The Nation Newspaper

Tag: UNN

  • ‘Arts important for development too’

    A professor of Art History, Ola Oloidi, and Art Criticism has called on the management of tertiary institutions to recognise the contributions of art courses to national development.

    Oloidi, of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), who made this call while delivering the 6th Annual Lecture of the School of Environmental Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), said it has become necessary to avoid programme translocation and save the disciplines in the Arts from extinction.

    In his lecture titled “Knowledge Scientification in Nigeria’s Tertiary Institution: Implication for Art and Technology,” he canvassed for synergy and cross-fertilization of ideas between the arts and sciences.

    Oloidi said: “In modern technology, sciences and arts are inseparable. Scientists produce the means, while artist/designers produce the form; making art the flesh and science the soul of not only modern technology, but also industrialization.”

    Lamenting the negative effect of the scientification process in the arts or arts-related disciplines, he said Fine or Applied Arts also known as Visual Arts which has impacted positively on every area of human endeavor, especially manufacturing, has been most dangerously affected at the expense of creativity and design technology. This has reflected in re-christening of Art related disciplines to the sciences thereby systematically initiating those Arts courses into the elitist cult of science.

    Speaking further on the importance of arts-related disciplines in contemporary society, the don quoted The New Book of Knowledge, which stated that “art is one of humanity’s oldest inventions”.

    “It existed long before a single farm was planted, before the first villages were built. Art was already thousands of years old when writing appeared; in fact, the letters of the alphabets were pictures,” he said.

    Summing his lecture up, the don said no nation can experience industrialization without the unity of art, science and technology because production of industrial products and other designs must always start with sketches or linear drawing; graphic designs, floral design, fashion design and lighting design. All these designs put together bring aesthetic to human being and the environment.

    Earlier in his address, the FUTA Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adebiyi Daramola, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof Adedayo Fasakin said the theme of the lecture was fascinating in the sense that beauty of science is the way it replicates scientific knowledge.

     

    In his address, Dean, School of Environmental Technology, Prof Deji Ogunsemi said it was a rare privilege and honour to have a distinguished professor of Oloidi’s standing deliver the lecture.

    He said “We are lucky to have one of our founding fathers of Art history who graduated the first indigenous art history students to deliver this lecture,” he said.

    He also thanked the Vice-Chancellor for the continuous support of the school.

     

  • Salisu Buhari’s UNN appointment

    SIR: In April, the Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government, in exercise of its executive powers, reconstituted the governing councils of federal universities and made elaborate appointments therein including, the appointment of Salisu Buhari into the Governing Council of the University of Nigeria, (UNN).

    As a proud alumnus of that great institution, I feel thoroughly scandalized by the thoughts and decision of the Jonathan administration to embarrass the entire university community and her alumni with such unmeritorious appointment. This particular appointment, like the Alamieyeseigha’s pardon, sends a very clear signal that crimes and criminal activities are not only condoned but rewarded, under the present administration.

    It would be recalled that the beneficiary of the present appointment, Alhaji Salisu Buhari, was the first elected Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1999 upon the return of civil rule in Nigeria. He was tried and convicted for forging a certificate purportedly obtained from a Canadian University which subsequently enjoyed the infamous notoriety otherwise known as the “Toronto Certificate saga” . He was accordingly removed as Speaker on account of the forgery. Although he was allegedly pardoned by the Obasanjo administration, yet such alleged pardon does not detract from the fact that he was once convicted for a criminal offence of forgery and misconduct. The integrity of the University of Nigeria conceived by visionary leader Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and founded on high academic and moral grounds with a distinctive mission statement and motto: To Restore the Dignity of Man cannot afford to parade men and women of questionable characters in her Governing Council. Such would be antithetical to the objectives and the high moral pedestal on which the institution is founded.

    As an institution that is resolute on the quality and content of its grandaunts particularly in Learning and Character, this development constitutes a dangerous set back as the signal already created is one that justifies moral transgressions and misrepresent the values for which the institution is known and associated.

    Mr. President, as the Visitor of the University is enjoined to invoke his powers under Sections 14 and 15 of the University of Nigeria Act Laws of the Federation and remove or drop Buhari from the Governing Council of the university.

    To be sure, the appointment of Salisu Buhari, is ill-advised, Unmeritorious, totally completely condemnable and accordingly rejected.

    • Malachy Ugwummadu

    Legal Adviser, University of Nigeria Alumni Association

    Lagos Branch.

  • Honour for UNN librarian

    Members of the League of Democratic Students (LEADS), a students’ body in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), have honoured the university Librarian, Prof Charles Omekwu, with an award of excellence.

    The award was tagged: “Icon of Nation Building Through Library and Information Science”. The Librarian was honoured as a result of his dedication to students’ empowerment, as well as his commitment to the realisation of the world-class aspiration of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Library, UNN.

    LEADS Nigeria, an umbrella body for democratic students’unions in Africa, was established in 1985 at the Bayero University, Kano (BUK) with the objectives of sensitising its members on democratic practices and enthroning the ideal culture of democracy in campuses.

    Presenting the award, President of the group, Morgan Ochekwu, said that Prof Omekwu was selected for the award based on his outstanding contribution to education in Nigeria by promoting the growth of the library and using his position to guide students to achieve their academic aspirations.

    “Prof Omekwu has made his marks; he has driven UNN library to a high standard that Nigerians can be proud of,” Morgan said.

    Morgan, a student of the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT MINNA), called on government at all levels to pay attention to the development of libraries in the country, saying the facility remained central to the realisation of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda in the education sector.

    Reacting, Prof Omekwu expressed gratitude to the group for the honour, commending the efforts of the association in pursuing democratic ideals. The librarian remarked that he brought passion and dedication to his work, knowing that his effort would make lasting impression on the people he serves.

     

  • UNESCO trains UNN dons to teach with mobile phones

    No fewer than 100 lecturers of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) have been trained on how to use mobile phones and other digital equipment in delivering lectures the courtesy of United Nations, Educational Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and technology firms Microsoft, Intel and Nokia.

    Experts at the training held at Nsukka tutored the trainees on how to prepare and deliver lectures using Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) and Android-enabled mobile phones.

    In one of the presentations, a UNESCO facilitator from the University of West Indies, Jamaica, Dr Permanand Mohan, guided participants on what he called Mobile Maths, which he defined as the use of mobile phones to generate mathematical equations and also pass instructions to students outside a classroom setting.

    The title of his presentation was, “Building scientific e-learning application using J2ME and Android.”

    On the health implication of using mobile phones, the Research Head for Mobile and Communication Advancements, GC University-Lahore (Pakistan), Dr Fareeha Zafar, explained that human skin magnates electromagnetic radiations from phones the way television antenna attracts visual signals.

    She warned that such radiations could have adverse effect on the brain and genital organs of phone users, especially those with low defence system and low level of calcium and magnesium in their blood.

    Dr Zafar cautioned that as Nigeria remains one of the highest users of mobile phones worldwide, Nigerians could be vulnerable to mobile problems if users do not take adequate precautionary measures. She added that such dangerous trends were prevalent in Pakistan that has 118 per cent phone users against 70 per cent in Nigeria.

    She, therefore, advised Nigerians to keep phones far from their heads while making or receiving calls. She suggested the use of ear piece and headsets as safety devices.

    Meanwhile, some participants at the training had started counting their blessings. Ogechukwu Omeje of Pharmaceutical Sciences said the workshop “has improved my lecture delivery skills”.

    He stated further: “I now understand a better way to use my mobile phone, and the safety precautions I need to take. What we are learning is an improvement on the traditional method of learning. I am going to, systematically, apply the knowledge I have acquired in lecturing my students”.

    Dr Nicolas Obike, another participants, said: “The workshop is a great one and very rewarding. It is a great move by the university authority to improve on the pattern of lecture delivery.

    “I have benefit a lot and hope to still benefit from other presentations that will be made. When we apply what we learnt here, learning will be easier for our students because they will have the materials in their phones. Instead of playing games or watching movies, our students can use their phones to revise their lectures.”

    Scientific Mobile-Learning Workshop is one of three streams of the Science Technology Exposition and Fair billed for this month. UNESCO is collaborating with the International Centre for Theoretical Physics and Engineers Without Borders to deliver the three-in-one fair and workshop at UNN, with additional 1,600 students drawn from secondary schools in Enugu State.

  • UNN revives adult literacy

    The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has held a three-day workshop to train personnel to champion revival of adult and youth literacy in the Southeastern region of Nigeria.

    The exercise tagged, Training of master trainers workshop, was organised with the Department of Adult Education and Extramural Studies of the university, United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the National Education Management Commission (NMEC).

    Speaking at the opening of the workshop, the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, a lawyer, said the programme was part of a three-year design of the Federal Government to revitalise adult and youth literacy in Nigeria.

    Wike, who was represented by Mr Simon Essiet, said at the completion of the exercise, which took place simultaneously in the southeast, Southsouth and Southwest regions of the country, the 36 states and Federal Capital Teritory (FCT) were expected to replicate and fund similar programmes in three selected Local Government Areas using 400 output of trained facilitators.

    The minister explained that the programme would advance the economic and social wellbeing of the country because of its capacity to impact on the poor and disadvantaged target learners, who reside mostly in the rural part of the country.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Bartho Okolo, lauded the initiative, saying that the university was committed to training personnel that would advance the course of adult literacy in the country.

    Prof Okolo, who spoke through the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof Malachy Okwueze, commended UNESCO, NMEC and Southeast governors for the bold move to revitalise adult and youth literacy in the zone.

    The Head of Adult Education and Extramural Studies department, Prof Pat Ngwu, urged government at all levels to invest more in adult literacy in order to promote development and engender community-based services.

    The Director, Monitoring Evaluation and Accreditation, National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and non Formal Education, Dr M.I Onu, lamented the high rate of adult illiteracy in Nigeria and the increase in out-of-school male children, especially in the Southeast. The development, he said, was responsible for increase in social vices in the country.

    Other dignitaries who spoke at the occasion included Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Dr Uju Okeke, his Enugu State counterpart, Dr Simon Ortuanya and representative of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education.

  • UNN bids farewell to ‘the eagle on the Iroko’

    UNN bids farewell to ‘the eagle on the Iroko’

    The Senate of the University of Nigeria (UNN) yesterday held a special session for the late Prof. Chinua Achebe at its Enugu campus.

    The late author was confirmed dead after the roll call of professors by the registrar, Chief Anthony Okonta.

    The main hall was filled to capacity, so also were the jumbo-sized canopies.

    After the registrar called the late Achebe’s name three times and there was no response, the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Barth Okolo reconfirmed by another call and later declared: “Dear Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, it is quite unlike Emeritus Prof. Chinua Achebe, our revered man of letters, the literary giant, the Eagle on Iroko, to stay silent at the mention of his name.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, may I call his name just one more time: Emeritus Prof. Chinua Achebe! Truly, this is a solemn confirmation that the earthly sojourn of our revered colleague, Emeritus Prof. Chinualumogu Albert Achebe, our compatriot who rose to become a citizen of the world has come to an end. It is, therefore, with profound grief and regret that I preside over this special senate in his honour.

    “May I pause, therefore, to formally announce the passing of a highly revered colleague, a truly distinguished academic of international status and one of the finest academics that the University of Nigeria has ever produced. So, today, we are gathered for the primary purpose of paying our last respects to our colleague, Emeritus Prof. Chinua Achebe, one of the best creative minds of our generation. I am talking about a man who told the story of Africa in over 50 different languages. In doing so, he brought various aspects of the political history and socio-political existence of Nigeria to the attention of the world. In the same vein, his association with the University of Nigeria continues to be a source of immense pride and inspiration to all of us.

    “In his lifetime, he enjoyed a larger than life image as a world renowned literary giant. In addition to winning many literary awards, his creative works, which often had prophetic undertones, drew worldwide attention to African literature.

    “While the world mourns Prof. Achebe for his literary prowess, especially his contribution to the development of African literature, the country mourns him for his unwavering patriotism. It was this patriotism that drove him into being a social critic and commentator. His classic work, ‘The Trouble With Nigeria’ remains an unmatched commentary on the state of our nation. Here, at the University of Nigeria, we mourn him for his unique contributions to the development of our university and for the enormous visibility he brought to our university through his creative works, even in his death. Expectedly, his passing will leave a void in our hearts and in our university, where he is revered as a great academic and administrator. He will be remembered as a remarkable teacher, an astute administrator, a creative genius, a story teller and author of extra-ordinary ability. In addition, our Institute of African Studies which he headed during a remarkable period of growth and The Okike Journal, which he founded, will continue to serve as worthy and enduring monuments of the remarkable career of this great man at the University of Nigeria.

    “Dear colleagues, here lie the remains of a man of extraordinary achievements, who had travelled the entire world for his ability to tell a story like no other. He may have been talented, but it is easy to see the place of hard work and dedication in his achievements. After suffering a near fatal accident, which confined him to a wheel chair for the last 2 decades of his life, he continued to work and make headlines for all the right reasons. His ability to deal with adversity, his sense of patriotism and his dedication to scholarship all leave us with inspiring examples to follow.

    “May we all find some comfort in the knowledge that Emeritus Prof. Chinualumogu Achebe lived a truly remarkable life and, through his many creative works, left indelible footprints in the sands of time. He will, therefore, continue to live in the minds of tens of millions all over the world, whose lives he touched with his writings.

    Professor Achebe was also a devoted husband to his dear wife, Christie and a loving father and grandfather to his six children and many grandchildren, respectively.

    May our thoughts also go out to his grief-stricken family as they come to terms with the reality of the demise of their husband, father and grandfather. May they also be comforted by the inspiring memories of the exemplary life he lived.

    “May Prof. Achebe’s soul rest in peace. Fare thee well, great scholar, administrator, writer, poet and story teller. Fare thee well, The Eagle on Iroko. Fare thee well, Emeritus Prof. Chinualumogu Achebe. Fare thee well.”

    The casket was driven in a long convoy to Awka.

     

  • Achebe: UNN holds special Senate session

    Achebe: UNN holds special Senate session

    The academic community will pay special tributes to the late Prof. Chinua Achebe, as the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) organises a special Senate session and academic procession for him on May 21.

    The Achebe Tribute Senate Session will hold at the Enugu campus of the UNN.

    It is part of the activities for the national funeral of the author of Things Fall Apart and other works that defined African literature and made it part of global literature.

    Achebe worked in the university as a Professor of Literature and Director of the Institute of African Studies.

    At Nsukka, he midwifed the journal of new African writing, Okike and edited a journal of socio-political commentary, Nsukkascope.

    UNN Vice-Chancellor, Prof Bartho Okolo, said the university is moving its Senate Session and academic procession to the Enugu campus to honour Achebe as well as allow participation by academics from other universities.

    He had earlier described Achebe as one of the pillars of the institution’s reputation.

    Okolo said: “Prof Achebe was one of the academic titans whose presence in the faculty served as a beacon of light that drew the world to the University of Nigeria.”

    He added: “Achebe in his work, gave to the language, the culture and people of Igbo land, a universality that positioned it as one of the major ethnic groups of human civilisation.”

  • UNN commends NUC ranking of universities

    UNN commends NUC ranking of universities

    Dr Chidi Onyia, SERVICOM Officer at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) on Wednesday commended the National universities’ Commission for its current ranking of Nigerian universities.

    The commission’s latest ranking of best 50 universities in the country placed the UNN at the 14th position.

    Reacting to the exercise, Onyia told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nsukka, Enugu State, that the assessment would ginger the institutions to improve on their performance and service delivery.

    According to him, UNN has put faculties in place to improve the position of the university in the next NUC ranking

    The officer said the national SERVICOM team visited the university last year at the peak of an ongoing transformation programme to reposition the institution.

    He said with the massive transformation in the university now, UNN would come between the first and third positions in the next ranking.

    “All the classrooms now in UNN have electronic smart boards. Students now log in to Internet in any part of the campus because of quality ICT facilities.

    “Eating centres, student hostels, bank services, water reticulation and course registration used for the ranking have all received a facelift after the team’s last visit,” he said.

    Onyia said that the ranking was not actually conducted by the NUC but by the SERVICOM office in the Presidency.

    He noted that efforts by SERVICOM to ensure quality service delivery by government agencies in the country was a welcome development

    “The establishment of SERVICOM is good as everybody needed quality service in the country.

    “But the team should know that UNN was built 50 years ago, its facilities may not be as modern as some universities built six or 10 years ago,” he said.

    He said that the administration of Prof. Bartho Okolo, the current Vice-Chancellor, had started preparing for the next visit.

    “Dean of faculties, faculty officers, heads of departments, who are members of SERVICOM committee have started rubbing minds on how to ensure that required facilities were on ground before the team’s visit to UNN this year.

    “Students should not feel disappointed on the ranking as the management is working round the clock to get better position by the next ranking.

    “The management will not relent on its effort in making UNN the best in Nigeria and Africa in general.

    “I am optimistic that by next time the team will come, UNN will not only meet the bench marks, but will exceed it,” he assured.

  • Mobil institutes prize at UNN

    Mobil institutes prize at UNN

    Three gifted writers among students of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) would earn a residency internship in Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited.

    The company would annually select the lucky students from those who have shown the spirit of entrepreneurship by constantly writing articles, opinions and blogs concerning the development and economy of Nigeria.

    For a particular student to qualify for selection, a national daily, blog or internet site must consistently publish or post his or her works for the year in review, with effect from 2013, the MPNU stated.

    It noted that the residency internship would not encroach on the school’s academic calendar, and stated that it is aside the mandatory industrial attachment programme for Mass Communication students.

    Mobil’s General Manager, Public and Government Affairs, Mr Paul Arinze, made this disclosure last Friday, at the 2013 Jackson Annual Lecture, usually hosted by UNN’s Department of Mass Communication.

    “We will pick up the bills and place you in a very nice place to work in Mobil where you would further improve yourself and imbibe an entrepreneur spirit that would in future enable you to be self-employed. We are making this commitment because we believe in what the faculty is doing and we would like to see it blossom,” Arinze told the students.

    Away from instituting an annual prize for Mass Communication students, Arinze said Mobil would sponsor the lecture for the next five years, “as a way to enhance communication studies in the country.”

    Head of Department, Mass Communication, UNN, Dr Nnanyelugo Okoro, praised the move and urged Mobil to help the department acquire modern communication equipment and facilities to sustain its full accreditation by 2015.

    He said the department was in need of multi-media equipment to facilitate lectures, a standard radio/television studio, and photojournalism laboratory, with modern digital cameras, among other equipment.

    “The idea is to initiate an instrument for the achievement of synergy between the academia and practitioners of communication,” Okoro pointed out.

    He also said the department is proposing the establishment of a School of Mass Communication, which, he said, is the trend in modern universities.

    “Under such arrangement, we will now have a Department of Advertising and Public Relations, Department of Print Journalism and Book Publishing, and Department of Electronic Journalism and ICTs,” Okoro added.

     

  • 6,000 inducted at UNN

    The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof Bartho Okolo, has congratulated freshers admitted into various degree programmes. Over 6,000 new students were officially sworn in during the 39th matriculation ceremony of the institution.

    The VC urged the students to tow the footsteps of great men and women who had passed through the university. He said: “You earned a place at today’s ceremony because of your impressive performances at both the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and the post-UTME exams. You should all be proud of this achievement. However, you should be humbled by the fact that less than 7,000 of you have been given the opportunity out of the over 100,000 candidates that applied for placement in the university.”

    The VC advised the freshmen to resist temptation to be co-opted into ventures, which the university did not support, stressing that the management had zero tolerance for cultism and examination malpractice.

    He urged those, who may have already joined cult groups before joining the university, to denounce such membership or risk being expelled and prosecuted by the police.

    According to him, there were legitimate students’ associations registered with the department of the Students’ Affairs. Prof Okolo also entreated the students to be law abiding and prioritise their academic work to enable them achieve their mission to the university.

    Joseph Ndu, 100-Level Educational Foundation, said: “I am glad to be among the privileged few that got admission into this prestigious university, and I hope to make good use of the opportunity to develop myself and impact on the society. When I graduate, I hope to apply the knowledge I would have acquired in the area of guidance and counselling to solve the problem of moral decadence that is the lot of our society.”

    Vivian Onuoha, who was admitted into Linguistics department, said: “I feel excited today because being among the matriculating students is a dream come true for me. I set a target to graduate with a first class degree so that the university can retain me as a graduate lecturer. I pray God will help me to attain the goal.”