The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Students

  • Our Boko Haram nightmares, by students

    Our Boko Haram nightmares, by students

    Higher institutions in the North have re-opened, but many students are not willing to return because of the Boko Haram insurgency. Some are contemplating dropping out of school because of the insurgency. TAIWO ISOLA (300-Level Anatomy, University of Maiduguri), IBRAHIM JATTO (Zoology), HALIMAH AKANBI (300-Level Law, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto) and ISMAT ANIFOWOSHE (300-Level Economics) report.

    The peace of many higher institutions in the North has since been shattered by the Boko Haram insurgency.

    Boko Haram means “western education is a sin” and the sect’s activities in the Northeast have crippled academic life and led to the death of many.

    Also, many public and private schools have been shut in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, which are the epicentre of the sect’s activities. Pupils left in droves, with many vowing not to return to complete their studies. Campuses became desolate as  education was virtually suspended.

    Activities in a few schools, which were not shut, were conducted in fear.

    In the midst of all these, higher institutions have re-opened.

    A few weeks ago, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Government Science Secondary School in Potiskum, killing more than 40 pupils. Days after, a female suicide bomber attempted to bomb the Federal College of Education in Kontagora, Niger State.

    What do students make of it all?

    “I will never return to school,” said Michael Obong, a ND II student of the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi (MUBI POLY) in Adamawa State. Michael managed to escape from Mubi  when Boko Haram invaded the polytechnic in October. He said: “I am not going back to Mubi, again. Returning to school would be suicidal for me, after all I encountered when Boko Haram insurgents came to the school. I have had enough of Boko Haram. Government cannot guarantee my safety. I have decided to secure my life by myself.”

    Hassana Abubakar, a student of Umar Ibrahim El-Kanemi College of Education in Bama, Borno State, said no student was willing to return to school after troops defeated Boko Haram insurgents in Bama. She said: “The college has not had it so good since Boko Haram struck in Bama. The college lost its essence, life and flavour. Nobody is eager to return to Bama again, even though the military has taken over the place. We have seen too many horrors, that it was almost becoming part of daily routine. It has made education unattractive. Education has simply lost its grip on us.”

    According to Idris Suleiman, a student of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), bombs and bullets in Borno State cannot allow schools to have uninterrupted sessions.

    “Thousands of students in Maiduguri are living in fear, while some do not even go to school again. We cannot expect some of these dropouts not to take to crime, because there has been a sustained war against education,” he said.

    Joshua Medeludo, a UNIMAID student, said: “A scene of an explosion is an unpleasant sight to behold. It is an experience that can make someone to hate education. In places like Bama, Gwoza, Mubi and Yobe, where Boko Haram insurgents have crippled education, we cannot close our eyes and say ‘it doesn’t matter’; it is only happening in the North. Who knows where it will happen next?”

    Although there has been no attack in Sokoto State but, for students of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), the fear of Boko Haram is the beginning of safety.

    The school has just resumed, after three months holiday. But, the renewed attacks on higher institutions have unsettled the students. Some of them, who spoke with CAMPUSLIFE, lamented the new method adopted by the insurgents to fight the government.

    Olayinka Alfa, a 300-Level Economics student, said: “The attacks on schools are getting out of hand and no one is safe anymore. The government must strengthen its efforts to contain this threat, because of the element of surprise attached to the manner of Boko Haram’s attack. No one would have expected what happened in College of Education, Kontangora but everyone could see it as a pointer to the fact that no one is safe.”

    Zaynab Abdullahi, a final year student of UDUS, said: “The attack on schools is terrible. It is already sending fear down the spine of everyone and worst still, there is little the university authority can do about it. A whole lot rests on the government. Most of us returning to school will have to pass through these troubled zones and it is not as if our campus is immune against attack. We did not expect that there would be an attack in Kontangora, which is not too far from Sokoto. This is a serious war on education, which, if not curtailed, may later see more students dropping out of school.”

    Rukkayat Hamzat, a 400-Level student of UDUS, said schooling in the North is becoming a sad experience, given the bombings. “It is now unbearable, going back to school after three months holiday. It is not interesting anymore, no excitement attached to resumption because of the fear of what is happening. I passed through Kontangora while travelling to school and I saw the havoc wreaked at the Federal College of Education there. The feeling now is that we are not safe and we don’t know which school is next on the insurgents’ list.”

    David Osu, a 500-Level Urban and Regional Planning student of the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT MINNA), said it was high time government halted the menace of Boko Haram. He said the incessant bombing of schools was devastating on education, the result of which, he said, may not augur well for the nation.

    He said: “This is violence against people’s right to live, move, acquire education and have a choice. Worst, it is a crime against the future of Nigeria. It is a threat against the children. For, how will they learn and grow in an environment where their lives are not secured. This appears a conspiracy by the Federal Government and the terrorists to deprive Nigeria of its promising bloom. Boko Haram is a scam, because there are many unanswered questions about its sponsors and the inability of the military to conquer the insurgents. Should we resign to fate or challenge the negligence of the Federal Government? We are waiting to see when the war declared on education by insurgents will end.”

  • Students advised to improve knowledge in ICT

    Students have been urged to upgrade their knowledge in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to conduct a good research. They were told to acquire skills in the use of Microsoft word to enhance their writing skills.

    The charge was made at two-day Dialogue on Media and Communication organised by the Department of Mass Communication of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).

    Ben Ogwo, a professor of Industrial, Technical and Workforce Education, was the keynote speaker at the ocassion, while Mr Chodo Nwakama, the Immediate past president of Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), chaired the event.

    Ogwo advised researchers to keep abreast with the latest trend of the social media and also seek research funds from local and international organisations, government agencies as well as private individuals.

    The don highlighted cognitive skill, writing and word processing skill, internet savvy as the skills required of a prospective grant writer.

    He said: “The manner you comport and carry yourselves is key to securing a grant, because your funders will have to run a background check on your activities before releasing money for the execution of your research project.”

    The Executive Director of the Sun newspapers, Mr Steve Nwosu, who spoke at the event, told the participants to be proud of their profession as it would enable them overcome the challenges they might face.

    Nwosu, who spoke on From classroom to newsroom, urged students to identify their areas of interest in mass communication while still in school to enable them pursue their passion after school. He told them to take advantage of their access to modern tools and establish professional journalism practice on social media and other online channels.

     

  • Oyo students elect leaders

    The Lagos State chapter of the Federation of Oyo State Union (FOSSU) has elected leaders, who will steer the affairs of the union in 2014/2015 academic year.

    The election, which was adjudged to be free and fair, was held at the main auditorium of Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) in Isolo campus. It lasted for five hours.

    Babalola Davis, a student of University of Lagos (UNILAG), was declared president after the keenly contested election. Abdul Lasisi and Azeezat Adebayo, students of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) were elected Vice President and Welfare Director. Gbemisola Adesokan, a UNILAG student, became Assistant General Secretary, while Ridwan Lawal from Lagos State University (LASU) was elected as the General Secretary, among others.

    The outgoing president, Rahman Adebayo, said that the association’s primary aim was to promote the Oyo culture and to redeem the lost heritage of the union. He said the union fostered unity among all the students of Oyo state origin studying in Lagos.

    Rahman urged the elected officials to ensure continuation of the values Oyo people are known for, adding that leadership position was for the dedicated and hardworking. He advised them to work together as a team, saying it would help them to surpass challenges.

  • Don’t disenfranchise students, body warns INEC

    Many students may be disenfranchised in the 2015 general elections if the revelation of the National Association of Southern Nigerian Students (NASONS) is anything to go by. The association alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had a plan to prevent students from participating in the electoral process, saying 75 per cent of students in the Southern part of the country were yet to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    The association urged INEC to extend the period for the distribution of the cards and registration exercise.

    Speaking with CAMPUSLIFE, the NASONS national president, Anya Anya, said the body had already identified many unregistered students, urging the electoral body to deploy its staff to register the students.

    He said: “We are calling on INEC to abide by the Electoral Act by registering our people in their various states and campuses. It is enshrined in the Act that there should be continued voters registration exercise at local government headquarters.”

    Anya called on school managements to mandate all students to get registered, stressing that effective arrangement must be made for the youth to participate in the electoral process for development and sustenance of democracy in the country.

    He added: “Students are paying no serious attention to INEC registration. A lot of us are not even aware that there is voter’s registration. If it is not mandated for all students to register, they will lose out. I urge managements of tertiary institutions to mandate students to register. They should make PVCs a criterion for writing exam.”

    Anya also warned that the association would resist any attempt to rig next year’s general elections, calling on politicians to hold issue-based campaign rather than violent rallies.

  • Students’ donations lift indigent pupils

    Christiana Akinjide Foundation in partnership with the Ibadan International School has donated uniforms, textbooks and other writing materials to primary school pupils in Ibadan through the efforts of privileged students. OSEHEYE OKWUOFU reports.

    The IDC Primary School, Olunloyo, Ibadan was filled to capacity. It was the venue of the event where Christiana Akinjide Foundation in partnership with Ibadan International School recently donated uniforms, textbooks and other writing materials to primary school pupils.

    The pupils were not at the event alone. Their parents, guardians and friends were present to witness the event, even as the pupils were thrilled by the gifts given to them.

    Most of the parents at the ceremony lauded the benevolence exhibited by the foundation and its partner. This is more so as majority of them could not afford the needed sets of books for their children’s academic careers. They could not afford the luxury of procuring different kinds of textbooks, exercise books, mathematical sets, new school uniforms and other writing materials for their children.

    So, when they were invited to witness the donation of the materials to their children, they did not hesitate to attend. And so were the management and staff of the schools.

    The children could not hide their joyous feelings as they trooped out of their classrooms in large number to welcome their visitors and benefactors.

    Christiana Foundation named after the late wife of the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN) was established two years ago to alleviate the suffering of the society’s poor.

    Mrs Omonike Akinjide, wife of the son of Chief Akinjide, Yomi, is managing the foundation that aims at changing lives and giving hope to the hopeless.

    So, when they chose to donate the items to children of the IDC Primary School, Olunloyo Ibadan, the goal was to give freedom to the next generation. Christiana Foundation, according to Mrs Akinjide, was established to give a lift to schools, especially the young people within the school system, to improve the quality of the school system and support educational institutions, primary and secondary schools and other educational institutions.

    Mrs Akinjide said: “We want to support educational institutions, we want to support the teachers in their teaching careers and we want to support the child in learning.

    “So, whatever the child needs to learn we want to provide it. Whatever the teacher needs to be able to communicate effectively with the child, we want to provide as well.

    “So far, we have given whiteboards, we have given books and book shelves. You know we have discussed with the teachers and we have found out what their needs are and we have come with that vision to provide everything. Currently, we have about 10 schools that we have covered in our donation scheme and when we leave this school, we are going to two other schools.

    “We are going to St. Peters in Ejioku as well as another secondary school where we need to build a library. I think the teachers are doing their best and schools are smaking their best efforts. There is an improvement. There is always an increase in enrolment, the teachers are encouraged. They key into the vision and they want to be part of it.

    “I think the key objective is to be able to get a primary six child to be able to communicate effectively in the English Language. One thing we try to push is reading.

    “So, we bring story books in. We try and encourage the teachers to read story books to young children. We partnered with parent-teacher association; we made them understand how important reading is. When the child goes home, you don’t just tell him to fetch water to help with household chores but get the child to read because there is only so much the teacher can do in the class; it has to go beyond the classroom.”

    While she called on well-meaning individuals and corporate bodies to give a lift to the pupils, Mrs Akinjide praised the students and staff of Ibadan International School for partnering with the foundation in order to bring succour to children’s education.

    She further explained that Ibadan International School is the primary donor and has donated uniforms for over 400 pupils, bought all the educational materials and gave the parents renewed hope.

    “That is why we are looking for wealthy schools that will partner with us. As you know, there are wealthy people in this country, so we are looking forward to getting willing partnerships to help these children,” she said.

    The items donated, it was learnt, were primarily procured by the students of Ibadan International School from the pocket money they received from ther parents just to help the less fortunate children in the society.

    The Principal, Ibadan International School, Mrs Motunrayo Ige, who praised the children’s generosity, estimated the cost of the items at over N700, 000.

    Mrs Ige said the reason the school is partnering with Christiana Foundation was that “we believe in education and education is the right for all our children, education is the future of our nation.

    “We believe in helping children who are not as fortunate as our own children in our own school. It was our children who actually raised the whole money. It wasn’t their parents. Every year, we sponsor a project in our local community. This year, we partnered with Christiana Foundation. In the past, we have built classrooms; we have sunk boreholes just to help children who are the future of the nation. The donation today is worth approximately N700, 000.

    “It is voluntary and the children enjoy doing it because they know they are giving something back to other children who may not be as fortunate as they are,” she said.

    Alluding to the claim, the President of Ibadan International School Students’ Council, Miss Esther Nnana, explained how they were motivated to contribute to help the less fortunate children.

    She said: “When we leave home every morning and see kids around, it’s not pleasing to us. Okay, we have the advantage; of course we get to school every morning, getting everything we need. Just because our parents are giving us everything we need.

    “Seeing them out, we feel they can achieve much if they have that privilege. So, we should continue to give them as much as we can. And we believe there is more joy in giving than in receiving.”

    The Head teacher of IDC School, Olunloyo, Ibadan, Mrs Lawal Odunayo, expressed her appreciation for the love they had for the children. She said: “We are indeed very happy and grateful because the gesture showed that there are still some organisations that are very fond of public primary schools.”

    The Head teacher, who assured of judicious use of the materials, said the materials donated will definitely impart knowledge to the pupils “because many parents are not able to buy textbooks for their children. Now that these textbooks are donated to them, they will help the pupils in their reading skills.”

     

  • Sokoto varsity agog as students return

    Activities have resumed at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) as the  institution re-opened for 2014/2015 session.

    Freshers have since begun registration, which would last for two weeks, while that of returning students follows.

    Students, who are unable to register within this period, would have  one week’s  grace or pay a fine for late registration.

    The registration centres were beehives when CAMPUSLIFE visited the campus last Thursday. Students were seen moving from one office to another to beat the deadline. Some of them described the registration as stressful, but others said there were improvements from what they had last session.

    Abdulkadir Imam, a 300-Level Business Administration student, said: “I am happy that we have resumed because we had a long holiday. The registration is stressful but it appears there has been improvement from what we had last session.”

    Another student from the Islamic Education Studies Department, Saudatu Mahmud, said the registration was tough. Aminat Jibril, a fresher at the Biochemistry Department, said: “It is tiring and stressful. I don’t know why I have to pass through pain to get my courses registered. I am tired.”

    A final year student of Political Science, Abulkareem Isiaka, said the registration ended a period of rumour over their resumption. “It is so disheartening that we had troubles dealing with resumption date because of rumours. Thank God, we are back to school at last. I am impressed with the registration, because it is not just online but it is fast and easy.”

    An official at the registration centre, Mallam Ibrahim Aminu, said any new system always had its attendant challenges, noting that the online registration was no exception. He said: “Since the new system of online registration was developed in 2010, we have been facing various challenges yearly. We have tried to update and improve the system to make it perfect. We urge any student who is experiencing any difficulty to report to our support team at the Information and Communication Technologies Centre as well as the Management Information System (MIS) and we shall definitely solve it.”

  • Police ‘attack’ protesting Ilaje students

    Police ‘attack’ protesting Ilaje students

    Igbokoda community in Ondo State woke up to the fury of students, who took to the streets protesting what they called protracted blackout in the community.

    The protesters, under the aegis of National Association of Ilaje Students (NAIS), said for six years Igbokoda, an oil-producing community and headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area, had no power supply.

    But, riot policemen attacked the students, leaving one of them shot in the leg.

    The students, who came from different higher institutions, held a procession on a major road in the community, carrying placards with the inscriptions, such as “Bring Back Our Light”, “Let there be light in Ilaje” and “We are living in darkness and we need help”.

    The aggrieved students marched on the local government secretariat. But, no official came out to address them.

    They moved to the office of the Ondo State Oil ProducingArea Commission (OSOPADEC) but they were rebuffed by the security personnel, who shut the gates. The protesters, then, moved to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), where they were attacked by the policemen attached to the Igbokoda Police Station. The officers shot to disperse the protesters.

    In the melee, Ibukun Obayelu, a student of University of Benin (UNIBEN), was hit by a bullet. He collapsed on the road. He was rushed to the General Hospital.

    CAMPUSLIFE learnt that the students had the police permit to hold the protest. It was learnt that the police arrested the association’s leaders, including the President, Victor Adeya, a 300-Level Quantity Surveying student of University of Lagos (UNILAG), Busayo Ebiniyi, a Business Administration student of Kwara State Polytechnic (KWARA POLY) and Olanrewaju Oretan, a Biochemistry student of University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).

    They have, however, been released. But the students vowed to continue with the protest until electricity is restored to the community.

    Victor said: “It is sad that Ilaje Local Government, which is an oil-producing area, is lagging behind in development. How can the area be without electricity for six years? Most of these political and traditional leaders do not live among the people, who are suffering it. We are tired of this marginalisation. As the student body in Ilaje, we won’t relent until something is done.”

    One of the protesters, ThankGod Okorisa, a student of National Open University in Akure, berated political leaders in the community for neglecting the people. He said: “Our leaders are not interested in the development of Ilaje community. Our traditional leaders are well known in the country, yet their local government has been in darkness for over six years.”

    An elder in the community, who spoke in anonymity, said the protest reflected the anger of the people living in the community over the “massive underdevelopment” Ilaje area was witnessing.

    He said the community people were in support of the protest by the students. “I salute the students’courage to speak out on what many of us are afraid to do in the past six years,” he added.

    The students gave the government up to December 20 to restore electricity in the community, threatening to disrupt elections in the area if the government failed to accede to their request.

     

  • Students plead for hostels, accreditation

    The students of the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua in Ikot-Ekpene, have called on the state government and the management of the institution to address accommodation problems and non-accreditation of courses in the institution.

    Although they praised the government and the new school management, led by Israel Affia, the Rector, for giving them a serene and secure learning environment, they, however, said all was not well with them in the institution.

    The Assistant Secretary of the newly-inaugurated Students’ Union, Mr Fred Daniel, a HND II Computer Science student, told The Nation that accommodation problem was affecting the students negatively.

    “We are having hostel accommodation issues here. Most students want to live on the campus because there is always steady light here more than in the host community where most of us are living now. We can make more use of the school library as well as departmental libraries to enhance our academic performances.  The environment is clean, serene and secure.  It will enable us do better academically,” he said.

    Daniel also said the non-accreditation of some of the Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes is retrogressive.

    He said students prefer to complete both their ND and HND programmes in the school, instead of being forced to look for another institution to finish up their programmes.

    The Students’ Union Director of Information and HND II Mass Communication student, Anthony Ebong, listed some of the affected courses without HND accreditation to include: Building Technology; Electrical–Electronics Engineering; Civil Engineering; Urban and Regional Planning; Estate Management and Quantity Survey among others.

    Meanwhile, the Mass Communication students of the school have appealed to the government to provide them with a platform to go on air.

    They spoke when The Nation visited their studio while they were rehearsing news presentation. The students said they wanted to go on air as well as have a page in a newspaper. They appealed to the government to buy airtime for them. They said this would place the school on the national and international map as a centre of excellence.

    On safety on campus, the school’s  Chief Security Officer, Mr Friday Samuel, assured students’ safety is guaranteed.

    “The whole school is fenced-round, we have security patrol on duty 24 hours; we have car bomb detectors and the one we use to check individuals. Our trained security officers are strategically located and on surveillance day and night, on and off campus,” he said.

     

  • Students hail EKSU fee reduction

    There was jubilation on the campus of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti following the reduction of the tuition fees by Governor Ayo Fayose.

    The governor had announced the reduction of the tuition fees from N50,000 to N30,000 to give more indigent students access to education last Friday.

    The administration of the former governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, had reduced the fees from N150,000 to N50,000 in 2010. But this latest reduction is seen as a step to ameliorate the hardship faced by parents in paying the fees.

    Fayose gave the order while featuring on his maiden media chat, “Meet Your Governor”. He also ordered the authorities of the university to allow students who cannot pay the new N30,000 at once to pay in two installments.

    He lamented the hardship parents face paying various fees charged in the university, including: departmental fees, faculty fees, field trip fees, library fees, among others.

    Fayose however clarified that only full-time students would benefit from the reduction.

    He also promised not to bow to pressure from certain quarters to remove the EKSU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Patrick Aina and the Provost of the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti, Prof. Francisca Aladejana on account of being appointed by his predecessor.

    Fayose said his wish to retain the duo was in tandem with his desire not to allow vendetta to motivate his action and the fact that the two officials have performed well in office.

    The Nation gathered that as soon as the news filtered into the campus that the tuition had been reduced, many students celebrated and congratulated one another.

    EKSU students resident in the host community of Iworoko-Ekiti, many of whom were monitoring the media chat on the radio, screamed with joy as the governor announced the reduction of their tuition fee.

    On Monday, the reduction was the topic of discussion among students on campus.

    An electrical engineering student, Segun Ibiyemi, described it as an “unexpected miracle” which will bring relief to them.

    “This is an unexpected miracle. I did not listen to the radio when the governor gave the directive. My classmate informed me but I did not believe at first. I had to make one or two calls to confirm it.  When I learnt that it is true, the news gladdened my heart. We want to appreciate the governor for reducing this burden on our parents and we pray that God will continue to bless him,” he said

    Titilayo Olabode, a Biochemistry student expressed joy on the reduction of the tuition fee which she described as an “end-of-the year surprise package”.

    She said she would have loved the order to take a retroactive effect such that the excess of the last fees paid would be returned to the students.

    However, Olabode urged a thorough implementation of the directive to prevent the students from being shortchanged by some officials whom she said may want to circumvent the directive.

    “I want to appeal to the governor to monitor the situation very well and ensure that his order is implemented to the letter. This is because when the immediate past governor reduced the fee from N150,000 to N50,000 when he came in, some faculties were dragging their feet in implementing the directive,” she said.

     

  • Students remember late ex-colleagues

    Students of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Television College (TV COLLEGE) in Jos, Plateau State have remembered a former colleague, who died in a road crash. The deceased, who was known on campus as MC Longs, was a comedian.

    On Wednesday, students and other members of the institution suspended their engagement to hold a candlelight procession in memory of the departed. The procession started from Government House junction in Rayfield to the college gate.

    The mourners sang hymns and elegies to remember the deceased. Some students gave their testimonies about their encounters with the deceased. They said the late MC Longs touched the lives of many through his comedy shows.

    The president of the Television Production Students’ Association (TEPSA), Samuel Kunkur, said MC Longs’ death was a devastating blow to the campus community, saying deceased left bade farewell to the world when he was approaching the pinnacle of his career.

    Other campus comedians described the deceased as a mentor, whom they missed dearly. They said his jokes could move mountains and would hit anyone hard. Students said the late MC longs staged various programmes to improve social life in the college.