Tag: UDUS

Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto (UDUS) Students’Union President, Faruk Barade, has accused his predecessor Ibrahim Kalgo of refusing to hand over the financial records of the body to him.

In a statement, the Students Union Public Relations Officer II, Hassan Kangiwa, a 300-level Agriculture undergraduate, quoted Barade as saying: “There is no financial record handed over to us.”

“First, I want to assure you that Kalgo has not left any financial record. There is no financial record left either for the office of the president or financial secretary.’’

In an interview, Kalgo, a 400-level Microbiology student, recounted  that the handing over of financial documents between him and his successor was slated for May, but that Barade did not show up.

“We wanted to hand over and we agreed to meet at the SU secretariat immediately at 8pm. Other colleagues and I waited from 8pm till around 11pm. We called their phone numbers, times without number, but we eventually left after  waiting for some hours.”

Kalgo, however, noted that  the hand over could still be done  privately.

In response, Barade confirmed the development.

“During Ramadan, we agreed to meet after Iftar for handing over. Unfortunately, an issue came up at the city campus that required the attention of the Students’ Union. We went there, and before we came back they had left.”

He continued: “The issue is this: though we agreed on 8:30pm, we were at the City Campus addressing one issue, but we pleaded with them to excuse us for some minutes. They would have none of that. We hurriedly attended to what we went to do at the City Campus to meet them, but we couldn’t.

“When we came back, we called them, but they insisted that they would not come back. Some of us were even meeting them one-on-one to handover to us officially, but they refused.”

Nonetheless, he said Kalgo has agreed to hand over to him unofficially.

“When I called him, he insisted that when he sees me, he will brief me,” he said.

Kalgo informed CAMPUSLIFE that he had sent the financial documents to Barade on the Whats Asap platform. However, Barade  has denied it.

“There is no message of financial record,” Barade said, showing this reporter his Whatsapp chat with Kalgo.

Barade also condemned the digital approach the former president claimed to have used.

“Why should a financial breakdown be sent on Whatsapp? Why would he even send me a soft copy of a financial record?  Barade asked.

“A financial record is something that should be put in the public domain, and signed by him and his financial secretary,”he said.

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of UDUS SU, Abubakar Auta, a 300-level Law student, expressed dissatisfion with the manner the immediate past administration handled the matter, describing it as ‘intentional negligence’.

The Students’ Union leaders of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS), have opened the books into the financial activities of the immediate past executive.

Its President, Faruk Barade, a 400-level Law undergraduate, is accusing his predecessor’s sales director, Abdulmajeed Kankara, of syphoning money meant for the union.

According to Barade, Kankara a 300-Level History undergraduate, unilaterally collected N8,000 and had it for keeps instead of remitting same to the union’s account. According to Barade, the money is meant for rent of one of SU’ shops located at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH).

Said Barade: “When we arrived at the shop (General Shop), we realised that the former sales director has collected the sum of N8,000 — the rent for the shop. We asked for the receipt and we were shown.

“I was disappointed because the former president said the amount was not remitted into the union’s account. When I called the former sales director about the money, he admitted to collecting it but he has misappropriated it.

“Another bad habit of the former sales director was that while issuing receipts, he would backdate them — by writing an earlier date rather than the date the receipt was issued, so that it will look as if he had collected them during their administration.

Barade recounted how he once forced Kankara to release the union’s money in his possession after reporting him to Deputy Dean of Students’ Affairs.

“This is not his first time. He had also unilaterally collected N10,000 meant for kerosene in Students’ Union shop. Also he collect N6,000 from one of the tenants.

“When I called and asked him about the money, he admitted to have collected but spent it. I had to report him to the Deputy Dean of Students’ Affairs before he refunded it.”

Barade’s predecessor Ibrahim Kalgo a 400-Level Micro-biology student, confessed that, while in the saddle, his administration decided not to collect all rents which is due for SU from their tenants, adding that he feared his administration might not be able to protect all the funds if it had kept them.

“The money I was referring to when I mentioned the remittance of the shop was the money which the tenants of our shops are due to remit.

“I intentionally didn’t collect it because we might not be able to keep it since projects kept coming.

“Even when my colleagues were asking me to collect it, I have to convince them that we should leave it for our successor.”

While Kalgo relied on the consensus reached with his colleagues not to collect the money, he however asked Barade –led executive to collect the rents.

Speaking with CAMPUSLIFE, Kankara admitted to collecting the money meant for the rent of the shops, but claimed to have used it for another purpose.

“Yes, I have collected the money and used the money for lubrication of the Students’ Union ambulance and the 18-seater bus.”

He said he did not know if Kalgo, his former boss, was aware of the deal, despite earlier warning to all executive members not to collect rent for some shops.

In the light of the foregoing, however, Barade has written a letter to the Students Representative Assembly (SRA), the legislative body of SU, as well as Zero Tolerance for Corruption (ZTC), an independent body that tackles corruption in UDUS, requesting investigation into the financial affairs of the immediate past administration.

The letter titled: “Demand for investigation of current and past financial status of the union and breakdown of income and expenditure’ dated July 5, was co-signed by Barade and his Secretary, Sulaiman Abubakar.

Usmanu Danfodiyo Students’ Union has elected new set of leaders that will paddle the affairs of the union for the next one year.

The election was conducted by the electoral committee constituted by the Student Affairs Division. The exercise was also monitored by UDUS campus journalists, as well as security personnel.

After a keenly contested election, Barade Faruku, a 400-Level Law student emerged the SU winner polling 3,595 votes to defeat his opponent Abubakar Abubakar Funtua who scored 2,314.

Other executives elect are: Ahmad Halimah Sadiya (vice-president 1); Shafiu Ibrahim Abubakar (vice-president 2); Suleiman Abubakar (general secretary); Ahmad Sirajo Hamzah (assistant general secretary); Jabir Ahmad Muhammad (PRO1); Hassan Garba Kangiwa (PRO2) Abdulrasheed AbdulAzeez (sport director); Musa Abdullahi Alkali (food director); Abdullahi AbdulQahar (welfare director) and Suleiman Yahaya Muhammad (protocol director).

The chairman electoral committee, Mallam Bashir Achida declared the winners for various offices and presented winners with certificates of returns. They have since been sworn-in at the university’s multipurpose hall.

Achida described the exercise as transparent and credible poll:  “As you all can see, the election has been peaceful and transparent. Winners have also emerged successfully. We allowed students to come around and seek clarification if there is any ambiguity.”

Achida thanked the management for contributing to democracy in Nigeria and demonstrating same through SU election.

“We have made our own contribution and we believe that students can also learn that things can be done in this country transparently and without any iota of doubt to the overall success of the system,” Achida said.

He however reinstated the commitment of the management in ensuring that elections across board are free and fair.

“We are going to continue to improve on this. We are going to ensure that the system is free and credible. As an academic setting, if we can’t hold a credible election, that means we are not laying a good example.”

The vice-chancellor Prof Abdullahi Abdul Zuru praised the electoral committee and the entire students of the university for ensuring peaceful atmosphere.

“I thank the electoral committee and the entire students of this university. We have shown to the world that we are a peaceful institution,” Zuru said, urging all students to be good representatives of UDUS.

“Leadership is not an easy responsibility but many students have done it well and we believe that you will also do better than them” he said.

Commonly referred to as Yaro and Yarinya, they are kids who do all kinds of menial job for students at the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto (UDUS). They are of school age, but they are not in school. Ironically, they are literally working as drawers of water and hewers of wood in a school. Some of them will like to go to school, but the opportunity is not there, report, EMELIFE UCHE.

SOME street kids practically live on the Usmau Danfodio University, Sokoto (UDUS) campus.

The children, aged between 0 and 17 and referred to as Yaro (for males) and Yarinya (for females), are from communities around the institution.  Instead of going to school, they work day in and out on the campus.

Students are used to seeing them, tattered and unkempt, perching on the windows of lecture halls with faces that suggest a longing for education; or they are found with buckets and trays hawking tiger nuts popularly called ‘Aya’ and water packed in sachets under the scorching sun; or most likely around the hostels running around seeking for errands for a small fee.

When they are not moving door-to-door seeking tasks to accomplish, they play ‘Langa’ – a game that requires strength and stamina.  In playing Langa, the participants stand in a queue and push one another with their right arm, while the left holds up the left leg and it gets them hopping. Whoever falls in the process leaves the game.

They play this game with so much delight and enthusiasm, and at each point forget their worries or sorrows.

In the past, some of the children used to attend Quranic schools known as Islamiya.  But there is evidence that this is no longer the case because they are almost always found on campus, especially at the beck and call of students in the hostels.

This sad turn of event is partly caused by the youngster’s early exposure to money, says Isaac Paul, who resides in a male hostel.

“Their school-attending contemporaries envy the ones that make money and wish to have what they have, so they quit Islamiya and join the mass of kids in the hostel that do nothing but work and work and work, and squander the realised money on junk food,” he said.

Do these children have parents, families?  They do. This reporter found they have homes in communities around the school. Their parents are farmers, shepherds, janitors on campus. Many of them are not literate, which may explain their lackadaisical attitude to their children’s affair.

Although, some of them try to get their wards spiritually educated by sending them to Quranic schools, many of them do not follow up to find out if they actually attend.

A female student, Faith Makama, told CAMPUSLIFE that some of the children work in their uniforms, which suggests that rather than go to school, they mill around the hostels.

“Half the kids that do my work are always in uniform. They shy away each time I ask why,” Faith said.

Some UDUS students think that parents of many of these child labourers perceive western education as sinful.

They claimed to have observed how some parents look at them like they are wayward for being educated, and they pass on the misconception to their wards, who grow to believe that western education is a pool of sin they should never swim in.

Early marriage is another factor that keeps especially the Yarinyas out of school.

Charles Mabel, a 200-Level student said that some weeks ago, a girl who does not look more than 14 years old was seen distributing freebies to celebrate her engagement.

However, contrary to popular opinion, some of these children desire to go to school.

One night, Faith said she was shocked to find one of the Yaros attempting to read a discarded piece of writing beside a tap.

“I wanted to get some water, then I found this Yaro boy reading. I was shocked at how near fluent he was and was tempted to question him,” she said.

Faith said her curiosity eventually got the better of her and she asked the boy if he wanted to go to school.  He said yes, but when she went further to inquire why he was not in school, he gave a smile that failed to mask the sadness in his eyes.

A press group in UDUS once found a Yarinya willing to go to school and also got a sponsor for her primary and secondary education. However, they were greatly disappointment when they learnt that the girl was married off before the agreed date for her to start school.

The Editor-in-Chief of the group said: “Everything was set. We had a sponsor, school kit, everything. But when we came for this bright child, she had already been married off.”

Apart from loss of education, the children as a result of this exposure get into harm’s way. CAMPUSLIFE learnt of a recent case of a Yarinya who was sexually harassed by a student. There have also been cases where students maltreat the children without regard for their age or health.

Also, many students do not feel anything but contempt for them because of the heinous crimes they commit.

Nathan, a 200-Level student, said they deserved no pity.

“Those children don’t deserve any form of pity. They are growing stubborn by the day,” he said.  His rage may not be unconnected with several reported cases of deliberate crime committed by the children.

Last semester, a group of masked Yarinyas ganged up and attacked a female student who does not wish to be named.

She said they threatened to stab her if she did not hand over her phone.

Another student, who simply called himself John said he was hit in the head with a wood by a Yaro while having a pee, and his phone stolen.

“I was easing myself when these boys crept from behind and hit my head with a stick. Before I could get a hang of what was going on, my phone was gone with them,” he said.

Another student claimed she gave a Yarinya a cup to rinse but caught her peeing in it.

Petty crimes like theft of pots and cooking utensils – and even a meal cooking on fire – are common place.

Some students claim that the struggle to survive, envy and revenge may be reasons why the children turn to crime.

Having to fend for themselves, they may be forced to steal; while some do so out of envy because they see students enjoying things they can only dream of. Some others also commit crime to revenge against students who ill-treat them.

Jethro Ibitoye, a humanitarian, who has made it a point of duty to farmiliarise with these kids, especially the Yaros, however said not all of them are bad.

He shared how one of them no longer stays idle in the hostel looking for work or what to steal.

“He saved up so much and got a bucket. He now sells chilled sachet water to students in the hostel and beyond,” Jethro said.

If the boy were to be educated, how much better would he be?

• How ice vendors, SUG exploited ‘thirsty’ students

Observing Ramadan under an extremely harsh weather has created an awkward experience for Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) students, who required ice to battle dehydration during the fasting period. But the situation was exploited by ice vendors and Students’ Union Government (SUG) officials who made brisk business, selling ice to students at ‘exorbitant’ price. TAOHEED ADEGBITE reports.

Unfriendly weather heralded the beginning of Ramadan in Sokoto State. May – the month during which the Muslim fasting started – was supposed to be a rainy season, but this was not the case. Residents groaned under a tropical weather brought about by scorching sun and daylight heat wave.

Dundaye, the host community of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), also experienced the extreme weather, which created a harsh experience for Muslim students observing the fasting. They battled dehydration.

But some vendors and the Students’ Union Government (SUG) exploited the situation to make brisk business, selling sheets of ice to students at exorbitant price.

After hours of lecture on a hot afternoon, Qomariyah, a 200-Level Modern European Languages and Linguistics student, was dehydrated. She returned to her hostel with the aim to relax and wait for Iftar (break of fast) to beckon.

The extreme heat in her hostel could not make her relax in her room. Unable to bear the heat wave, Qomariyah opted for a cold bath and stepped out to buy sheets of ice at the hostel mini mart. But, on getting to the mart, she met a crowd of students scrambling to get ice for the same purpose. She was shocked on discovering the price of ice had gone up because of the high demand.

“Why should the ice vendor increase the price from N10 to N50 when students need the ice to prevent complete dehydration resulting from this hot weather?” Qomariyah queried.

She added: “There is nothing that warrants this open extortion and exploitation. This is a period basic commodities should be made affordable for students who are fasting.”

Due to the high intensity of sun in the state, which caused the atmospheric temperature to rise from 39°C to 42°C, the students depended heavily on ice to prevent complete dehydration. This situation created hardship for Muslim students observing Ramadan under the harsh weather.

But ice vendors on the campus turned the situation around to make money. They increased the price of sachet of ice, which was sold for N10 before Ramadan. Students bought ice at exorbitant amount, compounding their experience of fasting in such harsh weather.

The SUG intervened on the pretext that it wanted to break the monopoly of the ice vendors and stop students’ exploitation. The union, through the office of Welfare Director, placed mass order for ice from town and sold to students at ‘subsidized’ rate. It took no time for the union intervention to become controversial, as students described it as exploitative when a sachet of ice was sold at N30.

Wondering why the union would join the vendors to exploit students, Salihu Muhammad, an Agricultural Science student, was stunned when he visited the SUG-appointed vendors to buy ice after returning from a lecture. He could not hide his surprise when he learnt he would pay N30 to get a sachet of ice.

Salihu said: “We expected that the ice being sold by the SUG vendors would be far cheaper than the ones brought to school by mini mart operators. But we were wrong. I am aware that a bag of ice, which contains 20 sachets, is sold in bulk by off-campus wholesalers at the rate of N200. As you can see, I just bought a sachet from the SUG vendor at the rate of N30. It would have been better if it had been sold at the rate of N15.”

Posing as a retailer, this reporter, last Saturday, visited one of the wholesale ice merchants in the town, from whom the union bought, to find out the unit price of bag of ice. It was discovered that the union made N20 each on a sachet of ice after buying a bag from the wholesaler at N200.

“One bag of ice goes for N200 and this price will be brought down if you are buying in dozens,” Mallam Abdul, a wholesale ice dealer, told CAMPUSLIFE.

Investigation by our reporter revealed that the wholesalers sold the ice, per sachet, for retailers at the rate of N10. The reporter compared the prices at four different wholesalers in places, such as Dandima, Runji Sambo, Gidan Dere and Arkila. All had fixed price of N10 for a piece of ice.

Campus vendors explained that they increased the price of ice from N10 to N50 because they paid for rent and electricity. But, students wondered why the union-appointed vendors that neither paid electricity bill nor rent still exploited them.

As days went passed by, the union vendors brought down the price of a piece of ice to N25, bringing down the profit from N20 to N15 on each sachet sold. Students described the SUG intervention as “exploitative welfare”, wondering why the union wanted to make profit at their expense.

Responding to the allegation, the union’s Sales Director, Abdulmajeed Ashiru, said each sachet of ice was purchased from wholesalers at N20. He said the union only added N5 as profit on each sachet of ice to make up for the cost of transportation in bringing the ice to the campus. He added that the union earned no profit from the intervention.

He said: “The union has no freezer to produce ice. To prevent students from being exploited, we bought sachets of ice in bulk at N20 each from wholesalers outside the campus. There is no wholesale vendor selling it at N10 in town. We bought the ice from Runjin Sambo, Emir Yahaya and other areas in the town for N20 per sachet of ice.”

A student, who simply gave his name as Nurudeen, said: “Any profit-oriented business has a pushing factor for venturing into such business. The SUG could not exonerate itself from this simple economic theory, regardless of the motive of its action. The economic theory gives room for the seller to make profit in as much as the consumers find no alternative to their needs.”

Another student, Zainabu Aliyu, said: “The Students’ Union leaders should stop claiming they are catering for our welfare in the month of Ramadan when the reverse is the case. Students’ welfare should be the pushing factor for any intervention the union is making. But, they bought cheap ice and sold to us at exorbitant price. Is that their definition of welfare?

“The union paid no dime in bringing the ice from the town to school, because the union has the means of transportation. The capital used for this business is owned by the students and it is without any interest as likely for others to have.”

Dr Muftau Olarinde, a lecturer at the Department of Economics, flayed the union’s action, saying it was an exploitative act.

He said: “In this holy month of Ramadan when everyone is supposed to be engaging in an act of charity, members of SUG are investing students’ money to make profit from the same people whose welfare they swore to cater for. Justice is not done in this regard.

“The capital they used for the business is not a loan on which they have to pay interest. Secondly, the means of transportation is through union bus. Then, let’s assume they bought it at the rate of N20 as they claimed, adding N5 to the price is too huge, considering the quantity of bags used per day and as regards the analysis of welfare economic theory.

“On the flipside, it could be said that they exploited the opportunity to make profit, and traditional economic theory allows them to make profit from any business. But the timing of the business is what makes it bad.