Members of the Kwara State Fire Service and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) are searching for a 200-level student of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).
The student, who was identified as Onikenku Michael Atunde, of the Department of Science Education, was said to have been missing since Saturday.
Authorities of the university, it was gathered, have contacted the student’s next-of-kin.
The university’s Deputy Director of Corporate Affairs, Kunle Akogun said: “A member of the Man ’O War Club was reported to have been calling for assistance on the river flowing behind the Parks and Garden Unit early Saturday.
Members of the Kwara state Fire Service and National Emergency Management Agency are searching for a-200 level student of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).
The student whose name was given as Onikenku Michael Atunde of the department of science education, was said to have gone missing since Saturday.
Authorities of the university, it was gathered, have contacted the student’s next of kin.
Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs (DDI) of the university, Kunle Akogun said “a member of the Man’O war club was reported to have been calling for assistance in the river flowing behind the Parks and Garden Unit early Saturday.
“Rescue efforts coordinated by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics, Prof Nike Ijaya was immediately mounted, search is still ongoing. Medical services have been on ground since yesterday.”
It is feared that the student might have been drowned at the university’s dam site.
The fire service and NEMA with members of the UNILORIN community security unit were said to have been combing every nook and cranny of the dam site in the last two days.
President Muhammadu Buhari and Ghanaian President John D. Mahama are expected at the 40th and 31th convocation ceremony of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).
In a statement, Head of the University’s Corporate Affairs Directorate Kunle Akogun said Mahama, who is also the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), will deliver the 40th anniversary lecture on Friday, October 23.
The date incidentally, serves as the university’s Founder’s Day. The title of the lecture is “Africa’s Agenda 2063: Ending Poverty and Ensuring Prosperity in Africa.”
Akogun added that apart from the award of prizes, first degrees, postgraduate degrees and diplomas, other activities scheduled for the week-long events include the investiture of the university’s Fifth Chancellor, HRH (Dr.) Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, the Emir of Katsina on Thursday, October 22.
He said that a convocation lecture entitled “Educational Reform and Nation-Building in Nigeria” will be delivered by Prof. Jacob Kehinde Olupona of the Harvard University, Massachusetts, USA.
The convocation will also include the unveiling of a commemorative book, “Unilorin @ 40: The Soaring Eagle” as well as the commissioning of about 22 new projects executed by the university administration in the last one year by President Buhari on Friday, October 23.
Members of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) Students’ Union Government (SUG) have been inaugurated. The President, Idris Alao, promised a positive change in the union. AFIS ODEYEMI (400-Level History) reports.
His election as the Students’ Union Government (SUG) president of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) could be likened to the political trajectory of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Alao delivers his inaugural speech
Having lost in two previous attempts to become the union president, Idris Alao, a 500-Level Law student, was undeterred by his defeat. He made a deft political move the third time and won the top seat.
Idris, a former president of Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ) in the school, drew a large followership from students to win the election. His election was greeted with spontaneous jubilation among students, who saw his victory as the dawn of a new era.
In his speech at the swearing-in ceremony tagged: “Positive Change”, Idris outlined his vision for the union, saying: “The central message of our administration is positive change and this shall remain the guiding principle of our tenure.”
He said his determination to bring about change in the union was inspired by election of President Buhari.
He added: “President Buhari is a dogged fighter, who is capable of bringing Nigeria out of the woods. He is a leader with zero tolerance for corruption and his integrity remains uncompromised. This is the reasons I choose to toe his line of politics.”
On his programmes, Idris said his administration would break new grounds and improve on the achievements of his predecessors. He said he would focus on capital projects, human capacity building, welfare and nurturing the sporting skills of students.
He urged students to cooperate with him to take the union to enviable height, stressing that his programmes were geared towards improving the image of the union and the school.
He said: “The good image of UNILORIN is always an opportunity which students can tap into. This is the reason we must work at all times to preserve the image, especially as the school community looks forward to celebrate 40 years anniversary.”
Idris praised the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Abdulganiyu Ambali and the management staff for providing a good academic environment, which, he said, showed dynamism and visionary leadership. He said the commitment of the management to school’s founding principle served as the foundation for peace in the institution.
He added: “Today marks another era in the history of students’ unionism in UNILORIN. I am grateful for the mandate entrusted on me to serve over 30,000 students, who collectively spoke in one voice to elect me as their leader. I promise I will never let them down.”
Ambali, in his speech, described the occasion as special and memorable, saying the school would continue to inspire students to build their leadership skills and intellect. He congratulated the union leaders on their victory at the polls, but he quickly reminded them of the task ahead.
He said: “You will soon realise that, winning elections is even easier than managing thousands of followers from diverse backgrounds. One thing the university guards jealously is the stability of its campus and this is what we expect all students to respect.
“Your responsibility as leaders is to contribute your quota to the sustenance of identified qualities of the university. Your mandate is to promote the good image of the university both nationally and internationally, such that the institution will continue to be better by far and best by standard. I pledge to work with Students’ Union leadership that is passionate about philosophy and vision.”
The VC urged the union leaders to serve and lead with diligence, selflessness and high sense of responsibility.
Members of the union include Vice President for permanent site, Ummulkhaeri Imam, Vice President for College of Health Science, Olubunmi Afuye, General Secretary, Ifeoluwapo Akano, Assistant General Secretary, Saidat Sulaiman, Financial Secretary, Oluwadamiloju Oyekan and Public Relations Officer, Ademola Adeyemi.
Others are Social Secretary, Tersoo Aondongusha, Welfare Secretary for permanent site, Abdulrasheed Mahmud, Welfare Secretary for College of Health Science, Kehinde Ganiyu, Joel Kerimu, Sport Secretary, and Senate President, Mashood Orire.
The General Secretary, Ifeoluwapo, described Idris’ victory as well-deserved. He said: “He has displayed resilience, which is uncommon trait among youths of today. His victory is well-deserved and merited. He has set a precedent for generation of students’ leaders to come.”
The University of Ilorin has cleared 65, 000 candidates for the 2015/2016 post UTME screening which begins today.
The Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs of the institution, Mr Kunle Akogun, who made this known in a statement in Ilorin on Sunday said the weeklong exercise would hold simultaneously in Ilorin and Lagos.
Akogun said only candidates who scored a minimum of 180 marks in the 2015 UTME and made the University their first choice would take part in the computer-based test (CBT).
He advised candidates to bring along to their respective centres printed copies of their examination schedules indicating that they were slated to write the examination at a particular date and time.
Akogun said this became necessary as there were many batches for the examination daily.
He also advised prospective candidates to bring along with them payment receipts generated from the students’ portal of the University’s website.
He warned that the accreditation team would insist on the receipt from the varsity’s website to verify candidate’s identity— through pictures that tally with the face of each candidate.
He said that only registered candidates for the screening exercise would be allowed into the screening premises.
Akogun cautioned the candidates against indecent dressing and bringing of cell phones or any electronic appliance into the examination hall.
“Candidates for the pre-admission screening exercise are also advised to be decently dressed, as candidates with indecent dressing will not be allowed into the screening premises.
“Also, phones and all other forms of mobile communication, electronic devices, bags and luggage are not allowed within the screening premises, he said.
Seventy three thousand, two hundred and fifty of the over 107,000 candidates that applied for admission into the University this year scored 180 marks and above at the UTME.
By the close of the portal yesterday, only 65, 000 out of the 73, 250 qualified candidates registered for the post UMTE.
The Kwara State government and the authorities of the University of Ilorin, have resolved the controversy surrounding the temporary relocation of an agency of the state government to the university’s mini-campus.
At a meeting with the management of the university, a delegation of the government led by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Isiaka Gold, explained that the relocation was a temporary measure expected to last not more than three months.
Gold, who regretted the inconveniences and controversies generated by the development, assured UNILORIN authorities that the government holds the university and other federal agencies in the state in high esteem and would never strain the relationship.
Responding on behalf of the university, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, expressed optimism that the status quo subsists pending the 90-day request by the government.
Ambali thanked the government for the promptness with which it handled the matter and seized the opportunity of the meeting to invite Kwara State Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed, to the university’s upcoming 40th anniversary.
Many Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates prefer the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN). They believe that the university gives its students the best. But, students must be disciplined to complete their programmes at the institution, reports ADEKUNLE JIMOH Ilorin
Many candidates prefer the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) to other universities because of one thing: ‘its uninterrupted academic calendar’.
The 40-year old university sits comfortably on top of the list of “The Statistics of Choice of Institutions” generated from the enrolment records of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
It has topped the list for two years running. In the 2015/2016 UTME, which was fully computer-based, 107,491 of the 1.4 million candidates that took the examination chose UNILORIN as their most preferred institution to attend. For the 2014/2015 UTME, the university had 105,000 seeking to be admitted into the university. Second placed University of Benin for both years, recorded about 30,000 less candidates (71, 497 this year, and 76,000 last year).
Records show that the university has steadily grown. In 2011, it was the 8th most preferred university, which improved to fifth in 2012; second and second in 2013.
However, while the university is increasingly popular with new applicants, its authorities have not hesitated in wielding the big stick against deviant and erring students.
Strict adherence to rules and regulation is required of students. And many who have fallen foul of the rules have been shown the way out.
The rules guiding student activities as contained in the students’ handbook states that: “A student shall not engage in any form of activity, alone or with any other person or group, which interferes with, restricts, hinders or adversely affects the objectives of the university; not engage in any form of activity whether alone or with any other person or group which interferes with, restricts, hinders or adversely affects the rights of any person duly authorized and lawfully present on university premises to express any view of any subject peacefully or which prevents any person duly authorized from entering, passing through, or leaving the university premises for such purposes and not engage in any form of activity which interferes with, restricts, hinders, disrupts, or adversely affects teaching, research, study of any kind etc.”
Others are: “Every student (male or female) must dress decently, every student must avoid any dress that may expose sensitive and vital areas of the body; conduct himself/herself in such a way that his/her priority is to live a wholesome life devoid of anti-social activities especially cultism; not engage in any dishonest, false or other misleading representation or activity which affects academic assessments or examination and to obey all examination regulations, among others.”
Sanctions for violation of these rules attract fines, restitution, reprimand and warning, suspension/rustication and expulsion.
In April 13 students faced the UNILORIN Students Disciplinary Committee (SDC); seven of them were found to have run afoul of the university rules and were expelled. Two were rusticated for a semester each while four were exonerated.
In the last four sessions the university has disciplined no fewer than 50 students. In the last session alone the university expelled 11 students and rusticated three per semester each based on the offences of association with external cult groups and examination malpractices.
•Prof Ambali
During the matriculation of the 2014/2015 academic session, the Vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali warned the new students to make choices carefully as their choices could determine their future in the university.
“Although everyone with native wisdom and good conscience knows what is right and wrong, many people still find themselves on the wrong lane,” he said.
More recently, speaking on the expulsion of some students, Ambali said that it was not an easy decision asking students to leave the institution. But it is one that is taken to protect its integrity, after serious consideration.
“Management usually feels very sad when it has to resort to asking people to leave, but all the same, the University was established to build students that are found worthy in character and learning. Despite their academic excellence if we feel that character-wise they have refused to be molded, we are left with no choice than to tell them to leave.
“We have about 30,000 students. When parents send their wards to study it means that their welfare is under our care; which means we have to monitor all of them and if we find one of them as a threat, we often ask that person to go,” he said.
Ambali however explained that the severity of the offences varies, and that the university hardly expels students for dress code offenses as there are other forms of punishment adopted for less serious offences. He also said details of the offenses are not made public.
“The specific offences of the expelled students are always released to their parents or guardians but we try as much as possible not to publicise these in the hope that the punishment meted on them will not affect them in trying to further education elsewhere,” he said.
Speaking on the issue, the Deputy Director of Information (DDI), Kunle Akogun said expulsion is not a vindictive exercise at the university.
“There is nothing untoward about the expulsion of erring students at the University of Ilorin. It is not in any way vindictive, as it is a way of enforcing laid-down rules and regulation.
“As a matter of principle, the University of Ilorin has zero tolerance for all anti-social behaviour like cultism, theft, and examination malpractices in all their ramifications. Other offences, which the University frowns at, include indecent dressing, unkempt hair style, fighting on and off-campus, rudeness to constituted authorities, etc.
“And all students are aware of this because one of the first documents given to each matriculated student on resumption at the University is the Students’ Handbook, which details all the dos and don’ts on the campus. And once a student signs and submits the Matriculation Oath, he has elected to abide by all the rules and regulations of the school.”
Akogun said students who run afoul of the university rules and regulations are properly arraigned before the Students Disciplinary Committee and given fair hearing. If convicted, they can also appeal to the University Council, within 48 days of the committee’s sitting, if they feel unsatisfied with the SDC’s decision.
He described the number of expelled students as minimal and not one that should generate undue concern.
“Probably because of the general awareness of this body of rules among our students and the attendant penalties against default, the frequency of default is minimal. In view of this, the number of expelled students is quite negligible. But even at that, it is a step that the University authority takes with great pains.
Akogun attributed the stability enjoyed in the university to the level of discipline of the students because the institution places equal emphasis on character as learning.
“This is why we enjoy an unparalleled harmony and unprecedented academic stability here. This is why parents will go to any length in making sure that their wards gain admission to the University of Ilorin. And this is why the University has consistently led the table of most subscribed university by admission seekers in the country for the third year running now,” he said.
For students who spoke on the issue with The Nation, the rules are not too difficult to follow.
A post graduate student (names withheld), even noted that the current vice chancellor’s crusade against anti social vices lack steam and bite, adding that is responsible for pockets of examination malpractices in the school.
The source said that his predecessor, Prof Is-haq Oloyede had a firmer grip on the campus.
“This vice chancellor is laying more emphasis on the infrastructural development on campus; that is why magnificent buildings are springing up here and there on the campus. Prof Oloyede was in total control. I am not saying this man is not trying but I want him to put in more effort in tackling students’ vices on campus,” the student said.
However, another student of the department of Educational Technology said the strict rules have engendered discipline and orderly behavior of students on campus.
For another 200-level student Of Library and Information Technology, the institution has the rules to thank for eliminating cultism on campus.
“Indeed, that word cultism is alien to many of the university of Ilorin students as we are not aware of its existence here,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, has identified education as a critical foundation of every good things in life.
Ambali said this in Ilorin at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Pen School, a brainchild of the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He, therefore, urged parents and other stakeholders in the education sector to give their children the best form of education, especially at the basic level.
The Vice-Chancellor, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs of the University, Mr. Kunle Akogun, said the event showed a paradigm shift in the perception of NUJ as a professional body.
He said the ceremony also testified to the fact that journalists were responsible citizens whom were contributing their quota to the growth and development of education in the society.
Ambali urged members of the NUJ to cooperate with the leadership of the union in the state to ensure that the laudable project did not die.
“Journalists here are at the forefront of living up to the mantra of saying that education is the foundation of every good thing in life,” he said.
He also said that apart from the fact that the school was an epoch-making event, it also showed that journalists in Nigeria were no longer what people used to think of them.
The Chairman of the Kwara NUJ, Malam Abiodun Abdulkareem, assured that the project would be completed before the end of the year.
He said the school would offer qualitative education to its pupils.
Some 300-Level students of Mass Communication and Library and Information Sciences of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) have held a Public Relations (PR) campaign to satisfy the requirement for grading of MAC 312 (PR Techniques). The course requires students to practise what they learnt in class.
The students were divided into two groups, each was expected to carry out a planned action meant to solve a hypothetical problem, using a named company as a case study. The identified problem was expected to be solved by their PR strategies.
The groups are Springboard Creative Services and Public Relations Agency and Mouthpiece Public Relations Agency.
Members of the Springboard group approached Maggi Nigeria Plc to organise a public lecture aimed at orientating students on stereotypes related to the use of maggi seasoning in preparing delicacies. The guest speaker was Mrs Deborah Opaleke, a lecturer at the Department of Home Economics and Food Science.
She described as false, the notion that maggi seasoning could cause cancer. She warned against excessive use of the seasoning in food, saying: “Anything that is abused can cause negative effect in the body; too much of everything is bad.”
Mrs Opaleke said maggi does not have any negative effect, noting that it could only enhance the flavour and taste of food without diminishing its nutritional and dietary value.
Mrs Opaleke also said cooking with maggi seasoning could provide a source of iron and sodium for the body, which helps in the formation of blood and prevents sickness.
The event featured gaming, dancing and cooking contest, where two of the students, Aminat Usman and Aminat Borokini prepared various meals that were served to guests at the event. The students also held a procession across the campus to sensitise their colleagues on the abuse of food seasonings.
In his remark, a former Head of Mass Communication Department and MAC 312 lecturer, Dr Lukman Azeez, said he was happy with the performance of the students, saying the campaign was meant to equip the students with the practical knowledge of PR techniques and strategies.
The Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, has inaugurated a plant tissue culture laboratory, capable of producing half a million plants a year.
At the event on Thursday, last week Ambali said the completion of the lab marks another giant step in the history of the university. He dedicated the project to the use of man and the glory of God.
The lab, located in the Wing D of the UNILORIN Central Research Lab, is expected to get technical support from CGBIBT Uka Tarsadia University, India.
The Principal Researcher in charge of the lab, Prof. R. Kaishnamulthy, said the lab is small but a giant step in plant tissue research in the university.
