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Tag: varsity

  • Why ASUU is angry over varsity proliferation

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is angry that governments do not adequately fund universities before setting up new ones.  This, the union ascribes to ‘mere political motive.’ Its National President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, who spoke with reporters in Lagos last week, conveyed the union’s view. ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA was there 

    ASUU has openly condemned the stoppage of post-UTME by the Federal Government. Don’t you think we should give the Minister of Education the benefit of the doubt?

    ASUU rose to defend post-UTME because we believe its cancellation without superior evidence will lead to a reversal of education fortunes in Nigeria. We have made that clear. We condemn any act that will lower the quality of education and quality of life of Nigerians.

    This (stoppage of UTME) is part of policy summersault which has been the bane of Nigeria’s development as a whole. Every minister will come in and rubbish what his predecessors did because he wants to entrench his own character and personality.

    Setting up universities in Nigeria, either by government or private investors has become a fad, but ASUU is not well disposed to this.

    Proliferation of universities has stretched the academics that are not even enough to cater for existing universities nationwide. The situation is so worrisome to the extent that in many cases vice chancellors blackmail, beg or convince lecturers to come and teach as either part-time or as adjunct lecturers in their new universities.

    Take a survey, how many of these new universities have the required number of (academic) staff? In Nigeria, it is so sad that we establish universities without feasibility studies. See the speed at which 12 universities were created during the immediate past administration.

    ASUU’s position has always been hinged on government’s improvement of existing facilities and expansion of space so that we can manage what we have, rather than creating new ones.

    We are just being hypocritical in Nigeria. Let’s take University of Cairo for instance. They have developed their facilities to the point that the university can accommodate close to 200,000. Which of our campuses in Nigeria has beyond 20,000 students?

    The union has also come out in open condemnation of some governors, who cannot adequately fund universities in their states, yet they are establishing new ones.

    It is not only state governors, Federal Government is also culpable.

    To worsen matter, establishing universities has been turned into a constituency project. Ondo State has established the third university which was cited in the governor’s constituency. The same with governors of Edo and Bayelsa States. So, we all have to come together and tell these governors that they are not sincere and do not love Nigeria. It might interest you to know that on the part of these governors, the new universities were merely a political calculation as in: ‘what am I taking back to my people once I leave government?

    ASUU has come out in brutal condemnation of the new JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, just as we thought the age long faceoff between the union and Oloyede has been laid to rest for good.

    Like we usually say, ASUU does not take a decision without consulting our members. It is our members who said: “Go out there and tell Nigerians of all Oloyede’s atrocities and particularly, his nepotism dictatorial and anti-union tendencies” when he was vice chancellor of the University of Ilorin. ASUU has maintained that we would not have any interaction with him, but with his present designation to do, there is no way the union will not interact with him.

    Nonetheless, we have decided to lodge a complaint at the appropriate quarters, demanding for full investigation into Oloyede’s tenure as Unilorin VC.

    ASUU is also calling for the release of the white paper by Federal Government’s visitation panel on eight universities

    We met with the minister in May this year and he promised us that the White Papers would be released within two weeks. But more than three months now, the White Paper is nowhere to be found. It is about eight months now since that document has been submitted. We have been very vocal in knowing the outcome of the investigations, especially that of Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. Despite the various frustrations we have experienced, ASUU is still determined to use all legitimate means at our disposal to get the government to do the needful.

    In general, are you passing a vote of no confidence on the present administration?

    ASUU is not passing a vote of no confidence on the present administration. However, what we are saying as a union is that we are a watchdog, and as a result of that, any government that is not getting it right policy-wise, ASUU has a responsibility to talk and offer alternatives. Our union has been doing that over the years and we hope to continue.

    What is the purpose of this briefing?

    This briefing is to tell governments and Nigerians how our members are feeling. Before taking a decision, ASUU does lots of consultations. What our members are saying is that they are running out of patience; and if their patience gets to boiling point, I think they would tell us what to do. But at this stage, we are only aggregating and articulating.

     

  • Kogi varsity students elated over resumption

    Students of the Kogi State University (KSU) have heaved a sigh of relief as they returned to school to complete their semester examinations. The students were sent home for four months, following an indefinite strike by a school workers over the government’s inability to pay their arrears of salaries and other allowances.

    The school was reopened last week when the government and the striking workers struck the deal to end the industrial action. As the students returned, theyvhoped both parties would sustain the agreement, praying against another strike.

    Some of them, who spoke with CAMPUSLIFE, decried the strike, describing it as an “unnecessary distraction and interruption”. Some students were philosophical about it.

    Adeleke Omofaye, a 300-Level Education student, expressed bitterness, describing the strike as the worst period in the time he spent on the campus. He said he did not pray for another strike till his last day on the campus.

    Adeleke called for understanding between government and the university workers to avoid a situation where the school would lose its credibility, because of constant disruption of its academic calendar.

    He said: “Whatever is the problem, I will appeal that all stakeholders sit down and iron out the issues, because it is affecting the fortunes of not only the students, but the institution and the government negatively. We are being perceived as an unserious institution and this is detrimental to the future of students.”

    For Victor Ogbonnaya, a 100-Level Social Science student, the strike changed all his plans, expressing regret for being a student of the institution. He said if he had had a premonition that the institution would be on strike in his first year in the school, he would have turned down the admission offer of the school.

    Steven Akoji, another student, was happy the strike was suspended, praying against its reoccurrence.

    He said: “We should hope that government now has a grasp of what the demands of the workers are. It would be in the best interest of all if the issues are resolved amicably, so that normal activities would return to the institution.”

  • FRSC partners varsity on road safey

    The management of McPherson University (McU) in Seriki-Sotayo, Ogun State, has expressed its readiness to partner the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to ensure safety of lives on the roads.

    The Alapako-Ogunmakin Unit Corps Commander of the FRSC was on the campus to visit the university leadership, last week.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adeniyi Agunbiade, who received the FRSC delegation in his office, praised the agency’s initiative, saying the institution would support the FRSC’s effort to make Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State accident free.

    Agunbiade said: “McU wants sustainable partnership with the FRSC and other institutions of the government whose missions and visions encapsulate assisting humanity. Impacting the society is our core responsibility, and that is evident in our quest to re-electrify more than 14 communities and hundreds of settlements when the school’s power project is completed.

    On his part, the Assistant Corps Commander of FRSC, Mr David Ogunjana, who led the delegation, hailed the university for its readiness, disclosing that the corps was in partnership with notable universities for keeping lives of road users safe.

    He said the FRSC was ready to collaborate with the varsity in the area of research, health and training to make the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the community safer. Ogunjana said the visit was a move to associate with key stakeholders in the community.

    He also called for collaboration in staff training and treatment for accident victims. He promised that the agency would deploy special Corps Marshals to the university and its host community.

    Agunbiade assured the FRSC officers that the University Health Centre would render assistance in treating accident victims, but said possession of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) certificate would spur the school to do more.

    The VC said the school would provide contacts of agencies and organisations that would equally support the FRSC in attaining its goals.

    The Registrar, Mrs Adebola Abegunde, hailed the agency for taking good steps to stem road accidents, but advised the FRSC to sustain its public enlightenment method.

    The FRSC team included Chief Route Commander, Mr Taiwo Iyanda, Route Commander, Mr Hakeem Kareem and Assistant Route Commander, Mr Oluwasegun Adepoju., among others.

  • Varsity honours Danjuma

    Varsity honours Danjuma

    For his service to humanity, Kwararafa University Wukari, Taraba State has named its library after the mother of former Defence Minister Gen Theophilus Danjuma.

    The late Rufkatu Asibi Kuru Danjuma, a woman of limited western education, saw the power of education and ensured that her son Theophilus Danjuma went to school. She was said to have felt disappointed when Theophilus Danjuma abandoned a B.A History programme at the Nigeria College Zaria to join the Army, which though, has made him famous.

    The N34m-library has a capacity of 300, physical collection of 10,000 books including journals and other publications, a media section and an e-library which gives access to 1.5 million publications across globally recognised channels.

    The university authority said Danjuma was rewarded because of his immense contribution to the nation’s education sector, particularly to the development of the Kwararafa University.

    An impressed Danjuma donated the sum of N20m to the university while commissioning the library.

    Danjuma said: “My mother did not have the privilege of going to a formal school. She went through the ‘Adult’ so that she could read the Bible. Today, she will smile and thank God wherever she is.”

    It was gathered that in 2012 Danjuma donated N49.65 million to the Kwararafa University.

    Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku, who was the special guest of honour at the occasion, donated N2 million to the university and promised to assist it in housing.

    Danjuma’s donation, the retired soldier said, would be given in two installments.

    “You will get N10 million in a week‘s time and another N10 million a year later. I will come back to see how you use the first N10 million; how many books you have added and how many digital equipment you have procured. Then, I would give you the balance,” he said.

    He noted that the economic slump is universal and Nigerian schools, colleges and universities must learn to persevere with little resources while recoiling from the culture of waste.

    Also speaking at the event which was heralded with cultural dances, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council of Kwararafa University, Prof Jerry Gana said: “The University is a knowledge centre and the library is its nerve centre where the teachers and students must consult for knowledge.

  • Union decries plan to sack 700 varsity workers

    Academic and non-academic workers of the defunct College of Education at Ekiadolor, now Tayo Akpata University, have opposed the plan by the Edo State government to sack over 700 workers of the institution.

    It was learnt the action was meant to pave the way for employment of new workers.

    The Chairman of the College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Comrade Fred Omonuwa, who spoke on the alleged sack plan, said the union was shocked at a statement, last week, by the Chairman of the Governing Council of the university, Thomas Okosun, that some of the university’s workers would reapply for their jobs because they were allegedly “not workers of Tayo Akpata University”.

    But the union leader said the implication of Okosun’s statement was that workers of the defunct College of Education had been sacked.

    He said the union would resist any attempt to sack any of the workers.

    Omonuwa said: “When the chairman of the Board of Council of Tayo Akpata University made that statement, we were disappointed. Apparently, it shows that they are not well informed as to the state of affairs today in the school.

    “I want to say that Okosun may not have read the Agbonlahon Report set up by the state government to verify whether or not that place would be good for a university. The recommendation of the report states that over 130 workers are qualified to lecture in the university, having gone through their curriculum vitae (CVs), their credentials and their published conference papers.

    “In the same report, it was even recommended that those who are with Master’s degrees should be given five years to do their PhD while those with first degrees should be given three years to complete their Master’s degrees. Then, they can lecture in the university.

    “How can you say someone with 20 years’ experience can’t lecture 100-level students? So, when we read Okosun’s comment, we and the college community were disturbed. We were trying to resist them so that government can look into that issue.

    “What that means is that it is tantamount to say you have sacked workers of the defunct College of Education by saying the people should apply afresh. So, a man who has spent 20 years should now apply, for what position?

    “Look at the law establishing universities. Section 7 says news universities inherit assets and liabilities of a defunct college. We are the assets of that college, not just the buildings and the salaries owed are the liability.

  • Confusion over status of education varsity

    The College of Education in Ekiadolor, Edo State was upgraded to a university in 2014.  The workers’ joy over the exercise has turned to confusion as they do not know if they have a future in the new Tayo Akpata University of Education, OSAGIE OTABOR reports.

    WHEN members of Edo State House of Assembly upgraded the College of Education, Ekiadolor into a university two years ago, the workers were happy.

    They looked forward to a boost in their welfare since they would automatically enjoin the university salary scale as members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    In March 2014, the executive bill for the establishment of University of Education, Ekiadolor and the University of Science and Technology, which later became Edo University, Iyamho, was passed into law.

    Two years later, the Edo University, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities,  took off. It began its 2015/2016 academic session with 91 pioneer students who took their matriculation oath on June 12; while the process of securing accreditation for the Tayo Akpata University of Education is still on.

    Prof Amen Uhunmwangho, the provost of the college, had hoped that the National Universities Commission (NUC) would issue  the proposed university a licence before his tenure ended. This was not  to be. Last April,  Prof SEO Aduwa Ojiegbaen was appointed the university’s Vice Chancellor.

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole also appointed the former Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Thomas Okosun, as the Pro-Chancellor. In May, a former Vice Chancellor of the Ambrose Alli University, Prof. Dennis Agbonlahor, was named Chairman of the institution’s Evaluation Committee.

    Oshiomhole’s expectation from the university of education is to produce quality teachers for primary and secondary schools.  He called on the institution to de-emphasise the three-year National Certificate of Education (NCE) programme and pay greater attention to the degree programme.  He also underscored the need for academics to obtain the Ph.D, which is the minimum requirement for teaching in a university.

    “We will need to have a further interaction on that whether we shouldn’t scale down on the numbers for NCE.  From my interaction with NUC, now I know that as a senior lecturer, you must have a Ph.D. So, we are going to move away from where a master’s degree holder is teaching in Tayo Akpata University if he doesn’t have a Ph.D, he will just be a Graduate Assistant because the whole idea is that the people who pass through here must be qualitatively different from NCE holders. So that when we post them to our schools, we are sure that they are in a position to impart knowledge to our students and we should be able to measure the output, from the performance of our students in external exams like West African Examination Council (WAEC) or National Examination Council (NECO) and Joint Administrations and Matriculation Board (JAMB), etc.

    “Because the quality of teachers is important, my view is that to teach in our secondary schools: junior and senior secondary schools, we must have Bachelor of Education (B.ED) so that the students will be in very good hands,” said Oshiomhole while receiving the report of the evaluation committee.

    However, the workers are uneasy over how long it is taking the college to transform into a university.  They are concerned about meeting the requirements when jobs into the university are advertised. They don’t know whether they are staff of the new university or the old college of education. The college has stopped admitting fresh students into the NCE programme. The workers last received salaries in March because of what they termed the school’s inability to access monthly subvention.

    The workers have vowed to go to the Edo University at Iyamho, in Etsako West Local Government Area to protest against their perceived  marginalisation by the state government.

    Chairman, College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) Comrade Fred Omonuwa wondered why the education university is having problems, while the one at Iyamho has taken off effortlessly.

    Omonuwa said: “We may be forced to move to Iyamho to protest at the gate of Edo University. As we speak now, we can’t admit new students as College of Education nor as Tayo Akpata University. There is a stalemate presently at Tayo Akpata University over identity question and paucity of fund to the university.

    “All the hue and cry about Tayo Akpata University is for political reasons to make sure that the Edo University, Iyamho, has a smooth sail. From all indications, the law from the Edo State House of Assembly has repealed the College of Education, Ekiadolor, but the worst of all is that there is no money as subvention to the new university. We don’t have license to operate, we are not receiving salary and to even talk of clearing overgrown grasses is a problem.

    “The problem is where the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to supplement government subvention is. I can tell that there is subvention lying down but there is no IGR to pay, we have not received salary for three months. And we are aware that workers at the Edo University Iyamho are receiving salaries.

    “We are disappointed that in a transition like this, our expectation is that the government should be able to bring about 100 percent subvention to pay the workers. We are even talking about salaries don’t forget there is a backlog of other arrears in terms of cooperative funds and gratuities running into several millions as well as promotion arrears because in a transition you must inherit both assets and liabilities.

    “The Edo Univeristy at Iyamho has started and there is nothing on ground to show that the Tayo Akpata University is about to take off; of course we may want to say that the governor the other day appointed a Vice Chancellor and equally inaugurated a Governing Council for the so-called university but there must be things on ground to show that the university is taking place. While the Edo Univeristy at Iyamho has license to operate, the so-called Tayo Akpata University does not have a license to operate; the governing council of Tayo Akpata is supposed to go for the procurement of license but that was not what happened with that of Iyamho. At Iyamho, the government got the licence, why is the reverse the case here?”

    Omonuwa said the union members were yet to meet with the university council to know their fate.

    He said the right thing was for the council to allow lecturers time to upgrade their qualifications and that what further fuelled their confusion was the appointment of a Deputy Provost, Dr. C. I. Aghimien.

    “Which school is he going to function if they said the College no longer exist? We are confused. We have facilities whether it will meet the NUC accreditation is another matter.”

    Okosun said the college would be phased out in two years to enable students in years two and three complete their studies.

    The university, he said, would begin admission of new students in November and would co-exist with the college until the old students have graduated.

    “The institution is in transit. To protect the interest of students already in years two and three, we have to allow them graduate. Any new student will enter as Tayo Akpata University.

    “You know we need professors in a university. There is no professor there. We are going to advertise and many of the staff cannot be part of the university. Those already working are free to apply and we will employ them if they are qualified.

    “They are not staff of the Tayo Akpata University, so we don’t owe any body salaries. The state government will decide what to do with those that failed to gain employment into the university,” he said.

    Okosun said the university would meet the accreditation requirements.

    A lecturer in the Department of Psychology, Mr. Godwin Igbinoba, faulted Okosun’s claim about the workers not being part of the university.

    He accused the institution’s governing council of not implementing the Dennis Agbonlahor Committee report.

    He said the report settles everything about the institution by recommending that 120 lecturers as qualified to be absorbed into the university with a proviso that they their credentials.

    Igbinoba said the report recommended that lecturers with Masters should be given five years to obtain their doctorate while those with first degree be given three years to do their Masters.

    The lecturer also said the Agbonlahor Committee verified the certificates of the workers and said 120 lecturers were qualified.

    “It will be the biggest joke of the century for them to say we are not staff of the new university. The governing council and the commissioner do not know what is happening. We are ready to take them up.

    “We were engaged as staff of the College of Education. If they said we are members of the old order, then they are double speaking. The report of that committee is not being followed. I have a copy at home. The report settled many things. Some lecturers were recommended to be taken to other colleges,” he said.

     

  • Adeleke varsity gets VC

    Prof Samuel Ekundayo Alao has been appointed the President and Vice Chancellor (VC) of the Adeleke University in Ede  Osun State. He will resume work next month.

    A statement from the institution said the governing council, headed by Mr Adedeji Adeleke, also appointed other principal officers.

    Prof Alao attended Andrews University, Berrien Springs Michigan and the University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, USA, where he obtained a Bachelor, Master, Master of Business Administration and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Mass Communication and Media Studies, and International Relations, and Leadership.

    Alao was the Provost, College of Social Sciences, Babcock University, where he also served as Deputy Vice Chancellor. He was General Manager of Times Publications Division of The Daily Times Nigeria Plc.

    The other principal officers are: Prof Solomon Adebola, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Dr Toyin Onayinka, Vice President, Enrolment/Record, Basil Chukwuemeka, Vice President, Financial Administration/ Bursar, Uloma Onuoha, University Librarian, and Pastor Olugbenga Efuntade, the University Pastor, the first to hold the position.

  • Varsity senate should set admission standard, says VC

    Vice-Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria Prof. Ibrahim Garba has said the senate of universities should set standards for admission into their institutions.

    Garba spoke while answering questions at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.

    The vice-chancellor faulted the situation where the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the Ministry of Education set standards for admission into the university.

    “Universities have autonomy by law; each university should set its criteria for taking students.

    “But of course JAMB and the ministry are saying that because it is our country, we must have a policy that regulates, so that we have a good balance but not on quality.

    “A university senate is supposed to set standard for accepting students that it takes and train and graduate.

    “We are hoping that soon we will resolve this matter because it is getting more embarrassing.

    “Even the state universities have told the Federal Government that education is in the concurrent list in the constitution.

    “The Federal Government has no control and should not have control over a state university; they have a council appointed by the governor.

    “They can only fulfil NUC’s standard requirements, but not admission quota.’’

    He said the minister’s directive leading to the scrapping of the post-Unified Matriculation Examination (post-UTME) created an impasse in universities as they were yet to begin admissions.

    According to him, universities cannot take products of JAMB without further testing them.

    The vice-chancellor said universities, being the recipients of the candidates, should be able to select those they could train.

    “We found it as universities that post-UTME tests are the best to get the best.

    “JAMB is only trying to improve, but still not perfect to a point that we can trust.’’

    “Post-UTME has a history; even when it started, JAMB encouraged us to do it.

    “JAMB is improving, but it is not yet there because every year we receive these products and we see what they are,’’ he said.

    He said that in 2016, ABU had 49,000 applicants, who scored above 180 points while its admission capacity was 6,500.

  • Old soldier moves from varsity to varsity

    Old soldier moves from varsity to varsity

    The saying that “old soldier never dies” aptly applies to the life of Prof Chukwunonye Ojinnaka, who is signing out from the Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Port Harcourt (Uniport).

    During the Nigerian Civil War, Ojinnaka served in the Biafran Army from September 1968 to January 1970 before he disengaged to further his studies.

    Perhaps it was the training he got in the army that equipped him for the positions he has occupied in life, which took a good turn in 1973 when he bagged a degree in Chemistry from the University of Ibadan and a PhD in Chemistry from the same University in 1978.

    Subsequently he worked in several places both in Nigeria and abroad before he finally came to anchor at Uniport in September 1979 as a Lecturer.

    It was in Uniport that he became a Professor of Chemistry and a two-term Dean  of the Faculty of Science of the university, a position he used to build up many young scientists in Nigeria, including the current Deputy Vice Chancellor (academic) of Uniport, Prof Hakeem Fawehinmi.

    As a renowned and chartered chemist, Ojinnaka, who was cited in Marquis Who’s Who in Science and Engineering in 1996 and 1997 as well as in Who’s Who in the World in 1997, has been a member of National University Commission Ad Hoc Accreditation and Resource verification team since 1990.

    While lecturing in Uniport, he became a Visiting Professor of Chemistry to Veritas University ( the Catholic University of Nigeria), Abuja from 2014 till date.

    Ojinnaka, who was born June 6, 1946 in Akpulu, Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo, clocked 70 years last June and it is on the bases of this that he retired from the services of Uniport.

    Thinking that he would take a rest from duty, Ojinnaka told The Nation during the celebration of Thanksgiving for his formal academic retirement and 70th birthday that: “I am moving to Veritas University, Abuja to assist in building up budding chemists for the growth of the nation.”

    The celebration started with a Mass at St Francis Catholic Church, Rumuokwuta, Port Harcourt which was con-celebrated by Rev Fr. Kenneth Obasi; Rev Fr, Innocent Okeke, the immediate younger brother of Ojinnaka’s wife and three other Priests.

    In a homily during the Mass, Obasi harped on the importance of being peaceful and using one’s position in life to build up others,

    The Priest also said:” Today we are celebrating not 70 hours, not 70 days but 70 years dedicated to research and development and 70 years full of service,” urging other people to emulate the footsteps of Ojinnaka.

    The former Vice Chancellor of Uniport, Prof Nimi Briggs, who chaired the reception session of the thanksgiving celebration, also poured encomiums on Ojinnaka, saying: “We are here to celebrate a good man and when a good man calls, we all congregate.”

    Briggs also used the life of Ojinnaka to advise young lecturers, saying: “I implore you to note that it is not how long, it is the impact you make in the society that matters.

    “Try to make appreciable impact in the society and leave a name for yourself.”

    Making a toast, a Port Harcourt-based Businessman, Max Ugwu, also acknowledged that Ojinnaka has “impacted on the society in no small way. He is also a traditionalist and a gentleman who has combined both academics and tradition,” thus bagging the title of “The Ezennabuenyi of Akpulu Kingdom.”

    Ojinnaka said: “I feel very great at 70. The impressive turnout of people shows how people love me.

    “After 37 years of meritorious services at Uniport, I feel fulfilled that I have trained many people,” adding that he is retiring from Uniport to move into another university, the Veritas University, Abuja.”

  • USAID, varsity back 4,150 IDP farmers in Adamawa

    WE  were at home when they told us that Boko Haram was coming,” said Aisha Malafa. “So we left the village and ran to the mountains. They killed so many of my relatives but some of us were able to escape,” she said.

    Malafa’s village, Guyaku, was rendered desolate by Boko Haram.

    She was one of the 4,150 indigent farmers in Adamawa State who recently benefitted from the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with the American University of Nigeria–Adamawa Peace Initiative (AUN-API).

    The gesture shone some bright light into the life of those devastated by the terror group.

    USAID and AUN-API donated farm inputs to about 150, 000 people in the state. Farmers in the state received 10kg of maize, 10kg of cowpea and 5kg of sorghum for planting. The seeds, which are high-yielding and require minimal need for fertiliser, were supplied by USAID.

    The farm inputs were distributed in four local governments of the state, which include: Gombi–725 IDP farmers; Michika–1,398; Madagali– 1,522 and Fufore–505.

    Malafa told journalists in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, that life had not been easy for the victims of Boko Haram in the state since they returned to their desolate villages.

    “Boko Haram burnt down everything, our homes, our foodstuff and our farms. So when we returned, there was nothing to do. I am a farmer and all of us in Guyaku are too. It has not been easy for us since we returned. So what these organisations are doing will help us. We will be able to plant our seeds and grow something. We are pleading for more assistance,” she said.

    The President and chairperson, AUN–API, Margee Ensign, said that the institution works with the community to find solutions to challenges faced by its people.

    “AUN has a founding mandate to light a candle rather than curse the darkness. This mandate was drawn from the vision of our founder who thought a university is not necessarily an ivory tower.

    So the so-called town-and-gown relationship was there from our very foundation. AUN works in and with the community to find solutions to challenges faced by its people,” she said.

    “From June 22 to 28, 4150 farmers, spread across four local governments in Adamawa state, each received bags of seeds and food to aid their recovery from the destruction Boko Haram brought on their communities and livelihoods.

    “The seeds and food distribution in the identified local governments (Gombi, Fufore, and Michika & Madagali) benefited the following number of identified IDPs who had farmland; Gombi–725 IDP Farmers; Michika–1,398; Madagali– 1,522; Fufore–505.

    “Because of the hunger and suffering still present in these areas, there was a possibility that these beneficiaries would simply eat these seeds instead of planting them. So the AUN/API also distributed the following supplies to support this seeds distribution initiative in all 4 local governments. Each of the benefiting IDP Farmers also received the following: 20kg Bags of Maize and 10kg bags of Beans. N200 (two hundred) Transportation support to get back to their various wards,” she said.

    Also, 20kg bags of maize and 10kg bags of beans were also distributed IDPs to cushion the effect of hunger. According to a member of the Seeds and Food Distribution, AUN – API, Charity Garba, more donations are expected in the coming days.