The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Students

  • Create wealth from your talent, students told

    Students have been advised to create wealth and values out of their passion. Prof Olusegun Ogunba, a lecturer, said students must develop their latent abilities to be self-reliant, given the growing unemployment.

    Ogunba was the guest lecturer at the launch of Dunamis, a magazine published by Funke Oshin, a graduate of English Language and Literary Studies at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

    Ogunba, a senior lecturer at the Department of Estate Management in OAU, praised the publisher, saying he could not publish a magazine as an undergraduate despite his passion for writing short stories and articles.

    He told members of the audience, who were mainly youth, to see education as a tool to explore their innate abilities, while charging them to be focused and set their targets.

    Student, he said, should not come to university only to get grade, but also to think of what they can do to affect the well-being of their environment and people around them.

    He said: “Funke has shown the world that despite the challenges facing students on campus and after graduation, they can still exploit their condition to do something that will benefit humanity.”

    Funke, who beamed with smiles as she responded, advised students to discover their potential and explore their talents to create wealth and values. She said: “You have to start up; you have to take the bold step and you will be surprised to see that it will come out well.”

    Narating how her love for book motivated her passion for publishing, Funke said: “I chose to study law, but I was given English Language and Literary Studies. I thought it was a disappointment and my parents thought I would one day change to law. Since I started studying English and Literary Studies, I have developed passion for writing and this brought the dream for Dunamis Media in 2011.”

     

  • Kolade to students: show interest in politics

    Kolade to students: show interest in politics

    What role do students have in the 2015 general elections? Dr Christopher Kolade, former Nigeria High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, who spoke at a symposium organised by BrandiQ Magazine, wants the youth to drive the process, reports BALIKIS MOYOSORE.

    Do students have a role to play in the 2015 general elections? Former Nigeria High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Dr Christopher Kolade said apart from participating in the exercise as voters, students must drive the process to ensure hitch-free elections.

    The former envoy spoke at the 2014 BrandiQ Magazine Symposium with the theme: Politics, business and 2015 general elections: Driving stakeholder’s participation through deliberative engagements, held at the Civic Centre on Victoria Island, Lagos. In attendance were students from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Redeemer’s University (RUN), Bells University of Technology (BELLS), Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) and Lagos State University (LASU).

    Other speakers at the event included the Dean, School of Media and Communications of Pan-Atlantic University, Prof Emevwo Biakolo, Editor-in-Chief of BusinessWorld Mr Ray Echebiri, former Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) Registrar Dr Josef Bel-Molokwu, former Lagos State Commissioner for Environment Dr Muiz Banire, and former Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) chief, Apostle Hayford Alile, the chief host.

    Kolade advised the youth to drop their apathy for politics and election, saying: “You must not sit back and say that you have no business in politics and leave it for the politicians. Whatever the results from the game of politics will affect everybody, including students.”

    Politics, he said, is one of the most important stakes the people have in Nigeria. “You should not allow yourselves to be deterred by the antics of people who are called practitioners in politics. It is when we have good governance that everybody will have chance to actualise our stakes. If activities leading to good governance are being carried out without your participation, then you will blame yourself eventually for the bad outcome, because you failed to participate,” he said.

    The Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of BrandiQ, Mr Desmond Ekeh, said the aim of the magazine was not only to report brands, but also the packaging and content of the Nigeria. He said: “The paucity of skilled hands in the industry necessitated the magazine to go into training of students to equip them with skills that will make them function optimally in the industry.”

    Prof Biakolo examined the idea of a nation-state in relation to Nigeria, stressing that there were many misconceptions that accompany it. He observed that only a few states could claim to be nation-states, which, he said, were not sustainable in a multi-ethnic and plural society. While pointing out how difficult it would be to attain cohesiveness among the various ethnic groups in Nigeria and drive political participation among Nigerians, he said the idea of cohesiveness itself was foisted on the country by colonial regime.

    Speaking on the effect of politics on business, Echebiri blamed the present woes of the NSE on politics. He noted that trading in the stock market was becoming weak because of the forthcoming elections. He lamented the rate at which foreign investors were selling their shares and leaving the country, saying the implication would be grave on the economy.

    Echebiri explained how government policies affected business climate in the past, saying privatisation policy saw many government enterprises including banks privatised.

    He, however, welcomed some government policies, such as the ban on importation of drinks and poultry products, which, he said, had helped to grow local production. In his submission, Echebiri said since government politics affects business, every Nigerian must participate in politics to formulate quality policies, which make the economy to grow stronger.

    A social media strategist, Ms Chioma Agwuegbo, urged the youth to walk the talk in politics. She identified voters’ registration as the first step in the process of political participation, urging them to go for the exercise. She said: “We can’t be stakeholders if all we do is go on social media and tweet out our thoughts and complaints. We must take advantage of our demographic superiority to effect changes in government through our participating in politics.”

  • Students invent automobile

    Students invent automobile

    The Mechanical Engineering Department of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, Anambra State, has become a centre of attraction after five of its graduating students fabricated an automobile, using locally-sourced materials and gadgets. FRANKLIN ONWUBIKO (400-Level Mass Communication) reports.

    Can Nigerian engineers manufacture an automobile, using local resources? It is possible! Five engineering students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, Anambra State, have shown how the feat can be achieved.

    The Department of Mechanical Engineering of the university was the centre of attraction last week when the students unveiled an automobile they designed and built. They drove it round the campus.

    The manufacturers, Augustus Okoyenta, Chukwuebuka Okeke, Chikeluba Ezeani, Kenechukwu Ofoegbu and Ebenezer Igbokwe are graduating students of the department. They fabricated the vehicle as their final year project, using locally- sourced materials.

    They named their vehicle “Auto-Zik Formula 1 Car”. The design of the racing car, which operates at the speed of 180km/h, was carried out under the supervision of a lecturer in the department, Dr Solomon Nwiegbe.

    There was excitement on the campus when the vehicle was test-driven by Chikeluba around the Administrative Block before it was presented to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Joseph Ahaneku.

    The VC was joined by senior management members to shower encomiums on the students and their supervisor, describing the project as a brilliant feat. Members of the management were astonished when the students explained how they came up with the automobile. They analysed the mechanics, principles and calculations that made the project a reality.

    Prof Ahaneku hailed the students, saying they had started home-made automobile transformation in the country. He praised Prof Sam Omenyi, the pioneer lecturer in the department, for shooting the school into technological spotlight. Science and technology, the VC said, are the engines that power economic transformation.

    He said: “This university has always been known for excellence and these students have demonstrated the excellence. This is a novel project; you don’t need any further evaluation to know that these students belong to the class of excellence. They will be going Abuja in December to exhibit the project and other works. We train students to leave as job creators and not employment seekers.”

    Dr Nwigbo described the students as wonderful and resourceful, saying it took the team two years to design the automobile.

    He said: “The spirit of engineering in them was brought to bear. The boys passed through stress and training; now they have achieved their goal. Showcasing undergraduate research project before the management is no mean feat. I am not happy because they made a car but the quality of students we are churning out. They are disciplined, ready to learn and obedient.”

    The leader of the team, Augustus, said the task was to design a racing car with less air drag when in motion, using cost-effective materials. This took them almost two years.

    He said: “The achievement was not easy to come by; it took us days, weeks and months of hard work, sleepless nights, brainstorming and determination to succeed in the assignment. We used division of labour model, with each of us specialising in certain aspect of the design. I designed the chassis, the suspension as well as the hub. Chikeluba designed the brake system. The transmission and steering systems were designed by Chukwuebuka. While Ebenezer focused on the ergonomics (comfort of the driver), Kenechukwu designed the body.

    “We spent about N400,000 on the project. Although the department and Students’ Union supported us, but we bore most of the financial burden.”

    The students were grateful to their parents, who they said believed in their vision and supported them financially and morally. They also described their supervisor as a “wonderful man,” who encouraged them to work. They listed the challenges encountered in the process to include unstable electricity that prevented them from testing some of the gadgets in the vehicle, and working overnight, funding and lack of requisite machines.

    The Head of Mechanical Engineering Department, Dr Chinonso Achebe, said the feat was an indication that the department was not only proficient in theory but teach its students in practice. According to him, theoretical laws were juxtaposed with practical principles to carry out the project.

    “We are grateful to God for giving these students wisdom to achieve this feat. This shows that engineers are good managers of resources. A project of this magnitude was carried out at a very conservative cost,” he said.

    The HOD said the department had keyed into the programmes of the Vice Chancellor, who, he said, wrote a proposal to departments to look into research and set funds aside to facilitate it.

    On how to overcome challenges faced by students carrying out research, Dr Achebe said: “The department and Institute of Mechanical Engineering partly supported the Auto-Zik project. There was epileptic power supply which affected the pace of work but things improved later on. Plans are underway to improve facilities in our engineering workshop and make it better. The Dean of Faculty of Engineering is working towards achieving that.”

     

  • Radiography students mark Week

    The University of Lagos (UNILAG) Chapter of the Nigerian Association of Radiography Students (NARS)        has held its 7th Health Week amid excitement.

    The event, which was held at the UNILAG College of Medicine in Idi-Araba, started with awareness and a novelty match between the 300-Level and 200-Level students. The 200-Level team won the match by a lone goal.

    On the second day, the students visited Beth Torey Orphanage Home in Apapa area of Lagos. According to the students, the gesture was to reach out and support the less-privileged. They donated materials, including food stuff and toiletries.

    In the evening, the students held traditional night to showcase Nigerian cultures. The students were clad in traditional attires. A live band entertained the students as they danced round the campus. Fruits and palm wine were served at the event.

    On the third day, the students held a symposium with the theme: “Radiography, the future of medicine,” which focused on how to survive cancer and balance work pressure and personal life. The event was sponsored by CWAY Waters and The Future Project. The symposium ended with presentation of certificates and awards to the speakers and members of executive led by Olamilekan Ashaye.

    The Week ended with Barbecue Nite, where the students celebrated with roasted meat.

     

  • Guard dupes students

    A security guard at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) in Ogba, Lagos, has defrauded four students of the school, promising to help them secure accommodation in the area. Basil Chukwuma Okosa disappeared after he collected the cash from the victims.

    The students, Eniola Balogun, Vivian Orekyeh, Chidinma Ubani and Precious Opara paid N20,000, N30,000, N40,000 and N28,000 to the security guard.

    Speaking with CAMPUSLIFE, Chidinma said after Okosa collected the money from her, he started telling her stories. She said: “After I paid him the N40,000, he told me that my roommates were not in school, because of Industrial Training. It was then I noticed that he was up to something. He told different lies but by the time I noticed, he had run away.”

    Eniola said anytime she asked about the accommodation, Okosa would give flimsy excuses.

    It was gathered that Okosa is not the owner of the house he showed to the victims; the house is owned by a lecturer, who gave the security guard the key to show students, who wanted to rent an apartment.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the lecturer told Okosa not to collect money from anyone interested in the property.

    Vivian, who said she came from the same village as Okosa, spoke of her desperation  for an accommodation, because she lives in Okokomaiko, which is far from the school. “It is for this reason I paid N30,000 to the security man. When he told me to bring additional N10,000, this was when I noticed that I had been duped. I later discovered that some students had paid money to the man for the same apartment,” she said.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that Okosa also ran away with the salary of two of his colleagues. He has been declared wanted by his employer, Alpha Forte Security and Guards Services.

  • When OAU’s old law students meet

    Thirty years after they left the Faculty of Law, University of Ife, IIe-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), the 1984 class met in Lagos for a reunion dinner, reports JOSEPH JIBUEZE.

    Most of them are in their late 50s, but when the 1984 law graduates of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife met in Lagos at the weekend, the scene was like a group of undergraduates having a good time.

    It was a happy occasion; they met at the Radisson Blu in Victoria Island to mark the 30th anniversary of their graduation with a reunion dinner.

    The array of exotic cars, flowing traditional attires (agbada) by the men and gorgeous wrappers (with headgears to match) by the women bore witness to the status many of them have attained.

    Among them are judges, business owners, professors, managers of big law firms and directors in banks and other companies.

    It was an informal occasion as the members recalled their days in schools, and were called by the nicknames they were known. There was dancing and exchange of banters.

    The Coordinator, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), said being alive 30 years after graduation was worth celebrating. He remembered departed colleagues, which he said is a reminder that “life is a game of cards that deals us many hands”.

    “It is most gratifying that after 30 years of work, we can afford the luxury of dinner in a world class hotel, especially in such trying times when insurgency and terrorism have declared total war on formal education in the Northeast.

    “These happenings are sober penalty for long years of neglect by the political leadership of the region with the complicity of the central government and the rest of us. Having unleashed the demon of insurgency, we are further impairing our ability to deliver education as we use our scare resources to prosecute an avoidable civil war,” he said.

    He recalled the days when meals in school cost 50 kobo and students had ice cream on Sundays, saying: “Getting education is no longer what it used to be and the standards have simply declined.”

    He urged alumni to do their bit to enhance the quality of education in the faculty and sustain the legacy they received and handed over.

    The Dean, Faculty of Law, OAU, Prof Olu Adediran, urged the old students to help with re-equipping the faculty’s furniture. “We’re still using the 1984 long, collapsible seats,” he said.

    Besides, he said they could provide support by financing prizes for outstanding students, establishing fellowships which will be named after them, and donating professorial chairs.

    National Programme Manager, DfiD/British Council J4A Project, Dr Bob Arnot, who gave the dinner speech entitled: Driving in Nigeria, drew a correlation between the mode of driving in the country and corruption.

    He said it is common to see people drive on pavements, grasses, speed on slow lanes, text while driving (apart of from receiving calls), avoid queues at junctions and create multiples lanes, overtake without signaling, park in churches and mosques without consideration for others and allow children to stand in vehicles.

    The lawlessness exhibited by most drivers, he said, is part of the impunity in the system where people commit crimes and get away with them, just as they get away with corruption.

    “Nobody is held to account. The crazy driver is never held to account,” adding that due not inadequate records, law enforcement agents cannot even trace a person to his home. According to him, there is also a lack of social contract between the public and government, which he said leads to a disjointed relationship between leaders and the citizens. The solution, he added, requires “a massive change in social consciousness.”

     

  • Why mobile phones are useful to Students

    Why mobile phones are useful to Students

    Mobile phones are one of the fastest adopted innovations in the history. Today, findings have revealed that computer, internet and mobile phones have become important parts of human life and that the latest of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), mobile phones, have become widespread in most parts of the world, especially among the young generation.

    Statistically, young people constitute a greater percentage of mobile phone users in the world.

    The integral roles play by mobile phones in the life of students, especially undergraduate students cannot be underscored. Mobile phones enhance students’ urge for communication which include sending and receiving of text messages and making and receiving of phone calls to parents, guardians and love ones.

    It’s when majority of students are wondering when their roommates will be back to the room, whether they are given assignments or there is a fixed class and other odd moments that they find a good time to pick up their phones to text or call. But sure bet of all students do with their phones is chatting. Students chat very well even if they don’t have anything informative to exchange at that moment.

    In Journalism and mass communication for instance, mobile phones are used as portable (pocket) media devices and services. With internet enabled phones like Smartphones, students can know what is happening around the world and can make happenings around them known worldwide within seconds. Mass communication students can equally convert their sophisticated phones to recording audio and audio-visual gadgets. They package, write and report events as they are.

    Generally speaking, with mobile phones, students can access online materials related to their area of disciplines. They can browse for other informative, fascinating and tantalizing sites, events, programmes, social-cultural and religiously inclined stuffs and watch videos both online and offline with them.
    In other words, students can surf the Net with their Internet enabled mobile phones. Across the board, students with Smartphones can use social media Apps which include Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, 2go, Badoo, Tumbir among others. This is so because Social Network Site owners have tailored their offerings to fit mobile crowds.

    With features like location, tagging, picture upload, personal profile update and status updates, students can use their phone to broadcast who they are, where they are and what they are doing to all their friends and the entire public or users of a social networking site they can access at any
    point in time.

    To this end, students can easily get carried away in the euphoria of using these mobile phones and if care is not taken, they can be detrimental to student’s academic pursuits. Students are therefore charged to be an active audience of this new technology through purposeful use of their mobile devices and not letting these devices and other technologies use them.

    Oyewole writes from ABU, Zaria

  • Hip-hop artistes thrill OAU students

    Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, were thrilled at the weekend as hip-hop artistes stormed the campus.

    The show,  held at the amphitheatre, was organised by Hadunni Entertainment, in conjunction with Making Incredible Non-existing Positive Difference Summit (MINDS), a body that promotes upcoming artistes.

    Before 7pm, the venue was filled to the brim. By 10pm, the show began with performance by popular artistes, including Sean Tizzle, Burna Boy and Kore. In the excitement, the audience sang along with their favourite artistes.

    The show was spiced up with Aro (hilarious display) by occupants of Awolowo Hall and a student nicknamed Woli Agba, who is a former occupant of the hall.

    The event also featured a raffle draw, where students had the opportunity to win several prizes such as laptops and i-Pads.

    One of the upcoming artistes, Olayinka Olasimbo, a 300-Level Chemistry student, described the show as a “bomb”. He said: “I have participated in several events on campus but this one is with a difference. I never believed OAU could host Burna Boy and Sean Tizzle at once.”

    Other campus artistes, who performed at the show, include Chinko, Chocomilo, X-factor, Virus, Asake and FBI. There was also drama presentation by Dramatic Arts students.

    Adunni Oluwawa, the organizer, said the show was to harness the talents of students.

  • Poly students hail end of dispute

    Poly students hail end of dispute

    They are happy to be back, after a protracted industrial dispute kept them away from the classroom for over two weeks.

    Upon their return, students of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba  immediately registered their pleasure by thanking the institution’s management and the three industrial unions in the institution for resolving the dispute.

    Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, and non-academic Staff Union of Polytechnics in the polytechnic had downed tools over non-payment of wage bills and arrears of salary which resulted in industrial action by various unions to demand their pay.

    It was gathered that the staff of the institution took the decision to withdraw their services after efforts to get the attention of the state government over their plight failed to yield any fruit.

    While the strike lasted, the students suffered, especially whose second semester exams were shifted indefinitely until the internal bickering was resolved.

    Some students who spoke to our reporter during the strike described it as a blessing in disguise because it gave them the opportunity to revise their books and, for some, to make some money with which to complete payment for their school fees to enable them write exams with other students.

    Our reporter who visited the school discovered that except for some of the administrative offices that were attending to prospective Corps members who were in the school for their call-up letter, the school was deserted.

    Drivers plying the Aba-Owerri Road also had low patronage during the strike period as the popular and busy Abia Poly Bus Stop, opposite the school was uncharacteristically scanty.

    An announcement on one of the local stations informed the students and the general public of  the resumption of academic activities of the school.

    That heartened the students as well as business owners around  the school. They had recorded very low patronage while the dispute lasted.

    When our reporter visited the school on Monday, students were seen in clusters discussing the strike while some others were in their classrooms having lectures. Some others spotted at some of the business centres in and around the school were making frantic efforts to print out and submit their assignments.

    Some of the students who spoke to our reporter on the strike, including Chigozie Okoro, said that they were happy over the decisions of the three industrial union chapters in the school decided to call off the strike.

    They also called on the acting rector, Prof. Uche Ikonne and the state government to urgently address some of the issues that led to the lecturers’ strike, stressing that another industrial action in the school would mean a total collapse of academic activities in the school.

    An ND II student who spoke anonymously, while lamenting on the negative impact of the strike on her, expressed hope that the scheduled exam which starts on Monday next week (Nov.17) would not be interrupted for any reason.

    The acting chairman of ASUP, Abia Polytechnic branch, Mr. Godswill Uma could not be reached, but a senior member of the union who spoke confidentially told our reporter that they still owed four months’ (July, August, September and October) salary arrears.

    On why the unions suspended the strike, the source said, “Well, we all are aware of what happened before now. Giving that the problem was inherited by the acting rector that he was able to pay us June Salary, while some of our members arrears up to May has been cleared, within the few weeks he (Ikonne) resumed office as the rector, we decided to give him the benefit of the doubt to call off the strike because he equally promised us that he is going to gradually offset the outstanding salary arrears.

    “I am sure that if he fails to fulfill his promises, we won’t have any option than to embark on another strike. It is the only option that we have to press home our demand. I learnt that before the strike, the Precious Nwakodo’s administration had written several letters to the state government, but no attention was given to them not until we decided to down tool. Yes, it is not in the interest of the students, but even the Bible that you and I read tells us that every good and faithful worker deserves his or her wages. We have worked and we deserved to be paid. We have families to cater for; we pay house rents. Some of us are breadwinners in our families and so, you don’t expect us to teach on empty stomach. Nobody is happy going on strike and if salaries were paid, I assure you that none of us would contemplate going on strike.

    “They just paid me my June salary and we are in November. December is fast approaching and we don’t know what providence has for us yet. We are not talking of increment in salary. What we are asking for is to pay us the salary of the number of months we have worked.”

    A release signed by the Secretary to the state government, Mkpa Agu Mkpa had suspended the then Abia Poly rector Sir Allwell Onukaogu and his Arochukwu College of Education Technology counterpart Christian Nwanmuo.

  • Census boss counsels Geography students

    The Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), Rivers State chapter, Rev. Donald Wokoma, has advised students of geography to be proud of their discipline.

    He spoke at a seminar by the Institute of Certified Geographers of Nigeria (ICGN) at the International Student Centre, University of Port Harcourt.

    He described geography as one of the disciplines that is very important to Nigeria and the world.

    “The aim of the seminar was to educate geography students and the entire society on the need to embrace the study of Geography seriously. Many students don’t know their map, some can’t identify where their state is located.  This is what makes geography students unique,” he said.

    He said as geographers the students need not to wait for the government but be self-enterprising by being proactive in creativity.

    “Maybe you don’t understand the discipline you are into.  As a geographer, you need not to be fake but to be sincere. Try to be self-enterprising, don’t depend on government; create your own ideas that could be acceptable,” he said.