The Nation Newspaper

Tag: UNILORIN

  • Students construct aircraft prototype

    Two-500 level students of the Department of Mechanical Engineering of UNILORIN, Ali Opeyemi David and Patrick Ekanem Effiong, have constructed of an aircraft prototype.

    The prototype is part of their final year project.

    They said the aircraft was first mooted when they were in 100-Level.

    Ali noted that though many of his colleagues had lauded the idea initially when he broached it in class, they became skeptical about the mode of financing the project and the time it would take to complete it.

    He, however, said he was not deterred by the perceived challenges as he was fully determined in his quest to construct an aircraft.

    Ali and Effiong said the decision to construct the aircraft was meant to broaden their horizons as professionals, adding: “what we are actually working on is a machine that will lift up itself through the law of aerodynamics. It has an engine, a propeller and the fuselage.”

  • Lesson in Mandela’s birthday for our leaders

    Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was the first black man to be elected South African president after the collapse of the apartheid regime, which prevented the natives from taking charge of the political destiny of their country.

    Becuase of his activities against apartheid, Mandela was arrested in 1962 and convicted for conspiracy to overthrow the government. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. After serving 27 years on Robben Island, Madiba, as Mandela is fondly called by his countrymen, was released in 1990 following international pressure on the apartheid leadership.

    For not yielding to several offers by oppressors to trade his struggle for freedom, Mandela etched his name indelibly in the hearts of his countrymen and Africans. His will to continue the struggle forced the world to acknowledge the right of the people of South Africa whose dignity and right to determine the destiny of their country were restored when Mandela was released from the prison.

    Mandela, in a transparent process, was elected his country’s president and served a single term from 1994 to 1999. For forgiving his jailers, Mandela received international praise, which culminated in his being jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize alongside the last president of the Apartheid regime in 1993.

    During and after his term as the South African president, he equally received several recognition awards from the United States Presidential Medal Freedom Award to the Soviet Order of Lenin among others.

    Having left the political scene for more than 10 years, Mandela’s influence and popularity continue to soar, despite that he no longer wields power as the godfather of South African politics or founding father of modern South Africa. He still commands the respect of world leaders. His medical travail in the past eight weeks is a pointer to this fact.

    The torrential outpouring of prayers and well wishes for his recovery even at 95 by his countrymen and people outside the continent of Africa shows that Mandela, a leader that served one term in office without leaving a record of corruption, is the most respected African on earth.

    But can this be said of Nigerian leaders – past and present? No. Politicians don’t retire here; they play the game till they breathe their last. Some of Nigerians leaders, who had spent several years in power, still want to come back to govern because they feel that nobody has the idea to lead the country apart from them.

    Even as he lies feebly on his hospital bed battling lung infections, which may have resulted from his years of incarceration and struggle to free the South Africa, Mandela is never taken out of the country for treatment abroad despite his status. It speaks of legacy of good governance he left behind for his country to move forward after retrogressive Apartheid rule.

    Going for medical checkup and treatment abroad even for a slight injury is a common occurrence among Nigeria’s political class. Our hospitals have been turned to public cemetery only meant for the poor masses at the expense of whose the leaders spend resources to get medical attention in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Germany, US, United Kingdom and India.

    Nigerian leaders do not possess good leadership qualities found in Mandela. We have been blesses with corrupt leadership that pay lip service to anything that can make our country to move forward. The ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), inability of the poor to access quality healthcare and nose-diving economy show the level decadence in Nigeria as a country.

    Education system in Nigeria is handled with levity by the government with no blueprint to development the sector. Can we conclude that strike is the only action the government understands? With the level of insecurity, it is only in Nigeria that government allows universities to be shut, thereby making students to roam the street and join criminal gangs to aggravate the security situation.

    Our leaders must learn lesson from Mandela, who is still said to be in comma as I write this. Madiba has been praised for good leadership in South Africa. If it is possible, we would wish that people like Mandela live forever to serve as example to corrupt leaders on the continent of Africa.

     

    Ibrahim, 300-Level Arts and Social Sciences Education, UNILORIN

  • UNILORIN expels five students for alleged misconduct

    The management of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) has approved the expulsion of five students for alleged acts of misconduct.

    The university named the affected students as: Adeoti, Shola Adeola (Matriculation No. 11/55EB018) of the Department of Geology; Onirinwa Funmilayo (Matric No. 05/67QY010) of the Department of Arts and Social Science Education; Adu Micheal Abayomi (Matric No. 11/55EA024) of the Department of Geology; Atanda Kazeem Demola (Matric No. 07/66MF024) of the Department of Political Science; and Odiwe Lilian Unoma (Matric No. 10/25OD079) of the Department of Counsellor Education.

    Addressing reporters yesterday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, UNILORIN Vice Chancellor, Prof AbdulGaniyu Ambali said: “We have various committees put in place to checkmate excesses, either by the students or the workers. We have rules and regulations guiding the conducts of workers and students on campus. UNILORIN has been enjoying stable academic calendar for over one decade and it is because of the rule of law taking place.

    “Probably those students were found wanting in their character because by the time you pass through a university system, you must be found worthy both in character and learning. That means everybody is being monitored from day one on campus up till the last day on campus. I am sure those people were found guilty by the relevant committee set up to monitor and discipline them.

    “UNILORIN has zero tolerance for cultism and few other vices, which the society frowns at. We just want to ensure that anybody who is graduating from here is of good character and has the requisite skills to perform the job.”

    On the current strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the professor of Veterinary Medicine urged both parties to come to a resolution in the interest of the students.

    He said: “The two parties should discuss and bridge the gap between them. When two people are fighting, nobody will have absolute right; nobody will be 100 per cent right. If you look at the two parties, there will be lapses in their actions.

    “I just appeal to the two parties to fill the gap and understand each other. Life is about give and take. They should please come to an agreement very soon so that students will continue their studies.”

     

  • FG’s mandate to Unilorin

    On his maiden visit to the University of Ilorin in the last week of June, the new Pro-Chancellor and Council Chairman of the University, Prof. Chukwuka Okonjo, came with a message from the Federal Government, the institution’s proprietor. The respected Obi of Ugwashiuku, Delta State, told a cross section of the university stakeholders that the Federal Government, worried by the wonky standard of education in the country, has a new mandate for the University of Ilorin to help salvage the nation’s dwindling global educational rating and restore Nigeria to its former position of reckoning in world universities’ ranking.

    He further disclosed that the authorities in Abuja are worried that despite the fact that Nigeria is the second fastest growing economy in the world today, none of its universities is ranked among the best 5000 in the world. Obi Okonjo however explained that the antecedents of the University of Ilorin have given the government some confidence that with the necessary support, the University could make Nigeria proud. “There used to be a time when Nigeria used to feature as one of the best 200 universities in the world”, the Council Chairman said, adding that “It is important that you understand that we are in a new era; the people in Abuja want you (Unilorin) to show that Nigeria can deliver and within the next two or three years, they want you (Unilorin) to ensure that Nigeria is among the best 500 universities in the world”.

    Keen watchers of the steadily rising profile of the University of Ilorin in the last five to six years are not at all surprised by the decision of the Federal Government to pick the university to pioneer the implementation of this noble vision. Over the years, the university has proved to be a centre of academic excellence. In the past four years, Unilorin has been consistently ranked the best university in Nigeria by different international ranking agencies including Web of World Universities (Webometric), which ranked the university the best in Nigeria for three consecutive years of 2009, 2010 and 2011, and one of the best 20 in Africa. Statistics have also shown that the University has the most stable and consistent academic calendar in the country, which makes it the most sought after institution by admission seekers.

    All these feats are not lost on education policy makers in the country, who, at every given opportunity, do not fail to acknowledge the numerous giant strides recorded by the “better by far” university. During their separate oversight visits to the University on May 7, 2013 and June 1, 2013, members of the House of Representatives and Senate Committees on Education could not hide their impressions about the academic excellence and environmental aesthetics of the university as well as the peaceful and orderly comportment of its staff and students. The respective chairmen of the two National Assembly committees spoke glowingly about the university.

    The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, who led his colleagues to the institution, commended it for maintaining a stable academic calendar for over 10 years, noting that it is a great achievement for any university in Nigeria to maintain such academic excellence despite the prevailing challenges. He said that “this academic stability is a feat which should make the University of Ilorin a model to all universities in Nigeria.”

    Similar sentiments were expressed about four weeks earlier by members of the House of Representatives Committee on Education, led by Hon. Shehu Garba. After meeting with the university management and a drive round the campus to inspect on-going and newly completed projects, the lawmakers gave kudos to the university “for its accomplishments in the areas of academic excellence, efficient system of administration, environmental beautification, infrastructural development and sustained high ranking among universities in the world.”

    The leader of the House of Representatives team further noted: “As a Nigerian I am very proud to be at the University of Ilorin. I graduated close to 30 years ago and I am worried by what has become of the standard of education in our country since then. But for me to be here and seeing what I have seen, I feel very hopeful and I feel elated that in the midst of the decay that we have an institution of excellence with very beautiful infrastructure.

    He went on: “I believe that it is not just the beautiful infrastructure; that we are all aware of the ranking of the University of Ilorin in the comity of universities in the world. You are one of the few universities in the country that is often mentioned outside Nigeria as a centre of academic excellence. And so I feel very proud to come here to see things for myself. I must commend the Vice-Chancellor and his able team for the good things they are doing. I must say that you have a lot of prospects to build on what you have been able to accomplish to give us something that we can be proud of that we have an institution in this country that can be compared with any reputable university in the world.”

    It could be seen from the foregoing that truly, the confidence that the Federal Government has on the ability and willingness of the University of Ilorin to deliver on the new mandate is not misplaced. And it is heart-warming to note that all stakeholders in the university community are enthusiastically keying into the government’s vision, a situation that makes its implementation easy and its attainability assured.

    While assuring the Federal Government of the University’s readiness to implement the government’s new vision to the letter, Obi Okonjo, said the new university council, under his chairmanship, has taken up the government’s challenge and prayed God to lead the council to formulate appropriate policies to achieve the task. Also, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, noted that the Federal Government has given the University of Ilorin a big task, adding that “every staff member of the university has a responsibility to champion this new thinking of the Federal Government”.

    Prof. Ambali also said, “It is heartwarming that the Federal Government, based on our antecedent, has singled Unilorin out to be the pioneer of the new formula of tertiary education in the country and we are ready for the task.”

    Also, all the staff unions on campus and the student body have expressed their readiness to continue to give the management the necessary complementary support in its determined effort to ensure the full and successful implementation of the new government mandate. This is reassuring, as it means that all stakeholders in the university are on the same page. And nothing demonstrates this assurance better than what the Unilorin Branch Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Abdulwahab Egbewole, said during the meeting between the council chairman and leaders of all the staff unions in the university, i.e. ASUU, SSANU, NASU, and NAAT. The ASUU leader said, “The mantra of our union, which is unionism for development, coincides with the vision to make the University of Ilorin the best in Africa”.

    What more evidence does one need that at Unilorin, the urge for advancement runs in the veins of every stakeholder? And, to put it succinctly, that is the secret of the University’s quantum leap in all spheres of its endeavours these past few years.

    To be sure, the University of Ilorin is ready, willing and able for the task ahead, a task that is in synch with its founding philosophy of excellence in teaching, research and community development.

    • kogun is Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs, University of Ilorin

     

  • Agric students hold lecture

    Agric students hold lecture

    Greeners’ Association, a students’ group under the Nigerian Association of Agricultural Students (NAAS), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), has held a lecture with the theme: Channelling youth energy to agriculture: A panacea to national unrest.

    Organised with the aim of encouraging students to see opportunities in farming, the lecture suggested measures for agriculture to be a catalyst for national development.

    Greeners’ Association President Abdulraheem Abdulraheem said the group was a professional one, which organises practical sessions for agricultural students to have the basic skill.

    He urged his colleagues to always engage in practical than theory to have a deep knowledge in feed formulation, artificial insemination and moringa.

    He urged the students not to depend on government policy on agriculture, which he said was not being implemented.

    Ahmed Aliyu, a member of the group, spoke on quail eggs, which he said were nutritional. He observed that the Japanese quail was first domesticated in China and matured within six weeks for the production of eggs. He said the quail was experimental birds that reacted faster to drugs and the result could be got within two weeks when administered compared to cattle, which may take more than eight months for the drug to react.

    Ahmed said when three to four eggs were taken, it could help to stimulate appetite, cure tuberculosis and is good for brain development.

    The guest lecturer, Dr A.Z. Aderolu, from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), said channeling the energy of youths to agriculture should be the aim of policy makers. He noted that majority of students did not want to engage in farming.

    Narrating an experience as a student, Aderolu said he had collaborated with a friend to buy 500 hens for rearing, all of which died after they were infected with Gumboro disease. The incident , he said, caused a huge loss to him and his friend. But he said he was determined to continue with the business.

    “As I talk to you, I have thousands of broilers and layers that produce more than 350 crates of eggs daily; I have a breeder that produces thousands of breeds in one week and lots of business I am managing,” he said.

    He told the students to have mentors and develop their enterprising abilities, admonishing that the road may be rough at first but determination would make them to overcome challenges.

     

  • Muslim law students hold confab

    Muslim law students across universities have held a conference to sharpen their skills in advocacy and to discuss national issues affecting youths.

    The event, held at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), was organised by the National Association of Muslim Law student (NAMLASS).

    The event was tagged: “Shariah: A tool for youth resourcefulness and social economic development in Nigeria.”

    Prof Z.I. Oseni, a Senior Lecturer from the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), who was the guest speaker, said lack of good leadership contributed to the backwardness the country is witnessing. He emphasised that good leaders needed not to command or direct but to lead by example.

    Urging students to work hard to be successful, Oseni quoted the Hadith of Prophet Mohammed, saying: “Use your youth age to work in order to use your old age to enjoy.”

    During an interactive session on the Shariah: Repulsive to insecurity, injustice and socio-economy stasis, Hon. Luqman Muhammad and Colonel Mohammed Otokiti, said the students were told not to embrace extreme views on religious issues. The resource persons noted that members of the Boko Haram sect were not Muslims due to their philosophy, which they said was not in tandem with Islamic teachings.

    The event also featured Quranic contest between participating institutions and a special Jumat service. A student of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria won the contest.

    The last day of the event witnessed the display of students’ advocacy skills in a moot court trial. The participating schools were divided into plaintiffs and defendants to argue on the point of Islamic family law. Medical paternity of child under Islamic law was the bone of contention.

    After the argument from both parties, the presiding judge took his time to explain the position of the law in an Islamic perspective to the both parties.

    At the end of the trial, the President of the association, Abubaka Iyabargi, a student of ABU, praised the delegates, saying the four-day event was a success.

    ABU, UNILORIN, UNIBEN, Lagos State University (LASU), University of Lagos (UNILAG), Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and Kwara State College of

    Arabic and Islamic Law Studies (CAILS) took part in the event.

  • CAMPUSLIFE student organises symposium

    It was a memorable day for students of higher institutions across Lagos State, who attended the maiden Annual Campus Symposium organised by Mcnext Intellectual Property in collaboration with the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH).

    The event was held in Yusuf Grillo auditorium.

    Guests at the event included the Rector, YABATECH, Dr Margret Ladipo, who was represented by the Dean, Students’ Affairs, Mr O.T. Raheem, President-General, World Peace and Unity Organisation International, Ambassador Solomon Oke Eke, EATSAT Inventor, Brig-Gen. Oviemo Ovadje (Rtd) and Online Editor and Special Publication, The Nation newspaper, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin.

    Others were Head, Employee Transformation and Culture of First Bank of Nigeria, Mrs Helen Ogboh, former Head of Guidance and Counselling Department, St Augustine College of Education Dr Obiageli Modebelu, Dean, School of Technical Education, represented by Dr Lucas Ojo, and Mr Wale Ajetunmobi of the CAMPUSLIFE of The Nation.

    The theme for the symposium was: Nigeria: Where we are in the world context.

    The SUG President, Afeez Babalola, described the programme as unprecedented in the technological advancement of the country. The convener and initiator, Mcnext Intellectual Property, Mark Orgu, a CAMPUSLIFE correspondent, said the programme was a new innovation aiming towards changing the mindset of youths positively in other to equip them for the future.

    In her address, Dr Ladipo, who spoke through Raheem, said the achievements of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as catalyst for national development far outweighed its disadvantages, warning against the scrapping of the scheme. What the scheme needed, she said, was a change of strategy and re-organisation.

    Otufodunrin, speaking on The media and the society: What hope for Nigerian students, corroborated the Rector, saying NYSC should be stay despite its shortfall among which included killing of Corps members and hostility of host community.

    He hinted that the media remained the mirror of the society, urging the youths to use the opportunity provided by new media to contribute to nation building.

    According to Ogboh, students must take up the challenges if they wanted a change. She said they must be ready to sacrifice to achieve success in their chosen career.

    Brig-Gen Ovadje (rtd), who spoke on the theme of the symposium, focused on defence technology, agriculture and medicare, saying Nigeria’s defense and security remained in doldrums despite being established on promising note.

    The medical doctor cum army General regretted that Nigeria used to be a frontline producer of palm oil worldwide, adding that the nation had lost out in the scheme of things.

    The highpoint of the event was the presentation of excellence awards to Ovadje and Oke Eke by the students. The Ambassador appreciated the students for honouring him with the award.

     

  • Dept holds discussion

    Dept holds discussion

    The Nigerian Economics Students Association (NESA), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) chapter, has held its maiden roundtable discussion tagged “Reform efforts and unaresolved socioeconomic problems in Nigeria”.

    The discussion had in attendance the Head of the Economics department, Dr Hakeem Mobolaji, his counterpart in Al-Hikmah University (AL-HIKMAH), Dr Waheed Ibrahim, Senior Special Adviser to Kwara State Government on Small and Medium Enterprises, Alhaji Lukman Adam and lecturers of the department.

    Dr Mobolaji, in his welcome address, noted: “Socio-economic problems have persisted in Nigeria because Nigeria is competitively corrupt and we are consistently inconsistent.”

    The panel of discussants was composed of three groups from academics, government, and students. Alhaji Adam represented the government, Dr Ibrahim and Dr Saka represented the academics, while Dayo Akinola and Hammed Adebowale represented the students.

    Dr Abdulhakeem Kilishi of the department moderated the discussion while each group did justice to the topic from their own perspective in three sequential rounds.

  • Muslim students hold Jihad Week

    Muslim students hold Jihad Week

    The University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) Muslim Community in collaboration with the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), UNILORIN chapter, has held a public lecture to mark the formal opening of the 1434 Jihad Week.

    The lecture was held at the university auditorium.

    In his lecture entitled: Why are we here, Dr Abdulqadri Sambaki, urged Muslims to worship and remember Allah. He said that human beings’ actions should be in conformity with the instructions of Allah and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed.

    Sambaki noted that serving Allah was not only through ritualistic manners, “but we can also serve Allah through our ways of life, and it shall be rewarded accordingly”. He added: “Every action of human backed with good intention of serving Allah shall be rewarded by Him.”

    He dismissed the belief that man was not created by God, but only exist through evolution. He said: “We are made to understand in the Holy Quran that there is creation of human beings through the developmental stages of foetus in the mother’s womb”. He stressed that human beings were created by God to Him.

    The chairman of the occasion, who is also the immediate Vice Chancellor of the school, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, advised Muslims to look for positive and appropriate means of propagating Islam and retaining the interest of people.

    He also urged them to always be in the company of virtuous and righteous people who were better than them in piety, stressing that this would make them better Muslims.

    Oloyede, who is the Secretary of Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), also enjoined Muslims to maintain a cordial and peaceful relationship with their counterparts from other religions.

    The second speaker, Ustadth Abdullah Bukarti, a law graduate of Bayero University Kano (BUK), spoke on Man sojourn in this world and in the hereafter. He reminded about the life in the grave and the Day of Judgment. While advising students to make good use of their youthful period, he noted that the youthful stage was the most productive and challenging stage of man existence.

    The highlight of the occasion was the launching of Al-Bayan magazine, a publication of MSSN, and the presentation of prizes to the winners of the inter-faculty quiz competition, annual secondary school quiz competition and the secondary school impromptu speech presentation, all organised by MSSN.

    Present at the occasion were Prof Hussein Oloyede, former VC, Fountain University, Osogbo, Prof Y.A. Quadri, Prof Babatunde Adeleke, chairman, UNILORIN Muslim Community and the Dean Faculty of Science, Dr Mahfouz Adedimeji, former director, Directorate of Information and Protocol, UNILORIN.

     

     

  • The final act

    The final act

    Freshers watched with mouths agape as the final year students of Performing Arts (PFA) Department of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) came to the campus in funny cultural dresses, last week. Many of the students thought they were going for a cultural festival somewhere in town.

    The students came for serious business: a stage performance to commemorate their final year project work. The exercise was a combination of drama and music, which is part of the requirements for the students to be graded in PFA 499, a final year project course.

    The department uses students’ performance in stage plays to determine their ability to apply the practical aspects of the discipline, such as casting, costuming, acting, directing, lighting and stage properties, which they were taught for four years.

    The students were divided into 12 groups and each group was expected to perform a stage play at the PFA theatre.

    One of the groups, G 12, performed a drama entitled Voke, which was written by Peter Odogbor. The play is about a young woman, Voke, who is the only child of her parents, Idi and Omuta.

    Voke fell in love with a young man, Johnny, but she was promiscuous and not satisfied with Johnny. During their wedding, the officiating priest asked the congregation if anyone had a reason the couple should not be joined together in holy matrimony. Three men stood up; they claimed Voke was their lover. On sighting the men, Voke fainted but she was revived to shame.

    Other groups presented their drama and opera, which portrayed different experiences.

    Present at the event were the acting head of the department, Adeoye Abdulrasheed, General Manager, Radio Kwara, Mr Abdullateef Adedeji, Deputy Head of Press, Kwara State Government, Mr Ayo Akanbi, Prof Nasiru Akanji, Dr Jelili Ojuade and Dr Solomon Ikibe.

    A final year student, Folake Omoyiola, said rehearsing the drama before presentation was challenging for students, but praised the department’s lecturers for rendering support to students during the project defence.