stop ‘arresting’ students, APC tells Fayose

    Stop ‘arresting’ students, APC tells Fayose

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has berated Governor Ayodele Fayose for the clampdown on the state leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) for speaking at the party’s presidential campaign at the weekend.

    A statement by APC State Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, said a students’ leader, Tosin Ogunkuade, spoke at the event.

    Olatubosun said Ogunkuade’s offence was that he highlighted the challenges facing students, saying the present effort by the government was not capable of redressing the hardship faced by the students in accessing quality education.

    The APC spokesman said: “He said to the applause of hundreds of students in attendance that Buhari presented a better hope for students in their educational pursuits.

    “Just 24 hours after,  thugs trailed Ogunkuade to Ikogosi-Ekiti where he and other students were attacked with deep machete cuts.

    “After these students were attacked at Ikogosi, they ran to Efon-Alaye Police Station to report the matter. To our surprise, the police detained them before they were transferred to Aramoko-Ekiti Police Station.

    “To our shock again, yesterday morning, one of their colleagues, Damilare Bewaji, who went to visit them at the Aramoko Police Station, was also detained by the police on the order of the governor.

    “Just this morning, the home of former Commissioner for Finance under ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi, Dapo Kolawole, escaped being razed.

    His offence was that he pasted APC flags and posters on his building.

    “It is curious that the students, who were the complainants, are being turned into the accused, as the police are being suborned to slam criminal charges against them.”

    Olatubosun added that the same spectre of violence was reported in Efon-Alaye, where APC leader Joseph Alake had his house vandalised by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) thugs.

    “The Divisional Police Officer was reportedly injured trying to rescue the man.”

    The APC spokesman urged the police to stop being partisan in the handling of political crisis in the state.

  • Ondo College matriculates 7,385 students

    Ondo College matriculates 7,385 students

    The Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo in Ondo State, has matriculated 7,385 students for 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 academic sessions.

    Speaking at the matriculation, the Provost, Prof Olukoya Ogen explained that 3,985 degree and 3,400 NCE students were admitted for the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 academic sessions.

    Ogen urged the new students to concentrate on their primary assignment and shun social vices that may retard their studies.

    He noted that one of the pressing goals of the college is to be upgraded to a university, saying their contributions in terms of initiatives, academic performance and achievements would go a long way in helping to facilitate the process.

    He said: “Be assured that Management is working assiduously towards making this college internationally relevant through infrastructural and personnel development and through the introduction of modern ideas in line with world best practices.

    “Please have it at the back of your mind that your admission is one of the best things that have happened in your life and the best you can do with it is to justify the trust bestowed on you and see it as a challenge. The college has an image to protect and so are you here. Your studentship in the next couple of years will go down into the annals of history.

    “The decision you take here will definitely affect you for the rest of your lives. Please take advantage of the faculty, the intellectual energy of the college and tap from their wealth of knowledge and experiences. Get close to them as individuals and develop interpersonal relationships.”

     

  • Matriculation for sandwich students

    The newly-admitted students of the Contact Session Sandwich programme for 2014/2015 academic session have been warned to adhere strictly to their matriculation oath.

    The ceremony held at the university auditorium, was presided over by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Patrick Aina, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Prof Ibiyinka Ogunlade.

    He cautioned them to eschew bad character and disobedience to constituted authority which could jeopardize their academic life.

    He however commended the students for their tenacity and love for education.

    Administering the oath, the Registrar, Mr Emmanuel Ogunyemi, told the students that the oath is binding on them and they must live up to the expectation of the university which is repositioning to become a world-class institution.

     

  • Salem varsity matriculates 373 students

    It was a huge crowd that witnessed the seventh matriculation of Salem University last Saturday.

    In his address, the Vice- Chancellor of the university, Prof Joseph Adeola Fuwape, congratulated the 373 students admitted into the three colleges of the university.

    He disclosed that though they passed the stringent admission process prescribed by the university, they have been admitted as work in progress.  However, at the end of their programme, they would be released as positive change agents.

    The Vice-Chancellor said for them to become global leaders and change agents that God has designed them to be, they must be focused and strive for distinction in their programmes of study.

    He urged them to shun distractions, not be complacent and have a strong desire to attain excellence, be determined and diligent to be what God has destined them to be.

    He noted that the university would continue to set out the modalities to groom them to become global leaders and will inculcate in them the core values of godliness, confidence, mental empowerment, integrity, accountability, diligence and resourcefulness, sense of priority and synergy.

    He said that all the university’s programme had been fully accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    He also said Salem University had been recognized as the Best Web Technology Management institution in Kogi State in 2012 and the best Information Communication Technology (ICT)-driven university with the best webometric ranking in Kogi state in 2013.

    He expressed his appreciation to the Chancellor, Archbishop Dr. Sam Amaga, for his support to the university, and the members of the Governing Council, Board of Trustees, and others who have supported the vision of the university.

    He charged the students to always remember they are on a mission and cannot afford to fail.

    Highlights of the ceremony were the swearing and signing of the University matriculation oath.

     

  • Students advised on vocational skills

    Students have been told to acquire skills that will make them self-reliant before their graduation from school. The advice came from the Chief Executive Officer of Suji Moto, Mr Sijibomi Ogundele, who was in Lagos State University (LASU) to speak to graduating class of Mass Communication.

    The entrepreneur, who spoke on how students could achieve success through the acquisition of vocational skills, said university degree should be an appetizer for students to harness their latent potential. Ogundele described himself as a strong believer in self-improvement, noting that university degree may not be accessible to everybody but adding value to one’s life should be paramount.

    He said he became successful after he met Dr Sujimoto Koga, a Japanese, who he said saw great entrepreneurship potential in him and turned his life around. “He gave me an advice and took up the challenge to improve my life,” he said.

    After establishing his business, Ogundele said he opened offices in Paris, Accra, Madrid, Dubai and Lagos. He described his life trajectory as the story of patience and perseverance.

    He said: “As students, you don’t need many friends around you. You only need two or three valuable friends that would help you accomplish your goals. Jesus loved the world but chose just 12 disciples to enable him achieve his goals; he didn’t choose large population of friends. You need to become reasonable when it comes to your dream; you need the right people who can motivate you when you cannot motivate yourself.”

    Ogundele added that he chose to stay at the top because the bottom was crowded. “The man who pushes himself beyond the limits and employs creativity is bound to achieve success at the end,” he said.

    He told the students to have a philosophy that would make them succeed, stressing that success was a platform whose key anybody could possess.

    He advised the students to count opinions of others as significant but never allow people who do not share their dream to dictate the direction of their lives.

    Ogundele was recently featured in Forbes Africa as a young promising entrepreneur. His firm, Sujimoto, is into construction and real estate.

     

  • Students warned against exam malpractice

    As the 2014/2015 Harmattan (1st) Semester Examinations of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) draws near (January 26-February 14), students have been warned to desist from examination malpractice.

    A circular signed by the Examination Officer, A. A. Yusuf, referred the students to Pages 72 and 73 of the University Academic Programmes (Undergraduate and Sub-Degree 2009-2013) Rules and Regulations, and Pages 19-23 of the Students Handbook of Information and Regulations which detail the code of conduct on examination malpractices.

    The portions warn students against using foreign materials in the examination halls, writing on any parts of the body, talking, copying from others, disturbing the examination among other prohibitions. The students were also reminded of the necessary documents that admit them into the examination hall, including: signed course registration forms; University Identity-Card; and receipts of tuition payment.

  • Edo students apologise for burnt govt buses

    A coalition of tertiary students in Edo State has apologised to Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole for the burning of a luxury bus belonging to the state government by some University of Benin (UNIBEN) students during a protest last week.

    The UNIBEN students were angry that the government demolished parts of the buildings some of their lecturers and former lecturers were staying.

    A High Court had ruled in favour of the state government in a suit between the government and UNIBEN authorities.