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Tag: UNILAG

  • Rain storm damage UNILAG hostels

    Residents of Moremi, Makama, and Fagunwa Halls, University of Lagos ( UNILAG ), were severely affected by the recent rainstorm that hit the school after roofs and walls of the hostel buildings came off.

    The storm which began in the early hours of Tuesday morning had roofing sheets flying off after a deafening wind briefly swept through the school.

    The wall that separates Fagunwa hall from the marshes outside it also collapsed.

    Narrating her experience, a resident of Moremi, Aniebietabasi Ufia, said it was very scary.

    “It was scary. Initially I didn’t think it was something serious until people in my hostel started screaming.

    “I ran out and saw zinc sheets in the air like nylon bags, the wind carried fire about, basins and buckets were tossed about like feathers. It was a frightful experience”, she said.

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    No student appeared to be hurt as many of them took to their whatsapp status to share the story as it developed.

    Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor of UNILAG, Professor Toyin Ogundipe, was reported to be seen on ground with unidentified management staffers to access the situation and show solidarity with the affected students.

    Elsewhere in the school, a tree fell on a car parked outside of the Senate building, but no one was reported to be hurt at the time of filing this report.

    Trees and tree branches also fell in front of the department of Mass Communication, causing a mild obstruction at the gate and driveway that leads to the department.

    Canopies set up for UNILAG’s convocation exhibition were scattered around, too.

    It is yet unclear whether the exhibition will still hold, but the storm has certainly disrupted activities in the school.

  • UNILAG seeks abstracts for research fair

    The University of Lagos (UNILAG) is accepting abstracts for its 13th research fair holding in August.

    At a briefing ahead of the fair, Prof Abayomi Okanlawon, chairman of the organising committee for the fair, said the deadline for submission was May 14.

    He said authors of accepted abstracts would be notified of their selection on May 28, after which they would be expected to submit papers by July 16.  Those who scale through would know if their papers were accepted by July 30.

    The fair themed “Resource utilisation and sustainable development” will also feature sub- themes, such as  Future cities and Environment sustainability, culture, resource utilisation and the art, emerging issues of climate change, Integrated health system: modern and traditional, ICT, E-learning and open educational resources, among others.

    The fair, which will hold August 28-30, will also feature a research competition.  Winners of the competition would be announced and rewarded on the final day of the fair.

    Speaking on the importance of research, the Director of Academic Planning, Prof Wale Okunuga, explained that research is critical in a university.

    “University is not all about teaching and producing first degree graduates or postgraduates. It is majorly to talk about research and do some research drives that  would give insight to the industries in their work and be able to improve development of the nation.

    “One of the ideas of this research fair is to ensure that we sell the idea back to the industries and working teams outside the university. I want us to be full of expectation this year,” he said.

    He noted that last year’s fair attracted some small and medium scale enterprises and he was hopeful that more would attend this year.

    He added the university had created some research centres and also won two in the recent African research competition  done last month.

     

  • Maths competition: Unilag student emerges overall best

    Mr Daniel Itsuokor, a 400 level student of mathematics, University of Lagos (Unilag) has emerged overall best out of 56 participants in mathematics competition organised by National Mathematical Centre (NMC).

    Unilag also triumphed over 14 other universities that participated in the competition.

    Prof. Stephen Onah, the Director/Chief Executive of NMC disclosed this during the closing ceremony of the competition on Friday in Sheda.

    Represented by Prof. Peter Onumaiye, the Coordinator, Mathematical Sciences Programme of the NMC, Onah said five participants won gold medals, nine got silver medals, while 14 went home with bronze medals out of the 56 participants.

    The director congratulated the participants for the performance and urged them to remain focused and be good ambassadors of mathematics.

    He advised the participants not to look at what they would benefit from working hard, rather, they should have goal or target and work hard to achieve it.

    Itsuokor, who spoke on behalf of other participants, expressed gratitude to the centre for the opportunity given them to exercise their capabilities in the knowledge of mathematics.

    The overall best attributed his success to hard work and determination and encouraged other students to embrace mathematics, saying studying the course was not so difficult as presumed by some students.

    Prof. Benjamin Oyelami, the Coordinator, Academic Planning, NMC, said the essence of the competition was to encourage students of mathematics to study hard and be ambassadors of the subject in the world.

    He said “Nigeria needs to be developed and to develop a nation, you need trained minds; minds that are innovative.

    “And that is the reason why your parents sent you to the university to develop your minds.”

    According to him, mathematics is the only science course that develops minds of people to be able to reason and develop things.

    “So, you have been trained and I believe that after your graduation as you go into the world, you will make Nigeria proud,” Oyelami said.

    He advised the medalists to continue to work hard “as to whom much is given, much is expected”.

    He encouraged other participants who could not win any medal not to lose hope, but have confidence in themselves.

    A total of 14 Nigerian universities took part in the 2018 National Mathematics Competition for university students which started on April 17.

    At institutional stage, Unilag came first, followed by Federal University of Technology Akure in second place, while University of Nigeria Nsukka claimed the third position.

    NAN

     

  • Students donate blood to save child-patients

    To save the lives of children with sickle cell and cancer, students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) last Wednesday besieged the New Hall and Bookshop areas on the Akoka campus to donate blood during a blood donation programme.

    No fewer than 360 donors visited makeshift blood donation centres created by Project Smile, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in partnership with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and UNILAG chapter of the Association of Medical Students (AMSUL).

    According to the organisers, the joint project tagged: Save 500 lives, was aimed at donating 500 pints of blood for children admitted for cancer disease and sickle cell in LUTH.

    The blood donation, the organisers said, was initiated because shortage of blood reserves faced by the hospital. They said the blood would be given to the children in need free of charge.

    Chief Donor Officer at the Department of Haematology Mrs Mercy Onofomi acknowledged that the hospital had been struggling to meet blood supply to patients, noting that its blood bank had been overdrawn. Onofomi blamed the blood shortage on lack of voluntary blood donation by Nigerians.

    She said: “In LUTH, we use up to 50 pints of blood daily and people can imagine how many days these 500 blood pints would last. Our blood is not always enough because of the volume of blood we use. We supply blood to cancer patients, accident victims and pregnant women. Several patients depend on blood supply daily.”

    She urged students to voluntarily participate in the donation programme, saying it was the best way to save lives.

    She said: “In a situation where one person requires 15 units of blood, how many can his relations give out? This is why we need this kind of voluntary blood donation to address the shortage. We are not to depend on patients’ family members to replace the blood in the reserve; the best way is to organise this exercise where people will voluntarily donate blood for medical use.”

    A co-founder of Project Smile, Oyinda Olayinka, a 300-Level medical student, said the initiative was informed by the NGO’s encounter with sickle-cell and cancer child patients in the LUTH.

    She said the initiative was birthed at a Christmas party organised for children suffering from sickle and cancer last year. After the party, she said the NGO started receiving requests to help get blood for the children.

    She said: “So, we thought about what could we do for them and we came up with this initiative. We got people to donate blood and we gave it to them free of charge. To keep them alive, we planned to get 500 pints of blood from 500 people. It means we are saving 500 lives.”

    AMSUL’s president Chukwuemeka Agbarakwe, a 600-Level medical student, said the exercise would be held regularly within the year until there was excess blood supply to child patients.

  • UNILAG Alumni launches N738m project

    …honours Ogundipe, Shittu, others
    The University of Lagos ( UNILAG ) Alumni Association, Lagos State branch, amidst an alumni get-together and award ceremony on Sunday launched its N738,981,000 ‘Support Our University Project’ (SOUP) at the Jelili Omotola Hall C of the varsity.

    The event marked the final day of UNILAG Alumni week which started with a press conference at the Afe Babalola Auditorium of the varsity on March 16th.

    SOUP, according to the Lagos State branch chairman, Dr. Lukumon Adeoti, is a ‘long time project’ meant to ‘fund the university’s projects.’

    Estimations from the alumni have it that a total of N468, 500,000 will be expended on UNILAG students.

    This sum is expected to cover the awarding of scholarship to indigent and first class students, conduct of an educational contest, running an innovation and research in science and technology programme, and awarding of the three best graduating students across all faculties.

    Other proposed expenses under the project include N181, 000,000 for skill acquisition and entrepreneurial skills development and a total of N57, 700,000 for academic excellence and professional development.

    The state branch’s Annual General Meeting and the Alumni week are expected to cost about N31, 781,000.

    Speaking during the launch, Adeoti explained the essence of the project include, “One, [it is] about the indigent students, [because it] is part of it [sic].

    “[It includes] even the indigent students, the first class student and third class students. We believe and ask how we can come in to mitigate that.

    “Also, there is entrepreneurship. Entrepreneur skills because the whole world has gone beyond this white collar job.

    “Through this, we trace some people and by the time they are in final year, and by the time we have trained them and they leave the university, they will be able to stay on their own.

    “Another one is employability scheme. We have plans on that. So, by the time we invite our friends from the industry to train our students on how to do things, there is no way that we won’t be doing well in the area [of their studies].”

    Adeoti also explained that the money from donation to the project will go the university.

    “It’s a long time project,’’ he said. “So, we are trying to raise money for it. By the time we get the money, and we start expending the money accordingly, virtually all the money will go back to the university. ‘’

    The Geophysics lecturer, therefore, called on alumni of the university to contribute to the course of the project in order to make it a success.

    He, however, identified the insufficiency of funds as one factor that has made it difficult for the state branch to do much.

    Adeoti said, “It is a reality that the federal government cannot do it alone.

    ‘‘Therefore, we need participation of all stakeholders including the private sector, successful entrepreneurs, friends of the university/alumni, prominent alumni members, as part of our efforts in this direction.

    ‘‘We have intention to do more but [for] the handicap due to the paucity of funds.

    ‘‘We are of the opinion that this challenge could be mitigated by contribution from all of us… Our interest in this university has necessitated the programme tagged Support Our University Project (SOUP).

    Speaking on the project, the national president of UNILAG Alumni, Olorunsogo Dr. Sunny Kuku reiterated the role of alumni association in funding the university.

    He urged members to donate to the project which ‘is in line with the tenets, hopes and ambitions of the alumni association.’

    The vice chancellor, Prof. Toyin Ogundipe, has said that the University of Lagos (UNILAG) will make judicious use of whatever comes in from the Support Our University Project (SOUP).

    Ogundipe, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Development Services), Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, gave the assurance during the award/get-together ceremony for the launch of the project.

    “I assure you that will shall use your money and whatever you bring in judiciously. We will also support to the best of our ability,” she said.

    Meanwhile, Ogunsola expressed his gratitude to the varsity’s alumni association for seeing the university through the times when ‘things went down.’

    She restated the commitment of the university towards building the image of the university.

    Ogunsola said, “In addition, the university has been working to complement the work of the alumni by reaching out to industries, reaching out to development partners and working with them in order to make sure that we continue to be relevant.

    “And what we are having now is collaborations that can engender not only fund but can also bring about impact.”

    On his part, Adeoti revealed measures the association would take in order to increase the participation of the varsity’s alumni.

    He mentioned sensitization, creation of website for the state branch, use of social media and creation of the position of vice chairman II as part of measures to be taken.

    Meanwhile, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Alumni Association has also conferred honorary awards on prominent members and ‘friends of the university.’

    List of awardees at the event includes the Hon. Minster of Communication, Barr. Adebayo Shittu, Innovation in Information and Communication Skills Award; 12th Vice Chancellor, UNILAG, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, Distinguished University Administrator award; Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, William Babatunde Fowler, Tax Legend Award; and Chairman, Police Service Commission, Mike Okiro, Innovation in Security Advancement Award.

    Also in the list are: Senator Andrew Uchendu, Excellence in the Development of National Politics; Chief Henry Ajomale, Distinguished Democratic Leadership Award;  Hon. Moshood Oshun, Youth Empowerment Award; and Prince Lateef Fagbemi,  Innovation in Fire Safety and Manpower Training Award.

    The rest of the awardees include, among others, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Chioma Ajunwa-Oparah, Outstanding Athlete Award; Prof. Matthew Olusoji, Exemplary University Leadership Award; Sir Joseph Ari, Innovation in Skill Acquisition and Wealth Creation Award; Prof. Oluwayemisi Obashoro-John, Humanitarian Award and Chairperson; Nigerian Women Premier League, Mrs Aisha Falode, Excellence in Women Soccer Award.

    According to the Adeoti, the awards was conferred on them because they have been good ambassadors of the university.

    Adeoti, who explained that the non-alumni members considered ‘to be friends of the university’ were honoured because of their assistance to the university, reiterated that they were not only being awarded because of their money.

    He said, “It’s not only the issue of money, we have so many people that we could not give award because we emphasize [on] integrity a lot.

    “When I was talking, in UNILAG here we have so many people that are relevant…the professor, it’s not that they are rich but they have contributed tremendously towards the development of this country.”

    At the event, Fagbemi made a donation of N2.5 million Naira while Okiro (and friends) promised 1 million Naira as support.

    Nigeria’s topmost sport female journalist, Aisha Falode, on her own part donated the sum of N500, 000.

    Others, including Shittu and Oshun, promised undisclosed amount of money which they said would help achieve the aim of the project.

  • UNILAG students donate blood to sickle cell child patients

    …during the Save 500 Lives exercise
    No fewer than 360 students of the University of Lagos (  UNILAG  ) turned out on Wednesday to donate a pint of blood each to sickle cell and cancer child patients.

    The donors trooped out in multitudes to donate their blood at the New Hall and Bookshop areas of the Akoka campus where makeshift blood transfusion centres were provided.

    The blood donation exercise was spearheaded by Project Smile, a non-governmental organisation, in partnership with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and the Association of Medical Students, UNILAG (AMSUL).

    According to the organizers, the joint-project tagged Save 500 Lives is aimed at raising at least 500 pints of blood for sickle cell and cancer child patients in LUTH.

    Although, they did not reach this target on Wednesday, the organizers have said that they intend to conduct a supplementary exercise to meet their target.
    The organizers explained that the donation exercise was due to the insufficiency of blood reserves in the Hospital’s blood banks.

    This issue, however, is not just a reality in LUTH, but it stretches even beyond many hospitals countrywide.

    Nigeria’s former minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, in 2013, said that less than 10 percent of Nigerians voluntarily donate blood.

    He noted that while 60 percent of the country’s blood donations came from commercial donors, the remaining 30 percent were from family members.

    Meanwhile, the Chief Donor Officer, Haematology Department, LUTH, Mrs Mercy Onofomi, acknowledged that the hospital was currently struggling with low blood supply to its reserves.

    Onofomi blamed the blood bank supply shortages on lack of voluntary blood donation by Nigerians.

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    She said, “In LUTH, we use up to 50 pints (of blood), and you can imagine how many days these 500 (blood pints) will last.

    “And our blood [bank at LUTH] is not always enough because of the volume of blood we use. We use blood for cancer people, we use it for accidents, we use for obstetrics, that is pregnant women. We have people that live on blood.

    “So, the volume of blood we use per day in LUTH is very high, and family cannot replace all.”

    She, however, called for more voluntary participation by Nigerians in blood donation exercises.

    “You can imagine where one person uses 15 units of blood. How many will the relation replace?

    “…How many can their relation donate that will be enough? That’s why we need this kind of voluntary blood donation to really augment the one family replacements donate.

    LUTH’s medical personnel screening students’ blood during the exercise
    LUTH’s medical personnel screening students’ blood during the exercise

    ”And in a normal practice, it is not supposed to be family replacement; it is supposed to be voluntary blood donation that they use. So, that’s why this blood [donation exercise] is very important. “

    Speaking during the exercise, one of the co-founders of Project Smile and creator of the Save 500 Lives initiative, Oyinda Olayinka, explained the initiative was inspired from an encounter with the sickle cell and cancer child patients at LUTH.

    According to the 300 level Medical student, “It started with a Christmas party we had for children with sickle and cancer last year. After the party, we started hearing requests that these children actually need blood.

    “So, we thought about what could we do for them? And we came up with this idea: We get people to donate blood, and we give it to them for free.”

    “We plan to get 500 pints of blood for 500 people. So, basically, we are saving 500 lives; a pint for a child with sickle cell (or) cancer,” Oyinda Ige, a co-founder and Medical student, added.

    Also, AMSUL’s President, Chukwuemeka Agbarakwe, said that the initiative would be organized for the second time within the next one year.

    “Considering the passion and the vision that both the organizers and all other stakeholders have kept, it’s an initiative that will continue.

    “It wouldn’t even wait till one year to replicate itself,” the 600 Level Medical Student said.

    Some of the donors (including first time donors) shared their views about the initiative and the donation exercise.

     

     

     

  • Train crushes UNILAG undergraduate using earphone

    Train crushes UNILAG undergraduate using earphone

    A man identified as Fatai Mutiu Abolade was penultimate Monday crushed to death by a train in the Ikeja area of Lagos State.

    The incident happened at about 7.30 am.

    Some of the witnesses said the deceased was walking along the rail tracks with a handset’s earphone while answering calls.

    Another source however said the deceased was busy pressing his mobile phone without paying attention to a train coming behind him.

    It was learnt that by the time he was alerted by bystanders, the train had closed in and crushed him to pieces.

    A witness said: ”The man’s tragic death was beyond the ordinary. People were shouting at him to run away from the moving train, but he could not heed the warning because the earphone had blocked his ears.

    ”At a point, some people wanted to rush at him  to remove him from the track, but the train had closed in. And fearing that they could also get killed, they pulled back and he was killed by the train.”

    His phone was said to have been stolen by one of the sympathisers at the scene of his mangled body.

    ” We could have contacted his family, but unfortunately, his handset was stolen by sympathisers right at the scene,” the source added.

    An identity card found in his pocket revealed that he was an undergraduate student of Business Administration in University of Lagos (Unilag). His matriculation number was given as 119081228.

    His remains, according to sources were evacuated by men of the Lagos State Ambulance Service.

  • SSANU to Unilag: pay our allowances with IGR

    SSANU to Unilag: pay our allowances with IGR

    THE non-academic staff of the University of Lagos (Unilag) yesterday protested round the campus to get management to meet their demands.

    Under the aegis of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) – Unilag chapter, the workers urged management to source its outstanding allowances from its internally generated revenue (IGR) in order to fulfil its obligations.

    The union said as at this month, the outstanding allowances for each member stand at N2,640,000 and N1, 185,000 for the senior and junior staff.

    SSANU-Unilag Chairman Comrade Adekola Adetomiwa, said the union  had written the governing council on the issue about five times, but got no response.

    According to him,  the 2009 agreement acknowledges nine allowances and mandates the federal Government to take care of five. Universities’  governing councils, he added, are to  handle the rest via their IGR.

    Unilag, he said, had the resources to pay the workers from its IGR, noting that  SSANU and other sister unions (except the Academic Staff Union of Universities) are on strike  nationwide  over discrepancy in the sharing formula of the N30 billion earned allowances given to federal universities.

    Adetomiwa said: “While the fight for the injustice committed at the federal level should be vehemently sustained, this piece is to enlighten us about the injustice going on under our roof at the local level and to aggregate our unanimous resolve to fight the local injustice. We shall continue to challenge and engage our council to come out of complacency and fulfil its own obligation with our members in line with the 2009 agreement. I consider it as complacency when the magnitude of cash accruable to Unilag as IGR is compared to what obtains in other universities.”

    In 2012, he said,  the university senate set up a standing committee which recommended that hazard allowance be paid to senior and junior staff at N30,000 and N15,000.  Another committee inaugurated by the Governing Council in 2015, the SSANU chief said,  conducted a peer review and upheld those allowances.

    He accused management of   coercing the workers  to return to work.

    “Last week, the erstwhile chairman of the union, Comrade Oriwaye Adefolalu, and I were invited and briefly detained. We became guests of the police and Directorate of State Service (DSS). We were taken from the comfort of our homes in the night. I was not told my offence and no charge was preferred against me. I only know that the enemy of our welfare struggle was at work. This unwarranted intimidation of our leaders has been taken up by the legal team raised by the union secretariat in Abuja,” he said.

    But the university public relations officer,  Mrs Taiwo Oloyede, pleaded for more time to respond.

    “I have heard all you said but I will get back to you because I don’t want to give you wrong information,” she told our reporter.

     

  • UNILAG, striking unions resolve impasse

    The University of Lagos (UNILAG) and three workers’ unions have reached some understanding to make the ongoing strike by the workers more bearable.

    The resolution was reached last Friday following a meeting of the university’s principal officers and the union leaders at the Council chambers after which the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, addressed some aggrieved workers waiting outside.

    The leaders of the three unions have since restored some skeletal services withdrawn in exchange for the release of two of their leaders, Mr Joseph Adefolalu and Mr Adekola Adetomiwa, who were arrested by the police the day before (last Thursday).

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) have been on strike since December 4, 2017 over the lopsided sharing formula of the N23 billion earned allowances released by the Federal Government, 75 per cent of which went to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) alone.

    As a result of the strike, services like power/water supply, running of the health centre, had not been regular, while students also found it difficult to register because of limited access to the university’s website/registration portal.

    However, early last week, even the skeletal services were withdrawn following a TV news show in which students and lecturers claimed that the strike was ineffective.

    During the meeting, the union leaders had expressed displeasure about the management hunting down its members with security agents because of their compliance with the national strike called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the three unions.

    “The management of UNILAG has been intimidating us; harassing us. Only yesterday, over 60 policemen arrested our members.

    “You are not the one that will pay earned allowances, why are you doing too much guiding? It is not a good thing to arrest two union leaders” said NASU Chairman, Ajibade Kehinde.

    Also speaking, SSANU Chairman, Comrade M.K. Olofidiran, called for amicable resolution of the crisis.

    “We should look for the way forward. Whether it is the management that arrested our leaders or not isn’t important. We will appreciate that they will be given conditional release,” he said.

    Responding to the leaders, Ogundipe accused them of putting pressure on the management by starving the students’ hostels of power and water supply.

    He also faulted the unions for shutting the health centre and the university’s website.

    Ogundipe said he was the only VC that had openly supported their strike and called on the Federal Government to increase their share of the earned allowances.

    He said: “You have not being fair to the management. Because one student said the strike was not effective you stopped giving light. Even when you gave the (staff) quarters light, the students had no light for two-three days. Is it fair? I had to go to the hostel to talk to them. I never abused the non-teaching staff because of the strike. I told the students they were fighting for their rights.

    “In other universities, they take light by 10am and by 6/6.30pm it is back; No one has to talk to them. But in UNILAG, you have to talk to them. You removed 120 fuses so we decided that nobody is above the law

    “What you did was to incite the students against the management by not giving the light. If you put off the light, there should be a limit.”

    Regarding the closure of the health centre, he said: “Do you know even in a war you don’t lock up hospitals? Do you know how many students the Dean of Students’ Affairs had to take students in his car to the hospital?”

    Addressing other workers, Ogundipe was able to douse the tension by telling the workers that they were even with management.

    “I heard you said I abused you, I did not abuse you.  But even if I did, you people called me a thief. So, it is one-one goalless draw,” he said, drawing laughter from the workers.

    He urged them not to allow the strike divide the university.

    In return for facilitating their leaders’ release that day, Ogundipe asked the unions to re-open the medical centre and provide light for the students.

    Ajibade confirmed to The Nation on phone that Adefolalu and Adetomiwa were released last Friday.  He also said the services required by the university had been restored.

    “They were released on Friday,” he said, adding, “We have opened the health centre and they will do skeletal services for now,” he said.

     

  • ‘Why UNILAG postponed convocation’

    The Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe has said that the institution’s convocation for the 2016/2017 academic session was postponed because of the ongoing nationwide strike by three workers’ unions.

    The Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) have been on strike since December 4, 2017 over sharing formula for the earned allowances released by the Federal Government, which favoured the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ogundipe said the university did not want the well-planned programme for the convocation to be disrupted by the striking workers.

    “After some deliberations with management, the university has decided to postpone the convocation ceremony.

    “This is as a result of the challenges posed by the on-going strike embarked upon by members of the non –academic labour unions of universities.

    “The ceremony was earlier scheduled to hold from Monday, February 19 to Thursday February 22 .

    “The activities of these unions have the potential of snowballing and marring the carefully laid out arrangements already put in place for the ceremony,’’ he said.