The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Usmanu Danfodiyo University

  • WANTED: A REFURBISHED NYSC

    As the literature goes, design is not making beauty; beauty emerges from selection, affinities, integration and love.

    Whatever comes around, goes around. Maintaining a solid phalanx is the surviving tonics of diverse entities. The National Youth Service Corps, a brain-child of Gowon’s no-victor-no-vanguished lexicon, was thus doctored as an integration mechanism.

    Tailored to heal wounds sustained during the civil impasse that lasted for months, and wrecked incalculable loses; exposing the cleavages that ditched the Nigerian Federation. NYSC allows young graduate to be posted to locals other than their own, with a view to eschewing intolerance, and developing common ties among the Nigerian youths, and perhaps promote national unity and integration.

    Arguably, the programme could be said to have attained her climatic moments given the context in which the country has managed varying differences, crisis paving way for troubles, that emerged from differing ideas.

    A tiger does not shout its tigritude, it acts. Exposure to different cultures was believed to have healing powers that could forstall seeming violence eruption. However, for how long must feverish bird suffer in silence? 45 years after NYSC was set up, the cesspit of intolerance; religious, inequalities, fear of marginalisation, tribal and ethnic cleavages still permeate the sanctimonious embroidery of our giant of Africa. Killings like none before show no quirky abatement. In fact, corps members bear sizeable chunks of the malice that hooked the country like unnoticed worm.

    Paddling it further, as a result of the increase in available universities which hitherto led to a boom in the number of graduates yearly. Mouth-watering fund is often budgeted for the program. A total sum of eighty-three billion naira was earmark for the allowances of corps members in 2018.

    In the previous years, statistics in NYSC 2017 budget showed that apart from allowances, the NYSC spent ₦2,491,681,500 for kitting and ₦3,272,103,431 on meals for her 21 days camping; this massive spending does not in any valley commiserate a returns for the Nigerian people, rather an upkeeping of a programme whose lifespan is in a transition phase.

    Be it as it may, the present is weeping, the future is not happy, but to resign oneself to it is to be crippled fast. In the words of the Afrobeat maestro, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, “My people are scared of the air around them, they always have an excuse not to fight for freedom.” if we all fear to fight for righteous, who would define the future?

    The responsibility to rebrand the conduct of governmental businesses rest on our shoulders; to rethink an holistic approach towards businesses in government institutions and parastatals. It’s high time we remarked the vision, mission and structure of NYSC.

    The flowery fruit of life is procreation, politics smiles with numbers, the increase in higher institutions in the country has provided ground for deeper integration, accommodating students from the nooks and crannies of the country.

    Even though there has been a public uproar over the sustainability of the programme, I hold the belief that the programme be sustained, but the founding scope of NYSC be refurbished; a paradigm shift from national integration Mechanism to a manpower development programme— a model N-power, a social investment programme.

    Thus, this requires that emphasis on mandatory national service paved way for a voluntary service with a view to enhancing efficiency, transparency and an avenue for leadership development. Hence, young graduate, at his/her will, will have the liberty to enroll for the service. Thereby killing two bird with a stone; minimising costs and an enabling atmosphere for training and skill acquisition.

    On the same lane, prospective corps members will have to apply through the existing channel, sit for tests to test PCM fluency, accuracy and intelligence, including voluntary military service based on equpping them with the necessary tools for self-reliance in the post-service years.

    On benefits, every good turn deserves another. Every human endeavors require psychic energy. A ‘weldone’ accelerates the rate of work done. A system of incentives should be birthed with an upward increase of allowances to enable a Corps member, with the specialist and certified training and skills acquired, establish a fruitful post-service life, and encourage young graduates into taking voluntary national service.

    An ideal 21st century corps service with ease is everyone’s responsibility. Fetching from the intellectual spring of Barrack Obama, he posits that “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” As he said we are the change that we seek.

    Abiodun Jamiu, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.

  • Shagari buried in Sokoto

    Former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, was on Saturday buried in his hometown, Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto state.

    Shagari, who passed on Friday at the age of 93, was interred at exactly 3.30pm after the funeral prayers led by Professor Shehu Galadanchi, former Vice Chancellor, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto.

    His corpse had arrived at the Sultan Abubakar airport, Sokoto earlier and was received by Governor Aminu Tambuwal, alongside members of the state executive counci.

    Read Also: Ex-President Shagari dies at 93

    Dignitaries who attended the funeral prayers included delegations from the Federal government led by Boss Mustapha, Secretary to Government of the Federation, and governors of  Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.

    The former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa was also in attendance alongside  former Independent National Electoral Commission chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, Waziri Sokoto, Professor Junaid Walk, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, former Minister, Mukhtar Shagari, and others.

  • 2019: INEC must strengthen its electronic system devices

    A University Don, Professor Mohammed Junaidu has urged the Independent Electoral Commission(INEC) to strengthen its electronic system device (Card Reader) to achieve a more acceptable and credible results during the 2019 general elections.

    Professor Junaidu made the call in Sokoto while presenting a paper titled: “Ensuring a Violent Free and Credible Election in 2019 “- the role of relevant stakeholders.

    According to Junaidu who is of the Education department of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto noted that a free, fair and credible election was a basic requirement in a democratic process.

    “If adequately managed and conducted will foster and strengthen the confidence of electorates for national stability”, he pointed out.

    The One-Day interactive session on” Violent Free and Credible General Election come 2019″ was organised by  African Better Life Organisation‎ in conjunction with INEC.

    Junaidu ‎added” any election not free and fair can endanger our free and fair economy with adverse consequence.

    “It can also make the government in power loose public confidence.”

    He described democracy as a constant struggle which provides room for equal participation of various stakeholders stressing that “it must be all inclusive, peaceful and transparent in all processes.”

    Read Also: 2019: INEC warns incumbents against using state resources

    The university lecturer arguably blamed confrontational and violent attitude of politicians and political parties as partly responsible for the realization of peaceful and violent free elections.

    However, government he said must ensure adequate security and independence of the electoral umpire.

    He stressed the need for stakeholders especially journalists, CSOs, NGOs among others to be fair to both political parties, electorates and the electoral umpire.

    He appealed to the media especially social platforms to avoid fake news while emphasizing that the spirit and practice of uplifting the values and principles of balanced, fair and credible reportage else can set the atmosphere in social confusion with subsequent violence.

    In the same vein, the presenter regretted how traditional rulers were being dragged into politics, emphasizing the urgent need for them to be neutral” they ought not be partisan but today, it has become almost impossible for them not to be partisan.”

    He further cautioned young Nigerians not to allow themselves to be used for destructive mission but should be agents of peace and unity.

    “Young people must serve as agents of peace not destruction”, he appealed.

    The university dons however, insist INEC must create atmosphere for continued awareness and ensure consistent voter education for Nigerians of voting age.

    ‎The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Abubakar Musa said the commission had improved in all its processes and activities “What we have today is a positive departure from previous experience”, he explained.

    According to the REC, represented by a top official, Ibrahim Abdullahi said the commission is fast improving by every elections dispensation.

    “Inclusiveness is a hall mark commitment by INEC to ensure full participation to guarantee a free, fair and credible process before, during and after elections.

    “We strategically plan our activities from staff training to the technical activities of elections despite the increasing number of political parties”, he explained.

  • A trek for Buhari on roads’ repair

    Members of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) community  have held what they called “appreciation trek” to express their gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for rehabilitating the main and adjoining roads leading to the school.

    Staff and students embarked on a 16-kilometre trek to Sokoto Township to appreciate the president, staging a road show to sing Federal Government’s praises for the reconstruction of the dilapidated roads.

    The roads, which had been abandoned for years, became motorists’ nightmare when they deteriorated. Respite came the way of commuters plying the routes when the Federal Government moved contractors to the sites for the reconstruction of the roads.

    Participants in the ‘appreciation trek’, which was organised by the Students’ Union Government (SUG), included the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for, Academics, Prof A.G. Yahaya, and Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA), Prof Aminu Mode, who led other prominent members of the management in the rally.

    Prof Yahaya hailed Federal Government’s effort, saying the reconstruction of the roads was long overdue. He added that the development would give visitors to the school easy access and pleasant ride on the roads.

    He said: “This is indeed, a remarkable period in the history of the university as we join the students to trek 16 kilometres to express our appreciation to the President Buhari-led Federal Government. We are using this rally to show our appreciation for the successful rehabilitation of the dilapidated eight-kilometre road linking the university to the state metropolis and other roads around our campus.”

    Prof Mode said members of the school community would remain grateful to President Buhari for repairing the road to the school. He urged the motorists and members of the university community to keep the roads in good condition.

    The SUG president, Ibrahim Kalgo, on behalf of students, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for the gesture.

    He said: “The Federal Government has listened to the students by renovating the road, which had been in poor condition since 2010.

    “Before the reconstruction, passing on the roads caused a lot of hardship for the students and other members of the university community. We appreciate President Buhari for approving the repair of these roads, which have given us easy access to the school.”

  • ‘Possessed’ student disrupts lecture

    A peaceful Mathematics lecture at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) ended in confusion, following a strange display by a 200-Level female student.

    The girl, said to have been possessed, lost her consciousness and put up strange displays. She was also said to have spoken incomprehensibly.

    Immediately she started her display,  she was surrounded by her colleagues, who rushed her out of PTF Lecture Hall where they were having MAT 207 class.

    Rather than taking her to the school clinic, she was laid in front of the lecture hall where a student recited Arabic verses to heal her. After some minutes, the victim regained her consciousness.

    There was uproar among the people who gathered at the scene, with some suggesting that she was possessed by a spirit.

    It is a common belief among students that there are genies around the school making students to behave strangely and exhibit epileptic display.

    According to some students, the victims may have exposed themselves to be possessed unknowingly.

    Aishat Umar, who claimed to have been a victim, said her parents struggled to find solution when she was possessed by the genie.

    She said: “I had no idea what was going on whenever I was possessed by the genie. I usually lost consciousness but I noticed how it happened to some of my colleagues. My parents tried a lot when I was seeking remedy through several medical approaches. However, medical tests indicated there was nothing wrong with me. Some of the doctors admitted that the problem was caused by spiritual possession.”

    She said she was not able to participate in public events until she was healed of the problem.

    “I used to stay away from public gatherings to avoid embarrassment. Sometimes, it happened during classes and because of that, lecturers would end the classes. I found it difficult to continue with school due to shame. I remember it happened to me during my matriculation. It took time before I was healed.”

    Another student, who simply identified herself as Kauthar, explained some other ways in which the spirit could possess students.

    “Genies are invisible creatures that can possess anyone when exposed to things that attract them. They can cause people to act irrationally when one mistakenly pours hot water on them,” she said.

     

  • Sokoto varsity students lynch suspected thieves

    Taking justice into one’s hand, otherwiswe known as jungle justice, has become a tradition at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS).Students lynch suspected criminals caught in their hostels without investigation.

    Findings by CAMPUS LIFE revealed that students raise alarm on alleged thieves and end up sometimes, punishing the wrong person for uncommitted offence and exaggerating their grievances.

    Students had complained in the past that cases of theft in the hostel were not properly dealt with by the security agency of the school.  Thus, most of them prefer jungle justice to handing over of caught thieves to the school’s security personnel for proper investigations.

    Aggrieved students could not hide their grievances when an unnamed thief was caught red-handed, stealing a student’s phone in the hostel mosque on June 19, 2018.

    The suspect, who was identified as a resident of one of the neighbouring villages of the university was beaten to pulp.

    Again, on Saturday in June, 2018, another similar case was reported. It was 3:30am when the alarm was raised that two students were caught unplugging phones being charged in Block B while everyone was asleep.

    An eyewitness said immediately they were caught, one of them ran away and the other was locked in a room, where he was beaten into a pulp before being released and handed over to the security.

    Earlier, on a Friday in March, after Jumaat service, a mob of students in the hostel beat an alleged thief to a pulp.

    He was flogged for entering the dormitories and burgling a locker, using the opportunity of deserted hostel to pack some valuable things.

    It had become a usual act on Fridays for criminals to burgle the hostels.

    The suspect immediately fled the scene, but was caught metres away by some students, who gave him a hot chase. He was thoroughly beaten before a team of security men came to rescue him.

    However, the school’s Deputy Chief Security Officer, Mr. Ishaya Koba, in an interview with CAMPUS LIFE, warned the students to shun jungle justice.

    “It is true that lawbreakers are supposed to be punished, however, the law loses its value when individuals take it into their hands.

    “There are appropriate channels by which justice can be served, and we, who live in a civilised era must know better than to callously mob, lynch and brutalise those who flout certain rules.

    “Jungle justice is not the best to be administered on thieves, as it hampers the security unit in finding the facts and evidence to prove the victim guilty as alleged and, most times, it complicates the issue,” he said.

  • Outcry over ‘fake’ UNIBEN sachet water in Sokoto varsity

    How did branded University of Benin (UNIBEN) sachet water described as fake get to the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS)? This is the question many UDUS students are seeking an answer to. They have asked management to stop the distribution of the water on campus for their safety. UNIBEN water has however denied authorising the sale of the water in Sokoto. BASHIR TURAWA reports.

    How did branded “UNIBEN Table Water” find its way to the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS)? This is a puzzle members of UDUS community are praying the management to unravel.

    According to information on the packaging material, the water is produced and packaged at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in Edo State. But, the UNIBEN management has denied authorising any distributor to sell its water products in Sokoto State.

    Rather than being sold in plastic bottles as its name implies, the water is sold in sachets. Apart from the long distance between the two states, UDUS workers and students are wondering if it is profitable for UNIBEN to transport its water products to Sokoto State, where there are many companies producing sachet water.

    The UNIBEN-branded sachet water has caused an uproar among students, fueling speculations that the sachet water may have been produced by an unregistered company operating in Sokoto State.

    Investigation by CAMPUSLIFE showed that the sachet water can only be bought at some designated shops on the campus and students can only buy in pieces. Retailers do not sell in bags to anyone.

    Some shop owners, who spoke with CAMPUSLIFE, could not explain the source of the sachet water. They said they only took regular delivery of bags of the sachet water from an unnamed distributor.

    Since none of the retailers could explain the source of the branded sachet water, students are expressing fear of possible outbreak of water-borne diseases as a result of drinking the sachet water. The Students’ Union Government (SUG) has also raised a health alarm, describing the sachet water as “too risky” for consumption.

    Findings revealed that the “UNIBEN Table Water” carries the name and address of the University of Benin and claimed the water is being produced in Edo State. But, students described this as fraudulent, since its distributor has remained unknown.

    CAMPSULIFE gathered that the “UNIBEN Table Water” sells quickly more than any other sachet water on the campus. Some students said they preferred it to others produced in the state.

    Tijani Abdullah, a 200-Level Law student, said: “The distance from Edo to Sokoto is too far and this makes it impossible to have UNIBEN water product here. Except they have their factory here, it is not possible. Since, the UNIBEN management has denied it authorised any distributor to market its water in Sokoto, UDUS management and the SUG must stop the sale of the water on our campus, at least, for safety reasons.”

    Suliat Mohammed, a 200-Level English Education student, urged retailers to stop making profit at the expense of students’ wellbeing.

    She said: “I know there is something wrong with the water the first time I saw it. SUG should stop the distribution of the water on campus for the safety of students.”

    Hayatullah Bello, a 200-Level English Literature student, said the sale of “UNIBEN Table Water” on the campus was suspect because of “the long distance between Benin and Sokoto”.

    “Besides, it would be a shame for UDUS management to bring another university’s products to our campus. If the product is water that our school can also produce, then it means our own management is not serious,” Hayatullah said.

    Tijani Ibrahim, a 200-Level English Literature student, said: “The reason we suspected the water is because of the distance. It is necessary to stop the fakers before they sacrifice students’ health for their own profits.”

    Reacting to the development, UNIBEN has denied selling its water products beyond Edo State, cautioning members of the public to beware of fake companies using the school’s name to perpetrate illegality.

    Its spokesperson, Mr M.O. Osasuyi, told CAMPUSLIFE on telephone: “UNIBEN Table Water was established and is being controlled by the school management. Our water company does not have any branch outside Edo State. If there’s an agent interested in selling our water products outside the state, we are sure the person would have discussed with the school authoritie.  But, for now I am not aware of anyone.”

    UNIBEN’s Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA) Prof Osadolor also denied that the school has distributors of its water product in Sokoto State, describing the sachet water as “counterfeit”.  He wondered if it was profitable for UNIBEN to transport its water products to a distant state that has variety of water companies, stressing that the school did not have any branch elsewhere, apart from Edo State.

    He said: “We do not authorise anybody at all to sell our water products in Sokoto State and we do not have a branch elsewhere.”

    Further investigation by CAMPUSLIFE revealed that the sachet is supplied from Lagos. When our reporter called the phone number of the sachet manufacturer, Xaris Ltd, written on the sachet, a man who simply identified himself as Akin admitted to have been the manufacturer of the nylon.

    He said: “I am not the one supplying the water; it is only the nylon I produce. I supply the nylon from Lagos. That is all I know.”

    Asked if he also produced packaging materials for the University of Benin, Akin said: “I used to supply nylon to UNIBEN. But for now, I am not supplying them anymore. I have produced for them before, but I’m not producing for them again.”

    CAMPUSLIFE visited one of the retailers of the “UNIBEN Table Water” at the hostel mini-market of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Al-Kasim stores.The salesman at the shop, who sought to remain anonymous, revealed that the ‘pure water’ is produced in  Sokoto, while the UNIBEN nylon is produced and supplied by a man from Lagos.”

    Speaking further, Akin said: “To the best of my knowledge, the owner of Garka Pure Water ran out of nylon. So, he started to use that of UNIBEN. This is probably what happened.”

    When this reporter requested for the original phone number of the Sokoto-based Garka Pure Water, Akin declined, stating that he had been instructed not to give out his contact number to anybody.

    Findings revealed that the said Garka Pure Water used to flourish in UDUS before it went into bankruptcy, after which the “UNIBEN Table Water” suddenly surfaced on the campus.

    However, all efforts to get the source of the controversial sachet water and its producer yielded no results as everyone contacted declined to speak.

  • Arabic dept loses student to cancer

    |The Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) community has been thrown into mourning, following the death of a 100-Level student of Arabic Language, Muhammad Jamiu Abdulrasheed. The student died last Monday at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), where he was on admission for cancer treatment.

    Jamiu’s death came a few weeks after the death of another 100-Level Law student.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the deceased, who was an indigene of Kwara State, was initially admitted in the school clinic before he was transferred to the Teaching Hospital last Thursday. He was joined in the hospital by his mother, who travelled from Ilorin to Sokoto.

    Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA), Prof Aminu Mode, said the school made effort to keep the student alive, but said God’s wishes for the late Jamiu prevailed.

    He said: “His death came to us a rude shock. The university tried all its best to give him best care and all the medical expenses were borne by the school. Sadly, all our efforts and doctors’ efforts to keep him alive went down. God has wished that he would not survive it.”

    The DSA stressed that the university would ensure safe return of his mother back home, adding: “We will make sure that our staff escort his mother back home.”

    Funeral prayer was said for the late Jamiu on Tuesday at UDUTH before the body was buried at the university burial ground on the main campus.

    His classmate, Mustapha Zulkarnaini, expressed shock over the incident, describing the deceased as a “very responsible person”.

    Mustapha said: “The death of Jamiu is a shock to me. He was gentle and wouldn’t fight anyone. He was also brilliant, because he had the Arabic background before his admission. Sometimes, even if I didn’t come for lectures, he would be the one to call me.”

    His close friend, Abdul-Hameed Sheikh described him as “a humble person” and prayed for the repose of his soul.

    He said: “Jamiu was a responsible member of the class. His death is a loss to the entire class, our department and the university at large.”

  • Hostels destroyed as rainstorm hits Danfodiyo varsity

    Several properties have been destroyed at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), following a rainstorm that also damaged properties in Sokoto town.

    Worst hit are the school’s male and female hostels whose roofs were blown off by the wind.

    There was chaos on the campus, as students ran in different direction to escape being hit by flying materials.

    The rainstorm, which lasted for more than an hour, affected Jubril Aminu Hostel (G Block), Fatima Balarabe Musa Hall, Zamfara Hall and Nana Asmau Block.

    Top management staff of the school, led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC), Prof A.G. Yahaya and the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Prof Aminu Mode, sympathised with affected students during their inspection of the damaged facilities.

    While addressing students, Prof Yahaya assured them that the damaged facilities would be fixed without delay.

    He said: “I am standing in for the Vice-Chancellor. Unfortunately, the VC has is out the town. We were in a meeting when the news reached us that there is this problem in the hostels. We got here to see that the roofs of your hostels have been blown off by the rainstorm. We have come to sympathise with you and inspect the damage. By the grace of God, we are going to fix everything within the shortest time.”

    The DVC urged the students to be patient and show understanding, adding: “We expect you to exercise more patience and maturity while we make efforts to fix the damage.”

  • I want to be a fashion designer, says First Class graduate

    Her ambition initially was to study Medicine and Surgery at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS). But Aishat Biliaminu could not make it as she was offered admission to study Biological Sciences, where she made a First Class. However, the valedictorian says she plans to go into fashion designing. NURUDEEN AKEWUSHOLA (200-Level Mathematics) writes.

    The dream of all First Class graduates is to get a lucrative job. But no so for Aishat Biliaminu, a First Class graduate of Biological Sciences of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS).

    The valedictorian, who finished with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.50, plans to be a fashion designer.

    For Aishat, a youth Corps member in Edo State, she prayed for a First Class from the day she gained admission into the institution.

    According to the indigene of Erin-Ile in Kwara State, she planned to study Medicine and Surgery, but this dream was aborted, no thanks to a low score in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    However, she accepted her fate and accepted the course she was offered.

    She said: “I wanted to study Medicine initially, but I was not offered admission in 2011. Then, I sat for another UTME the same year and put in for Medicine. I got 88 per cent in post-UTME, but I was not offered the course because of a low UTME score. I was offered Biological Science. I cried when I could not get Medicine. I didn’t like Biological Science.

    “I wanted to study a professional course,  which my parents wanted. They were also sad when I did not get Medicine. My dad asked me to sit for another UTME, but I didn’t like the idea. I applied to change from Biological Science to another medical course, but I wasn’t successful. I had to accept my fate. I promised my parents that I would finish with a First Class to make them happy.”

    Achieving the feat did not come easy for Aishat. Like her peers, she had some challenges.

    Was her feat ever threatened by failure? “Yes,” Aishat said, adding: “I was, unexpectedly, given D in CHM 102 and I thought I might not finish with a First Class. My classmates advised me to go to the lecturer and complain, but I declined because it could be dangerous to my academic pursuit. I accepted it as my fate and worked hard to ensure such never happened again.”

    Besides, accommodation was another challenge that almost threatened Aishat’s goal. Except in 100-Level, when she stayed on the campus, Aishat said she could not get accommodation till she completed her studies. She squatted for the rest of her stay in the institution.

    She said: “Getting accommodation was a major challenge as I moved to higher academic level. I only got accommodation when I was a fresher, but I squatted in my remaining years in the school. It wasn’t that my parents did not have money to get me a good space. I wanted to stay on the campus, but the politics of hostel allocation did not allow me to get a bed space.”

    Aishat said she knew what she wanted from the outset of her academic sojourn, which made her invest ample time and energy in her academics. Finishing with a CGPA of 4.50, she said, was below her expectation. She added that the challenges she faced during her studies hampered her performance.

    “I believe I could have performed better, but couple of challenges I faced affected me and led to tumbling of my cumulative grade. But, I am still thankful that I finished with a First Class,” she said.

    Aishat said she had sleepless nights  throughout her days in the institution. Whenever she saw her peers going for night reading, she felt challenged and this spurred her to folow them.

    “I saw every classmate as a competitor. Whenever I saw them going to read at night, I would lose sleep because I wanted to maintain my academic standing. This encouraged me to study hard. Whenever I was tired of reading and felt like going to sleep in the hostel, the sight of students reading would change my mind,” she said.

    But Aishat, unlike her peers, did not go to the library or classrooms to read. She read in the mosque, where she said she got tranquility and assimilated faster.

    She said: “Sometimes, I read early before sunrise because there is high assimilation then. When I woke up, I would take my bath and cook. Then, I would go and read if there was no lecture. But, if I had early morning lectures, I would go to mosque to read after the lectures. I love reading in the mosque because of the tranquility. I spent the rest my time there.”

    All work and no play, the saying goes, makes Jack a dull boy. For Aishat, it was not all about night reading. She balanced her studies with good sleep and films watching during her leisure.

    “Whenever I was not going to study or go for tutorial classes, I attend social function. I always attended meetings of Erin-Ile Students’ Union and our annual day programme. Beyond that, I watch films and also take hours of sleep,” she said.

    Aishat advised students to choose wisely when choosing friends. She discouraged students from choosing friends who have nothing meaningful to contribute to their goals. This belief made her to keep friendship with First Class peers, including Bolaji Ajape of Veterinery Medicine, Ola Lukman and Simon Adegoke of Biochemistry.

    Asked what her plan is after the National Youth Service, Aishat said: “No time to waste. I have been spending my time learning fashion designing. After my service year, I want to go fully into fashion designing. I have started. I have plans to employ people to sew clothes for me. Although I might eventually go into lecturing, my attention now is focused on fashion.”