The public tap at the central school park is in dire need of urgent repairs.

UCJ UNILORIN can confirm the deplorable condition of the tap which has been in that state for the past one week.

The picture evidencing this claim was taken last week Friday after several rounds of deja vu by one of our correspondents and possibly, passers-by at the school park.

Another fact gathered from our on-the-spot assessment is the slight erosion the leakage from the damaged tap has caused around the area.

As at the time of filing this report, the pipe that houses the tap has been removed; thus worsening the situation on ground.

This is a clarion call to the Works department to do something about it before the situation gets out of hand. A stitch in time, saves nine.

Osuji Chima Francis
UCJ, UNILORIN.

The UNILORIN ILUMSA on Thursday 22nd June, convoked an emergency sitting with the sole aim of adopting the 2017 Amended Constitution of the association.

The event was held at LR 4 at the College of Health Sciences (COHS), University of Ilorin. At exactly 5:05pm, the sitting commenced with the recitation of the second stanza of the national anthem.

A total of seventeen senators, including principal members of the ILUMSA Senate Council, were present during the roll call. Members of congress were also in attendance.

In his opening remark, the Senate President, Sen. Murtala Moshood, welcomed his colleagues to the sitting. He cited Article XXI, B(a) of the ILUMSA Constitution which prescribes the procedure for amending the association's constitution.

According to Sen. Moshood, deliberations had been held extensively in previous sittings on the relevant clauses in the amended constitution, and that same was sent to constituencies for their input.

Therefore, the emergency sitting of Thursday 22nd was called mainly for the purpose of adopting the amended ILUMSA constitution. Sen. Moshood stated that the required two-third majority of the House must be met, and subsequent referendum by Congress in order to give validity to the amended constitution

On this note, Sen. Moshood admonished his colleagues to vote according to their conscience and sued for thoroughness in the voting process.

As a result, a senator from the 600 level constituency moved for the adoption of the amended constitution but a point of order was raised by Congressman Animashaun Oluseyi a.k.a Hesjay, to the effect that deliberations ought to be held before moving to adopt same. He placed reliance on Article XV, D(1) which provides that the Senate shall discuss first, all matters on the agenda for a particular meeting among others.

The Senate President held to the contrary that deliberations had been held in previous sittings, and that so much effort had been made in the amendment process.

Not convinced by the Senate President's position, congressmen insisted on a debate before moving to adopt the amended constitution. They did so, by invoking a series of points of order.

In his effort to engender due process, the ILUMSA President, Comr. Salifu Wesley, cited several provisions of the ILUMSA Constitution as to the proper use of a point of order, and the discretionary power of the Senate President to determine its fate. His effort however, did not go unchallenged by congressmen.

Contributing to the debate, Senator Tola Ipinmisho advised congressmen to remain civil with their agitations, and that there was "no need to go crazy about things" in that no one was there to do battle. His comment heated up the polity to such alarming heights.

It received intense condemnation by Congressmen. In his opinion, Comr. Hesjay maintained that Sen. Tola had attacked his personality and demanded for an apology. The Senate President rose to the occasion, and as such, Sen. Tola clarified his comment but apologised in the end.

Notwithstanding the resolution of the issue between Sen. Tola and Comr. Hesjay, the later part of the sitting was Topsy-Turvy with the pendulum shifting between the position of the Senate President, and that of Congressman Hesjay.

There was a headway in the end, and the House moved for the adoption of the amended constitution.

As at voting time, only fourteen senators participated in the voting process to the exclusion of the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President, who had already left the sitting on permission.

Nine senators voted in favour of adopting the amended constitution while five senators voted against it. This amounted to a percentage of 9.3 which paved the way for another bedlam as to whether it constituted a two-third majority of fourteen senators.

The Senate President held that 9.3 percent represented a two-third majority if approximated to 10 while others, especially congressmen vehemently kicked against it.

At this juncture, the atmosphere was tense such that the Senate President called for a brief recess.

Upon resumption, the Senate President announced that after due consultation, 9.3 out of 14 did not represent two-third majority, and therefore, the adoption of the amended constitution could not stand. His pronouncement brought back decorum in the House.

Consequently, the House moved that the amended constitution be routed back to the Constitution Review Committee for a fresh start in the deliberation process.

A Roll call was taken of senators present, and the House moved for adjournment.

Osuji Chima Francis
UCJ, UNILORIN.

UCJ EDITORIAL

24/06/2017

Rethinking the Role of Campus Journalists

“In America the President reigns for four years, and Journalism governs forever and ever.” — Oscar Wilde.

The fourth estate of the realm, the voice of the masses, the people’s representative, the shaper of opinions, agenda setters, et cetera. These are but a few among the appellations people have given to the press. Put differently, journalists ought to be your true friends and confidantes. Treat them right.

Like in most parts of the world, the University of ILORIN is blessed with a press body known as the Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ). It is composed of students from different fields or disciplines. Just as it is in most tertiary institutions in Nigeria, press outlets domiciled in departments, faculties, and halls of residence all form the umbrella body of campus journalism.

For the time being however, such is not the case with the UNILORIN chapter of campus journalism which is an aberration from the vision of its founding fathers. All hope is not lost as efforts are in top gear to bring the organogram of the Union into proper alignment.

UCJ, UNILORIN is an army of student-journalists and seasoned writers whose conduct is bound by the ethics and ethos of journalism. And therefore, UCJ members are prohibited from engaging in partisanship (politics) while practising as campus journalists. The essence of this age-long ethics is to ensure objectivity, impartiality and professionalism of UCJ members in the discharge of their duties. 

Those who choose to pursue political ambitions are allowed to do so in line with their fundamental right to associate and participate directly in the process of governance. However, their membership of the Union is kept in abeyance during the subsistence of their tenure in office. That way, the moral and ethical burden of serving two masters is avoided.

This is applicable to elective and political appointments at the departmental, faculty, and Student Union levels. As it is said, a good name is better than riches. Your reputation is a reflection of public perception about you. Character however, defines your very being. 

To this end, UCJ members are expected to be clinical in their operations and conduct especially within the confines of enabling rules and regulations. For example, a journalist who purportedly asserts that a person is allegedly guilty of an offence or crime has the moral and legal burden to prove his allegation with credible, relevant, and admissible evidence. For to act otherwise portrays an unsavory picture of charlatanism.

Another analogy is the need for a campus journalist to be objective and unbiased towards a subject matter or individual. It is instructive to state at this juncture that as part of the ethics of journalism, a journalist is prohibited from speaking the truth if the underlying intention is sinister and calculated at assassinating or defaming the character of any individual. Therefore, a journalist has the moral and legal duty to ensure fairness at all times, and by extension, the common good must always be at the epicenter of his operations and conduct.

Quite sadly however, there has been a rise in insults being dished out to journalists in different flavours and containers on the UNILORIN campus. For example, a certain faculty in UNILORIN barred some UCJ correspondents who are also members of congress in that faculty, from covering the proceedings of the faculty legislative body. It is important to note that the sitting in question was not a closed-door session, it was open to members of the public. So, student-politicians who usually resort to the press to exercise their freedom of speech when things get sore, are the very ones barring the press from covering their activity in a sitting that isn't closed but open to all and sundry. Indeed, he who seeks equity must do equity.

Primarily, journalism is here to protect the interest of the masses, it is sad however to discover that the same masses which it aims to protect insults it. Students have not necessarily been active participants in throwing basket of insults on pressmen, but have been playing the “siddon look (sit down and look)” role that puts journalists at risk. Oftentimes when incidences happen and are being investigated by journalists, students make it hard, rock hard, to get concrete evidence needed to corroborate claims for reasons best known to an average student of the Better By Far varsity.

Some Students would rather let the UCJ take a fall for the truth which they’re not privy to, than to assist the Union with evidence that they’re armed with. Some Students find it relatively hard to grant interviews and reveal things which bite in the sole of their shoes, and the soul of their being, and would rather make journalists play the role of the clown. Some of them are not blamed, as they are afraid of stigmatisation that might come with revealing some of the cankerworms they carry, but some withhold information deliberately for nepotistic reasons.

If there is a body(ies) that has consistently slapped the Union in the face, through her agents, literally and figuratively, it would be paramilitary bodies. Bodies primarily tasked with protecting the lives of students, including journalists, bodies tasked with helping to maintain orderliness in school. From the least, there have been various incidences on campus involving journalists being allegedly hindered from doing their jobs effectively by the uniform men and boys respectively.

Where do we start from? Is it last semester when there was a disturbing rise in the population of students at the school park, as students were being treated badly by handlers of the situation? During the incidence, members of the UCJ were trying to sample the opinion of people on the incessant and tiring queue at the park, while taking pictures as proof of what was absolutely obtainable then. In the process, a paramilitary officer designated at the park allegedly harassed the pressmen who were involved in covering the disturbance.

Worse still, one of them had his phones seized even after they had identified themselves as journalists, while being verbally harassed. Not until the Vice President (Editorial) made it to the park and had a conversation here and there that the seized property was returned. There are many other instances.

A million thanks to the new order at the park though. Normalcy has been restored in terms of the excesses of the Uniform boys especially after their suspension and eventual reinstatement on campus. Their case is on the one hand however, what about the uniform men on the other hand?

Recently, members of the UCJ were allegedly humiliated at the Security Division unit, while trying to procure information as regards the state of the school environment on cases of theft, violence, and generally any case that could have been a result of breaching the learning in character pose of the school. Of a fact, members were verbally humiliated repetitively when they went to garner information as regards these things. We all understand the precarious and highly sensitive nature of security matters in the school, and would not want to put jitters in the minds of UNILORITES, and this is what prompts us to verify whatever form of rumour as regards security at the appropriate quarters, only to be met with hostility and uncivil behaviour. Even if ethical standards disprove of such information being issued out, such ought to be communicated in a manner consistent with civility and mutual respect, not the other way round.

The biggest insult on pressmen is being landed by administrators and student-politicians on campus. Just last month, members of the UCJ attempted having a vox pop with the Social Director of the Student Union in his office. He was dispassionate in showing his reluctance in granting audience to the UCJ team. He premised his action on the claim that he was busy working, and that he ought to be notified officially before deciding whether to grant an interview or otherwise. In fact, he became hostile at some point for being questioned as to the authenticity of his claim of being busy.

For the records, this was a vox pop on an event he superintended over, not an interview. When it seemed as though nothing serious would happen, and members of the UCJ crew were on the verge of leaving his office, he had a second thought on his position and eventually obliged his guests.

Other instances of such happen between pressmen and members of the executive and legislative council of the student governing body. This is not to deny that there are a couple good eggs who are agents of positive change and development, but the chaff must be selected first, before being separated from the grains.

The UCJ and its members have grown thick skins over the years towards many acts of injustice against any member of the Student Union, by and large, and will not renege on doing what is right, when it is right. Our resolve as pressmen cannot be broken as our pen will forever continue to champion the cause of freedom, justice and liberty.

This is an editorial of the Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ), University of Ilorin Chapter, Ilorin, Kwara state.

Students of the department of Educational Media and Technology, University of Ilorin in conjunction with Google organized a capacity building workshop on digital skills tagged, #digitalSkills4Africa.

The event was held yesterday Wednesday 21st June, 2017 at the Education Lecture Theatre (EDLT). It's on record that over a thousand participants attended the workshop.

UCJ UNILORIN learnt that the life-changing event was made possible by the AEMTS President, Comrade Ojo Isaac Damilare, and members of his team known as the Undaunted Achievers.

Among the dignitaries who attended the event include: the AEMTS Staff Advisers, Dr. C.O. Olumorin (who also doubled as the compere of the event) and Dr. Mrs. Ogunlade, the Dean, Faculty of Education, and representative of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. N.B. Oyedeji, and the HoD of AEMTS, Prof. S.A. Onasanya.

Others include the entire teaching and non teaching staff of the department and those from other sister departments, postgraduate students of the department, departmental presidents, and the President of the Faculty of Education, Comrade Snazzy.

The training was an avenue for students to make most of their passions in surfing the web in order to fight the current economic situation. It was flagged off with a brief introduction of the program and its objectives by the facilitator who is a Google instructor, Mr Ishola Adebayo.

Before delving into the main gist of the training session, participants were thrilled with an audio-visual feed, titled 'A Day Made Of Glass 2,' which demonstrated the ease that technological advancement brings in every facet of human endeavor.

Going forward, Mr. Ishola Adebayo described the various opportunities involved in the digital space which include advertising among others. He also discussed some benefits of the internet, and the basic marketing concepts in relation to the digital world.

He aptly described the steps to make local businesses go global, part of which are; setting up a Google My Business listing on google.com/business, getting onto a review site, creating a website and setting up a social media profile.

Mr. Adebayo highlighted the basics for creating a website
domain name to reflect the name of the business as well as
opportunities in the digital world
for those interested in upgrading their employability status. He urged students to visit g.co/digitalskills for more information and materials on acquiring digital skills.

The audience was finally entertained with an amazing video put together by the students of Educational Technology, University of Ilorin. It bothered on the essence of the course and the opportunities that abound in the labour market. Participants found it educative and entertaining.

There facilitator gave out freebies to participants who answered his questions correctly.

The event ended with the Unilorin anthem and group photographs were taken afterwards.

Olowoyo Ganiyya
UCJ, UNILORIN.

It was games up for a suspected 100 level student of the faculty of Agriculture who was allegedly caught trying to dispossess an unsuspecting Unilorin student of his valuable.

This report is an inquest into the drama that played out at the Lagos male hostel around 5am on Wednesday 14th June, 2017.     

It all started when the quiet atmosphere of the Lagos male hostel suddenly evolved into an uproar when the suspect was caught.

Our correspondent who was at the scene gathered that the suspect came to Lecture Theatre 1 in pretext of coming for "night class" while using the opportunity to steal a cellphone from an unsuspecting owner.

According to an eye witnessed, who requested to remain anonymous, he said the suspect boarded a bus off campus coming to school during the night of Tuesday 13th June, 2017. On getting to the school park, he noticed the suspect took a bag not belonging to him, unbeknownst to the suspect that he was being trailed by him (eye witness) to LT1 where he did his night class and kept a watch over him.

While at LT1, an iPhone 4 got missing where the suspect was seated and he claimed to be the owner when he was confronted and the suspect made the statement "do u know who I am, let's go to the security division."

On their way to the security division, the suspect started shouting "thief" while running.This caught the attention of the Muslims observing their morning prayer and he was caught and his bag was collected which contained a Unilorin and an iPhone 4.

Fortunately, he was rescued from the angry mob by the SU President and was taken to the security division.

As at the time of filing this report, the fate of the suspect still remains unknown.

Adekeye Ramota Eniola
UCJ,UNILORIN.

UCJ EDITORIAL

07/03/2017

DANGEROUS TRENDS

It is public knowledge that conflict is inevitable. Conflict serves a particular purpose in terms of advancement of society. Without conflict, humanity is bereft of the animating principle to develop individually and collectively. In fact, conflict is life itself.

In terms of advancement, consistency is one of the yardsticks used for measuring development. In this regard, the University of Ilorin prides herself as a citadel of learning with the most stable academic calendar in Nigeria—a reward brought about by diligence, sacrifice and patience by all and sundry within the school system. This treasured academic stability has earned the varsity a pride of place in the comity of schools both locally and international. Thus making her the most sought after university in the country.

On the other hand, however, is a worrisome trend that mirrors in part, an imminent catastrophe capable of rupturing the very fabric of the school system if not handled properly. It can be likened to the ride of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse advancing with the aim of transmitting to each man portions of his karmic patterns in fulfillment of cosmic law.

In the last three months, the University of Ilorin has trended in the media for the wrong reasons. This is due largely to a series of events among which include: an online protest of December last year by students demanding for their PC Tablets after waiting for a long period of time; the non-accreditation of the department of Criminology and its attendant challenges; crippling of the school website on several occasions; allegation of financial misappropriation against the school management by a factional wing of the Academic Staff of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) Unilorin chapter; manual balloting system (as against electronic) for hostel allocation; conversion of rooms in some hostels from the original four-man occupants to six; and the most recent of all—the Computer Based Test (CBT) center drama and the school park saga of Thursday 2nd March, 2017, among others.

Yes, it is factual to maintain that there can never be anything like absolute freedom anywhere in the world. Thus, the attainment of utopia is a mere smoke-screen that bears no reality of any sort. Even the religious cannot debunk the fact that after life’s sojourn, souls still engage in perpetual servitude through pain or pleasure which may be experienced in heaven or hell. Regardless of this however, human rights are considered sacred and inalienable. Therefore, it is incumbent on the administration to honour this mandate by exercising its powers with a touch of humanity.

According to the late Afro-beats legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, most Nigerians lead a cosmetic life in what he describes as “suffering and smiling.” As far as they are concerned, all is well on the outside but deep down inside, reverse is the case. This is the general feeling of most students of the University of Ilorin. The policy of “Face Tanke” is enough to instill a sense of fear and caution in them. As such, their actions are steeped in docility in order to avoid the sledge hammer of rustication or suspension. This should not be taken as an act of cowardice but an art-form designed to stay out of trouble. More or less suggestive of a keg of gunpowder waiting to be detonated.

Relishing the state of the status quo, a statement was made sometimes in January by one of the university dons to the effect that students should forget about the way they are being treated so as to be able to finish their programmes in good time and be gainfully employed.

There is a concept known as positive and negative peace. Put simpliciter, positive peace, though not without conflicts, is a kind of peace that engenders unity, understanding and cooperation with little or no room for suspicion, fear and bigotry. In such society, the propensity for development is very high. The reverse is the case with negative peace. This kind of peace is nascent or fragile. As such, if not well managed, the center will not stand and therefore, things will surely fall apart. This should not be the fate of our alma mater---the university of Ilorin.

An online source (WhatIs.com) defines early warning system as technology and associated policies and procedures designed to predict and mitigate the harm of natural and human-initiated disasters and other undesirable events. The incidence of Thursday 2nd March is a bad omen that calls for serious concerns. On that ill-fated day, thousands of students waited several hours just to take a 15-minute computer-based test only to be told that the exercise had been postponed due largely to poor logistics.

After being told that the tests would no longer hold, the students, looking disenchanted, headed for the school park in droves. As expected, the immense gathering of students made it difficult for the security and the cadet to maintain decorum and orderliness at the park. Unfortunately, a student was hit by a commercial vehicle due to widespread restiveness of students. Only God knows what would have become of the system if the victim had died. Who knows, there might have been a re-enactment of the recent violence at the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMINNA). This imminent disaster was averted by the school management, the SU among others.

In a related development, a member of the Cadet was said to have been struck by a student with a pipe—an offshoot of intense frustration and anger. Some students even sustained minor injuries in the course of the whole commotion.

To a large extent, these challenges are brought about by administrative decisions on the one hand, and indiscipline on the other. For instance, it had to take the physical presence of the Vice Chancellor to restore normalcy at the CBT center yesterday evening. No doubt, managing students in this part of the world can be a pain in the neck, nevertheless, if the system is effective and efficient as it ought to, problems such as overpopulation versus inadequate infrastructure will be reduced to the barest minimum.

Conversely, it makes things more difficult for the Students' Union in terms of her mandate to protect the welfare of the students. This has led to a series of unpalatable experiences such as name-calling, threats, intimidation, conspiracy, and a host of others. Some have been subsumed by the heat of these challenges while others are still standing tall and unruffled.

In fact, the bulk of what the incumbent Students' Union has done since its inception is student-intervention; leaving little room for a consolidated scheme for the students. This SU administration will go down in the annals of history as the most crises-laden in recent years. The good news is, their determination seems unshaken in the face of intense trials and tribulations.

At this juncture, it is imperative to state that the recent challenges confronting the system are not suggestive of a war of Armageddon. No one is at war with the system. The students want fair treatment and value for their parents' money. This, however, should not be taken as license for students to act irresponsibly and excessively. The onus lies mainly on the management and by extension, the Students’ Union to do the needful in bringing the system out of the woods of its present challenges.

In sum, the above stated scenarios should be studied carefully with a view to designing an appropriate response to keep the peace. Such response should not be belligerent or antagonistic by intent and purpose but a sincere dialogue with stakeholders. All hope is not lost. Over the years, the Better by Far university has been known for its policy of constructive criticism through healthy dialogue and student participation in the decision making process. The purport of this editorial therefore is simple: the school management should not relent in putting the interest of the students first in the scheme of things.

The PR team of the school should devise a more effective channel of communication of particularly in the area of social media—something similar to the memo issued last December by the Corporate Affairs Unit in respect of the P.C Tabs. This will go a long way to complement the feedback mechanism employed by the Students’ Union in keeping the student populace informed on the trend of development on the campus. It will also stem the tidal waves of misinformed actions and misguided intelligence. Every system has its own problems. Our alma mater will surely overcome hers.

This write-up is a weekly editorial of the Union of Campus Journalists, University of Ilorin Chapter.

For feedback, inquiries, and suggestions, you can send us an email on ucjeditorial@gmail.com

Or

Call the Editor-in-Chief on 📞08036543643.

You can follow our Twitter handle: @ucjunilorin

Or like our Facebook page: http://m.facebook.com/UnilorinUCJ/

UCJ EDITORIAL

06/04/2017

SEPARATING THE TARES FROM THE WHEAT

Ordinarily, this issue would not merit an editorial discourse, but for the purpose of record, we must do the needful.

For the umpteenth time, we affirm that the Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ) exalts itself above all forms of competitive race with other media outfits on campus. This is utterly preposterous. How could we be in a race with cells that ought to be under our regulation? Saying that we are in a rivalry with emerging or established bloggers or media outfits on campus is not only unconscionable but out of place and self-defeating. Those fueling the “make-them-look-redundant” campaign are well-advised to use their God-given energy on something more constructive and humanitarian.

At the mention of UCJ, what readily comes to the mind of some people is criticism, bad criticism, and more criticism. In fact, some have tagged us an opposition party to the incumbent Students' Union administration — that we dwell mainly on loopholes rather than achievements. This notion is sure misleading, and also serves as a ploy to detract us from our revered mission. A good knowledge of the posture and workings of the UCJ will help in having an informed opinion about who we really are, what we actually stand for, and our modus operandi.

Without fear or favour, we dare to say that some of our members are yet to have a firm grasp of their roles as campus journalists. This is in spite of regular capacity building sessions designed to enhance productivity. While a handful understand our vision and mission statement, most join the guild for the wrong reasons—political ambition, fame and God-knows-what. This exposé does not, in any way, amount to washing our dirty linen in public. The question is: who regulates the regulator? Your guess is as good as ours. Therefore, we will not shy away from criticising ourselves where necessary. After all, he who seeks equity must do equity.

The life of a campus journalist is no bread and butter. A journalist strives continually to protect public interest and entrench good governance with the pen. It is not the usual accolade you get from sincere well-wishers and psychopaths alike after a beautifully patterned literary work. No. This is not the creed of a campus journalist. It is way beyond this. You stick your neck out for the common good, and you do so selflessly with honour and integrity. There is no pecuniary benefit to this whatsoever. Student-politicians and bloggers get paid, a campus journalist does not.

Of course, we are always open to constructive criticism because it is our stock in trade. We criticise in order to keep our leaders on their toes. However, most people would not like being criticised before an audience, whether constructively or destructively. Only few appreciate the pristine purpose of criticism: transparency, accountability, development, and ultimately, good governance. Still, reverse is the case in this part of the world. When you sing their praises, you become a close friend and ally; when you criticise, you are treated as an opponent, and as such, critical information would be disclosed selectively and promptly to those who are within the inner circle.

We remain unruffled about this, not even with the slightest concern as we are more fixated on our mandate. Unlike some people, we are not members of the choir of psychopathic angels. Our conscience forbids us to thread that compromising path in honour of the public good. Telling the actual story without fear or favour is where the onus lies on a true journalist especially if it is contrary to public policy.

That said, a true campus journalist should put aside sentiments in the line of duty. Despite the peculiar system of the operational milieu, those who portray themselves as the voice of the people and vanguards of justice, must stay true to their calling. They know when to make tough calls where necessary without compromise.

Our message is simple: we are not 'journalitrikcians' or bloggers. We are a union of campus journalists.

This write-up is an editorial of the Union of Campus Journalists, University of Ilorin Chapter.

For feedback, inquiries, and suggestions, you can send us an email on ucjeditorial@gmail.com

Or

Call the Editor-in-Chief on 📞08036543643.

You can follow our Twitter handle: @ucjunilorin

Or like our Facebook page: http://m.facebook.com/UnilorinUCJ/

All is set for the smooth takeoff of the 2017 edition of the annual Cultural Summit by the Cultural Security Forum—the mother body of all registered indigenous associations on the UNILORIN campus.

The event is scheduled to hold 10:00am on Saturday 17th June, 2017 at the Education Lecture Theatre (EDLT), University of Ilorin.

The theme for this year's Cultural Summit is 'Driving Sustaining Development through Cultural Engagement of Young People,' to be delivered by a Fulbright scholar, seasoned administrator, prolific writer, and world-class academic, Dr. Mahfouz A. Adedimeji.

Among the dignitaries expected to grace the occasion are Royal Fathers, members of staff of the University community, student leaders, and registered indigenous associations on the Unilorin campus.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

UCJ UNILORIN can confirm that shuttle operators have been briefed to resume operations at the school old park from tomorrow Monday 12th June, 2017.

This information was corroborated by the Chairman of Unilorin Shuttle Operators (name withheld) when accosted by one of our correspondents.

UCJ, UNILORIN.

UCJ EDITORIAL

12/06/2017

"You must fight others. But through peace, through dialogue and through education"—Malala Yousufzai"

It's still baffling to note that the Student Union is yet to make an official Press Release on the outcome of the highly publicised stakeholder's meeting between Union officials, student leaders, and the university management. What many have seen on social media have been bits and pieces of information which bothered on the controversial GNS 312, GSE 202, courses among others. What about an SU-endorsed Press Release?

The SU, as of duty, still owes UNILORIN students an account of the resolutions reached at the said meeting regardless of the disclosures made from other sources. The focus of the SU seems to have shifted from the much anticipated Press Release to the forthcoming Leadership Summit and its concomitant publicity stunts which purports to bring a Nigerian Senator whose personality is allegedly disapproving to most Nigerians.

Going forward however, this editorial seeks to give a concise analysis of the basic issues that took centre stage during the high powered meeting.

Never has it been recorded in human history that the aftermath of war was devoid of regrets and collateral damage; many conflicts resulted due to impatience of either parties stricken. So, when the deed is done and losses are been counted, warring parties come to a round table discussion to fashion out suitable means of resorting to peace—a move that could have averted the conflict in the first place.

To this end, laudable and commendable are the efforts of the UNILORIN Student Union and the presidents of faculties who rose from their domain to engage the university authority in an interactive session to proffer lasting solutions to issues bordering on the welfarism of students on campus. One must also commend the university authority for creating a room for such interactive session—a rare case in most Nigerian University as of late.

As promised, the SU leadership laid down their complaints and demanded for swift action from the University Management. The management of the University on their path, promised to take necessary steps to correct some of the inadequacies pointed out and ensure that students do not have any cause to suffer.

All the issues raised during the meeting could be summed up in the following points:

1. Carrying Capacity Higher Than Available Facilities.

The University of Ilorin has gained more popularity in recent years as the most sought after university in Nigeria. Many thanks to the uninterrupted academic calendar the University has enjoyed over the years.

The last JAMB admission exercise saw UNILORIN recorded over a hundred thousand applicants (indeed, the most sought after varsity). While about fifty thousand of them might merit admission, only a little above 10,000
can be accommodated into the current capacity of the school. The lecture Theatres on ground currently can't accommodate the students using these theatres. Just few weeks ago, a case was recorded of a female student who fainted due to the overpopulation (about 700 students) in LT1 (500 capacity). It took the timely intervention of the medical team at the school clinic to revive the victim. Such cases (of overcrowded classrooms) are countless across faculties. 

While the University management promised that work was already ongoing as to construction of new Lecture Theatres, we will like to reiterate that admission of students should not be beyond the carrying capacity of the school. If more students must be admitted, then more class rooms, lecture halls and Theatres must be built accordingly. A duly matriculated student of the University should not be made to sit on the floor, podium or stairways due to an overcrowded class.

2. Poor Maintenance Culture:

Another complaint raised was the non functionalities of some of the facilities provided in Lecture Theatres, Laboratories as the case may be. Some of these include; Non functioning Air conditioners, Projectors and smart boards, Lack of bulb (in some) LTs, non-functioning Wi-Fi facilities, poor state of public toilets amongst others. These problems were due to the poor maintenance culture of both parties, the Management and students. Students are expected to use these facilities with proper care before and after use.

However, the university authority ought to have a maintenance team that will inspect these facilities from time to time to ensure they're being applied for the right use and report their state of functionalities to the University management. The facilities shouldn't just be installed and left to the mercy of students without being checked. Typical cases are lecture theatres lacking electricity supply (NSLT II), cases of sockets burning and not being replaced in time leading to illegal connection by students, outdated toilet facilities etc.

We urge the University management to not only refurbish/replace these facilities with new ones but also set up an inspection monitoring team that will see to the supervision of how well these facilities are functioning. With this, the school management will have first hand information on the state of the facilities they Install.

3. Bureaucracy

Also known as the 'Red Tape System,' bureaucracy is one of the greatest innovations in public administration. It helps to ensure due process is followed, and checks and balances in a corporate establishment. Having said that, the system has its own good and bad sides.

As revealed during the meeting, one of the challenges bedeviling timetabling for CBT tests and exams is the late response of faculties in notifying the CBT Directorate on clashes of courses in the provisional timetable. Consequently, the CBT Directorate is usually left with no choice but to work with available information at its disposal.

This is just a fraction of other situations that have suffered the snail-like approach of public officers in the Nigerian civil service. The Better by Far is not left out on this.

As against the old order of doing things, an efficient and effective system should be put in place to avoid such hiccups in future. Deans of faculties should report cases of clashes in the timetable, and must do so in good time in order to avoid a situation where students may take three CBT papers in a day.

4. Uncivil Behaviour of Students.

The level of civility of an individual goes a long way to determine the command of respect he'll pull amongst well meaning persons. Such is expected of a student that passes through school and allows the school to pass through him.

However, the behavior of some of our students sometimes put to question if they really understand the "Probitas Doctrina" the school upholds as her motto. The height of uncivil behaviour is largely recorded either at the CBT center or at the park, where population is usually denser than other parts on campus. Courtesy demands that a queuing process be employed once the supply ports for demands are limited. Yet, some students instead of standing in queue prefer to jump queue all in the name of not having luxury of time. Nobody have the time to spare, but it is expected of students to maintain a high level of civility when they find themselves in such climes. It doesn't make you stupid. Instead, it makes you more cultured.

Civility also come with respect of other persons irrespective of their age, race or gender. Cases of verbal abuses have been reported at some quarters on the part of both members of staff and students. It is imperative that both parties be schooled on the necessity of adopting civil conducts wherever they may be. This goes a long way in sustaining peaceful coexistence.

In cases of verbal or physical abuse, Victims should report such cases to the appropriate authorities for proper actions to taken. Both staffs and Students are urged to adopt high level civility while engaging within one another, to sustain the lasting utopia the University community currently enjoy.

5. Poor Communication Gap

Poor communication gap on the part of the University Management has its own fair share of some of the lingering challenges besetting students in particular. For instance, the indignation that greeted the delay of PC tablets December last year was doused by a press release by the Corporate Affairs Unit of the school. That memo gave the rationale behind the delay of the tabs, and indicated a precise date as to when the PC tabs would be in a deliverable state.

Alas, the above press release was made as a sequel to an online protest by most students such that the whole world knew what was happening in the Better by Far varsity. The school management should extend its scope of information dissemination to cover social media, not just the school website. Better still, when it comes to sensitive issues such as those that triggered the move to have a stakeholder's meeting, such meetings should be held regularly, say quarterly as the case may be.

A look at the facial expressions of most student leaders after the meeting, it was obvious that the meeting had produced a win-win outcome even though most expectations were not met. While resolutions were reached on some issues, such could not be said about others like GNS 312, GSE 202 etc.

It is instructive to state at this juncture that the Student Union gave maximum representation of the student populace before the university management. As against the traditional interface between the SU Officials and the University management, other stakeholders took place in the decision making process. Worthy of mention was the SU President spoke fearlessly and diplomatically— an attribute that characterises his persona. Also, the submissions of Mario and Solution, among others were brilliant and straight-to-the-point. Mario deserves a special commendation in this respect.

One can only hope that such meeting will be held regularly. As the saying goes, 'two wrongs can't make things right.' Communication remains the key to understanding challenges which is a step towards resolving conflicts. Conversely, conflict ensues when there's communication breakdown. We need more of such stakeholder's meeting whenever the need arises. For to dismiss the plight of students amounts to sitting on a keg of gunpowder. Maybe this is one of the reasons UNILORIN is said to be Better by Far. We can't argue any less.

This is an editorial of the Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ), University of Ilorin Chapter, Ilorin, Kwara state.

The entire members of the Linguistics Students' Association (LISA) were shocked by the death of their dear colleague, Miss Ajisafe Cathryn, a former 200 level student.

UCJ UNILORIN gathered that the deceased died in her parent's home on Saturday after a brief illness. The tragedy occurred a day after her birthday.

UCJ UNILORIN also gathered that the late Cathryn announced her birthday on the LISA whatsapp group before she kicked the bucket the following day, on the 3rd of June.

"We dropped her inexhaustable wishes while celebrating another added year on earth, not knowing that her sojourn is drawing nigher and her days her numbered,"the LISA official release revealed.

In his lamentation on her death, the LISA President, Mr Baruwa, had this to say: "Initially, I didn't believe when I was told, I believed Kate is dead when I saw her friend's post on Whatsapp."

He also revealed that the Association was trying to request for a lecture-free day from the department on Monday, 5th of June, in honour of the departed soul.

"We will be visiting her home on Monday by 10am to pay our condolences", he said.

Sadulahi Hammed
UCJ, UNILORIN.

Wow!!! See our darling Purity and mother of the Union looking sweet-sixteen tantalizing, Primebaba, Mhiz Khenny, and other student dignitaries at the ongoing Inter-Faculty British Parliamentary System of debate at the university auditorium.

Osuji Chima Francis
UCJ, UNILORIN.

See the faces of the participants and the audience anticipating the very best from the event...

You don't necessary have to be in office before making an impact in the lives of people. You can contribute your own quota in your own little way to put a smile on so many faces. When you do this, it then portrays you as someone who gives without an ulterior motive. Like Mother Theresa of Calcutta once said, 'few of us can do great things. All of us can do small things with great love.' This is the story of Miss Oni Hilda Eyitayo.

Hilda, a final year student of Law, is a typical example of a philanthropist dedicated selflessly to the growth and development of her faculty. This is in spite of the fact that she lost a controversial and keenly contested election for the office of Vice President sometimes last year. It was an election that gravitated mainly to the office of Vice President as against the office of President which is the usual focus of any election. Reverse was the case in this regard.

In that election, the two contestants for the office of Vice President (Hilda and Risqiat) were super-ladies with overwhelming presences that overshadowed the persona of the then presidential aspirant and by extension, the office of President for being a sole candidate. Having lost to her fellow contestant under intriguing circumstances, Hilda was pressurized to file a lawsuit challenging the validity of the election results. No, she resisted the temptation (howbeit plausible) for the overall interest of the Law Students' Society.

In the midst of all this, Hilda maintained her disposition characteristic of her usual charm, style, energy, and collaborative effort. She would be there anytime she's called upon to serve in other capacities. Hilda is indeed an epitome of service to humanity.

UCJ UNILORIN gathered that this rare gem has decided to do more for her constituency by sponsoring an inter-level Moot and Mock competition; the first of its kind in the faculty of Law, University of Ilorin. For the purpose of emphasis, she is solely sponsoring the advocacy-based competition as a token of her contribution to her society. Before casting a shadow of doubt as to her actual intention, it is instructive to note that she is a graduating student who have few weeks left in the school.

On the face of it, her gesture is honourable because there's nothing left for her to contest for. She would have been gone for good by the time the next academic session begins. Therefore, don't be quick to judge her intention as self-seeking or what have you.

The Hilda-sponsored competition has been slated to run from 19th through 22nd June, 2017.  It will feature law students from 100 to 400 levels. 100 level will compete against 200 level on 19th June, while 300 level will take on 400 level on 20th June. The winners of the two sides will compete in the finals scheduled to hold 22nd June, 2017.

What's more? UCJ UNILORIN can confirm that the preliminary rounds of the Moot and Mock Competition will be anchored by Law lecturers, while the finals, (as the norm), will be facilitated by a High Court Judge.

In addition, the overall winner will be given a cash prize and a glass plaque, while the second and third positions will go home with cash prizes and certificate of participation. Other participants will be given certificates of participation as well. We have it on good authority that attendees will be duly refreshed during the finals of the competition.

Hilda, for all intent and purposes, has displayed honesty and charity to serve humanity without any material benefit or reckoning that comes with public office. This is what she is doing right now to uplift her community without being in public office, what about you?

Osuji Chima Francis
UCJ, UNILORIN.

There is a particular short drama regularly featured on Royal Fm, Ilorin, titled, 'No siddon look.' The drama revolves around people's reaction to situations affecting them and how they respond to same. At the end of the drama, listeners are told not to 'siddon look' i.e. don't just sit down and watch that as things affecting you (mostly negative) occur without you doing something to make it better.

Judging by familiar occurrences in the University of Ilorin, this message couldn't be more apt for the various stakeholders of the university, especially the students who seem indifferent to the welfare package being offered. This complacency has led to progressive deterioration in the learning conditions of students, and a review of prevailing events suggest an urgent need for a positive change.

Students of the University are reassured on a daily basis of how the determination to ensuring a conducive environment for study, and the comfortability of all and sundry is unshakeable.  It's testification can be perceived from angles of the campus, though with more sniffs than required. But then, the students voice speak a language far off this kind.

Many a student now attend classes without a proper morning shower as hostel supply of water has become a timely thing. Water is supplied at certain irregular times of the day, leaving lots of students stranded and with no choice other than to "rub and shine" before heading for morning lectures. Although this new ritual is one that occurs once in three days for students with 08:00am lectures, and once in about four to five days for students who attend 10:00am lectures averagely, it has come to become a part if the life the average Unilorin student reside on the university campus lives.

Walkways and tank sides have also become makeshift bathrooms for many as the bathrooms are sometimes too messy to be used. This past week, a staff of one of the blocks at the Abuja female hostel complained bitterly about the mess she was welcomed with in one of the bathrooms on a Wednesday morning. An unknown student had been there the previous night to leave a heap of faeces on the bathroom floor rather than where she was supposed to have done it. This act is on the increase, as most of the toilets are no more hygienic or safe for use due to the fact that there are leakages from the pipes and overflow of water from the latrines available.

Worst still, students complain bitterly amongst themselves but stifle these cries elsewhere around campus for fear of being condemned or referred to the SDC for making derogatory statements against the campus and its facilities. Thus, they lick their wounds quietly and 'siddon look.'

As students react to the inappropriateness by messing up the premises of halls of residence, cleaners also react to the  irritating attitude of the students by leaving bathrooms unwashed for long period of time making things worse for all.

A similar set of events reverberates across the various strata of student welfarism on campus. Nevertheless,  a conducive learning environment is generally observed to be necessary for scholarship, academic excellence, and the overall productivity associated with it. Therefore, it is a primary responsibility of the managements of tertiary institutions to, through relevant units, provide adequate facilities and conductive environment for its staff and students to function optimally.

However, the school seems to be giving cosmetic attention to this responsibility. This situation is due largely to poor oversight activities of the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC), the ineffectiveness of the Student Union's advocacy—partly due to complacency on the part of the students. Meanwhile, the Student Affairs of the university which has the primary objective of "overseeing the day-to-day activities and needs of students..." needs to reassess its attitude to student welfarism.

There is need for the students to advocate for improvement in matters affecting them. Students should not just not 'siddon look' and continue dying in silence. Silence is complicit when you can speak out and bring about a change. The fear of victimization should not overcome the need for a positive advocacy; in this case, for a better learning condition.

Also, the Student Union should expedite more efforts towards ensuring that management sit up to its responsibilities and address them accordingly. Furthermore, the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) should put its mandate of "ensuring continuous improvement in student welfare programs in the universities and identifying areas that require intervention" to perspective.

Overall, there should be a proactive approach to solving the problem of student welfarism on campus. Playing the ostrich won't solve it, neither will the 'siddon look' approach being adopted by students. To all relevant stakeholders, the message is 'no siddon look.'Act, but do so within the confines of the law. Unilorin students are truly Better by Far varsity; their ways and conduct are civil and intellectual in nature.

This is an editorial of the Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ), University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara state.

Every academic session, the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) Unilorin branch stages her annual Jihad Week programme in a bid to sensitize members of the University community on the doctrines of Islam. As against the wide spread misconception about the word "Jihad" which has been wrongly termed as "War", "Licence to kill" or even "Terrorism", the MSSN took it as a responsibility to sensitize members of the public on the correct intent of these misconceptions.

In an interactive session with UCJ Unilorin, chairman of this year's Jihad Week, Mallam Adeleke Nurein reiterated the need for such sensitization programs. In his words, " The unfortunate acts of terrorism across the globe carried out by some Brainwashed Fanatics who claim to be Muslims has left a lot of people to the conclusion that Islam supports these gruesome acts, which some of them term as JIHAD. Unfortunately, the concept of Jihad bothers on the struggle of a Muslim in times of tribulations, tragedy, calamity, war etc. As a matter of importance, the prophet stated that the hardest of Such struggles (Jihad) is that of the Heart. So we can see that the fundamentals have no inclinations towards killing of people, or setting up bombs in central areas" he said.

While unveiling the schedule for events over the period of 10 days, from 10th to 20th of Ramadan (corresponding 5th to 15th June), he said that all logistics have been put in place to ensure a smooth conduct of the program. "Contemporary Scholars will be invited within the said period to  give scholarly insights into some of the topics put fort. This year's Jihad Week is themed: THE MELTING ICE. This summarises how the good legacy of the pious predecessor of Islam seem to be declining and how it could be revived through adherence to the dictates of Allah, in the Qur'an and The Prophet Muhammad, in his Sunnah."  The formal opening of the event will be staged on Sunday, June 11th 2017 at the University Auditorium by 10:00am.

Amongst the topics to be discussed include: REFLECTIONS FROM THE GOLDEN AGE, UTHMAN BN A'AFAAN:A QUINTESSENTIAL LEADER, MORAL DECADENCE AMONG MUSLIMS, AN-NIKKAH: BETWEEN THE PAST AND THE PRESENT amongst others. The Chairman concluded with assurances that all members of the University community, Muslims and non Muslims were welcomed to the week long event.

Muhammad Basheer Ishola
Reporting for,
UCJ Unilorin

The session commenced at exactly, 11:01AM with the second stanza of the National anthem and Unilorin School anthem.

The Agenda of the Session was read by the Deputy Clerk at exactly 11:06AM which was adopted by Sen. Abiodun of Management Sciences and Seconded by Sen. Adeola of clinical Sciences. The reading of the resolutions of the 7th Plenary Session was read by the Deputy Clerk and was adopted by Sen. Moshood Abiola of Environmental Sciences and Seconded by Sen. Abikoye Samson of Faculty of Agriculture Constituency.

The Business of the day goes thus:

1.INCOMING MAIL
The CEC wrote a letter signed by the Financial Secretary stating that the Union needs to officially employ attendants that will be monitoring the affairs of the Kerosene Depot. Also contained in the letter is a proposition that a new bank account be opened to keep proper account of the Kerosene Depot. The President of the Union, Comrade Shobowale Lukman was able to defend the purport of the CEC proposition when Sen. Pappy J inquired as to who has been keeping proper accounting of the Enterprise since Inception. The President cleared all doubts that the Financial Secretary has been in charge with proper day to day recording of the enterprise but the new account needs to be opened to guard against expending on any other union activities/businesses.

2. STANDING COMMITTEES REPORT
Ethics and Disciplinary Committee chaired by the Chief Whip of the House was the first to give its report. The Committee reported that Sen. O. Abdulbaqi of Management Sciences falls short of Rule 14 (A) of the SC standing Rule and also disrupt the peace of the House at the 7th ordinary sitting of the house. Series of Recommendations were made by the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee which were ditched by a voice vote and at exactly 01:46PM Sen. Bakson was instructed by the entire House to give an oral apology to the House and submit an undertaking stating that Article 14 (D) (6) be exploited if such should repeat itself within 72 hours to the Clerk of the House.

Budget Monitoring Committee chaired by Sen. Topsite of Management Sciences also gave her report. The Budget Monitoring Committee highlighted how they have been able to track and monitor how the Union's fund has been expended till date. While giving an account of how the Tickets of the SU Cultural Night event were sold, the Social Secretary of the Union was called to give an account of how the total number of attendees at the events exceeded the number of tickets that were sold. Comrade Peperenpe responded saying “We can’t get it 100%, and we cant get it right.” He further buttressed his claims, saying the opportunity given to faculty presidents and VPs to attend the events for free was bastardized by departmental Presidents and VPs who also claimed they have same right as the faculty executives. He suggested that bouncers be employed next time to ensure proper management of things.

The Senate President also gave the committee a standing order that all refunds must be made into the Union's account on or before 6/6/17 making reference to Article 16 (C) (4) (8) of the Constitution.

The House went on recess at exactly 01:50PM and resumed business at exactly 02:22PM.

3. SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET
Sen. Abioye Samson, refered the whole House to Rule 22 (F) and (A) via a point of order impliying that the Financial Secretary has onced again breached a clause of the Constitution. He further inquired as to why the 5 working days notice of budget notification in copies to all senators wasn’t fuffilled. The Financial Secretary responded saying the criteria wasn’t fulfilled due to the fact that all Union Printers were down not until Wednesday 31st of May, 2017. Sen. Hybee implored the House to take the issue critically as they are representing the interest of individual constituency who do querry any of their decisions. In his words, “Let’s do things right, even if it’s just once.”

Sen. Demilade also querried the Financial Secretary as to why Senators didn’t get copies of the budget between Wednesday and Saturday. Sen. First Lady proposed the budget deliberations be postponed till next sitting and a voice vote didn’t assent to the excuse tendered by the Financial Secretary. At exactly 02:54PM, the Supplementary budget was kicked out of ratification line by a voice vote. The events that followed made Sen. Munirah reteirated that the SC duties is not to only ratify budget as she noticed that all CEC members aside the SU President walked out of the session and the SP ordered that they all come back to the floor of the house, which they all did.

4. GNS312 and GSE202
The SU President sought permission of the SC for a collaborated effort to see to all issues circumventing these two courses. In his words, the University is not ready to go digital and the entire situation as regards these two courses is epileptic. He further stated that the two test must not hold until all necessary things are in place as the unprofessional act of the CBT directorate can’t be condone any more.

The entire House, via a voice vote assented to the motion moved by Sen. Adewale of CIS Constituency that the SU in general should write a letter to the management stating that GNS312 and GSE202 be postponed till all necessary things are put in place.

5. HOSTEL RENOVATION
The SU President also sought permission of the SC for a collaborated effort to see to all issues circumventing all students complaints on the state of school hostels. In his defense, he claimed that two rooms almost got burnt due to electrical wiring, when he said the electrical wires are tired. Senators and Congressmen also reacted giving series of testimonies with all settling for total overhauling and declaring a state of emergence in the school hostels as the congress, CEC and SC unanimously agreed that the building, wires and the entire Hostel facilities are tired but students inhabiting them are not tired of living. To this end, a motion was moved by Sen. Sanni of Arts Constituency which was assented to via a voice vote that the SU in general should write a letter calling for an all-inclusive meeting involving all arms of the SU, CBT Directorates, University Managements and MBO.

Prior to this resolution, Sen. Sanni proposed to the House that the entire 93 SU officials should get prepared for a demonstration (protest) if all of the Union's demands are not met.

6. SUB: AN HABITAT FOR CRIMINALS
The SU President sought permission of the SC for a collaborated effort to see to all issues circumventing the SUB. He claimed that the building has been confirmed to be a hide out for criminals on campus. He further stated that students and non students gamble all in the name of gaming at the building and the building is not a gambling center. To this end, a motion was moved by Sen. Socrates of Education constituency that the building should be closed down, and that opening hour at 8AM to close 10PM. He proposition was assented to by a voice vote.

7. AOB
A private bill sponsored by congressman Akeukanwo of CIS to give room for DE students in contesting for the post of President, VP, Gen Sec and Fin Sec went through second reading but at the Debate stage couldn’t walk into committee deliberation as the bill was kicked out via a voice vote at exactly 06:23PM.

Also, a bill titled Student Practitioner's Act couldn’t scale through first reading on technical grounds.

Sen. Abby vs Com. Eniobanke
Sen. Abby claimed that on the 30th of May, 2017 at around 06:00PM he was performing his constitutional duties being a member of the Transport Committe before he was accosted by Com. Eniobanke who said to him at the school park. He quoted Com eniobanke saying - “What is your Problem Mr. Man, Leave the Park. Call your boss (SP), as even your boss (SP)  cant talk to me in the manner you are”. To this end, a recommendation was made for fair hearing and Com. Eniobanke will be summoned to defend himself on the floor of the House and trial in absentia will be implemented if he fails to acknowledge the invitation of the SC.

The sitting was adjourned at exactly 06:56PM via a motioned from Sen Rahma of Vet. Medicine.

Ibrahim AbdulRasheed,
Akeukanwo Sulaiman,
&
Rufai Monsurah
UCJ,UNILORIN.

All is set for the crucial meeting between officials of UNILORIN Student Union, and the university management to be held tomorrow Monday 5th June, 2017. The meeting is scheduled to commence at 12noon at the Senate Chamber, University of Ilorin.

UCJ UNILORIN gathered that the meeting is being championed by the Student Union, and endorsed by the university management.

The following stakeholders have been confirmed to attend the high powered meeting: the Vice Chancellor, all DVCs, all concerned Directors, all Deans of Faculties, all members of the Student Union Central Executive Council, all members of the SU Senate Council, the SU Judicial Council, all Faculty Presidents, the UCJ President, and the Student Affairs Unit.

Among the issues to be discussed include:
1. Possible postponement of GNS 312 and GSE 202.
2. Renovation/Overhauling of the school hostels.
3. Missing test results of COHS students.
4. Mass failure of last semester.
5. Appropriate CBT Timetable to exclude a situation where students take three tests in a day; among other sundry issues.

Osuji Chima Francis
UCJ, UNILORIN.

Behold, there is a coming revolution in higher consciousness. A revolution driven by intellectualism and nurtured by active youth participation in the decision making process. The call of the revolutionists is to re-awaken the mindset of the youth and raise their level of consciousness almost akin to those that spurred the founding fathers into fighting for Nigeria's independence. The call of the revolutionists is premised on the conviction that Nigerian youths are ready to take their rightful place in the process of nation-building and good governance. This is in consideration of the fact that the youth constitute a whooping 60% of the nation's population.

The need to equip the young generation with the tools of effective leadership has been the preoccupation of youth-driven organisations like Brain Builders International, the YouthHub Africa, etc. Recently, Brain Builders International in conjunction with the YouthHub Africa organised a 'Youth Policy Dialogue' on Friday 2nd June 2017 at the Kwara State Ministry of Youth and Sport Development, Ilorin, Kwara state. The dialogue was aimed at bringing individuals, profit and not-for-profit making organizations, student leaders, youth advocates, and other concerned stakeholders to the round table to discuss youth policies, its direct and indirect effects on the Nigerian youth and the nation at large.

One of the objectives of the dialogue is to lobby policymakers in not only formulating youth-oriented policies but also providing the needed political will to implement and make them work. The dialogue had in attendance relevant stakeholders such as the Commissioner for Youth and Sport Development, Kwara state—Pham. Kale Ayo, CEO Heroes Nation—Mr. Mike Oladipo, renowned Constitutional Lawyer—Dr. Sambo, Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara state Governor on Youth Empowernmet—Mr. Saka Babatunde, CEO Positive Image Consult—Mr. Nadir Abdulqadir, CEO Prime Group—Mr. Tosin Olayanju.

Others include: Mr. Wale Bakare, Miss Bibire Saadat of Saab Foundation, First Female President of Junior Chambers Int'l Kwara State—Mrs. Ibrahim Aishat Akaje, Olaogun Michael Sukanmi of Kids and Teens Resource Center/Success Focus Africa Initiative, current Vice President (Permanent Site) Student Union of the University of Ilorin—Miss Tohira Iromini, Miss Adelodun A. Shukurat of Hope for Girls and Women Foundation, Dammy Sunday Olaniyi of Dac Palm, among others.

In his welcome address, the National Coordinator of Brain Builders Int'l, Mr. Olasupo Abideen Opeyemi, did not mince words in disclosing the agenda of the dialogue. In his words, 'For those who wonder why we are gathered here, I shall answer simply by saying: it is because we do not only desire a nation that cares about its youth, we also want a population of youths who care about their nation.'

He went further to charge participants (composed largely of youths) to contribute actively to the discussion in order to achieve what he tagged growth and development. 'The power of discourses like this cannot be overemphasized. It is my belief that the discussions today will be a precursor to interesting events and groundbreaking actions. So let us take on the transit bus of responsibility together by contributing maximally at every junction of this programme, so that at the end of the day, we may all arrive safely at the bus stop of growth and development,' he said.

The moderator and CEO of Heroes Nation, Mike Oladipo, also reiterated the ideals of the dialogue during his remark. At exactly 11:08am, participants were split into five groups with each group required to brainstorm over specific questions of national significance as contained in the tool kit provided by the organisers. The goal of forming these focused groups is to ensure active engagement of participants and generating homegrown solutions in the end. In return,  intelligent answers are expected to be given to the questions assigned to each group, and reactions to be made by the special guests.

The Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Sport Development, Pham. Kale Ayo, admonished participants to generate practical solutions to the challenges facing Nigerian youths. In the same vein, he sought to know if the participants were ready to key into the change mantra of the Federal Government. He rounded off his remark by suggesting that the organisers of the dialogue should embark on a national tour in order to get a holistic endorsement by the youth and that the result of such findings should be presented to the Presidency.

The brainstorming sessions were intellectually stimulating, and the resolutions reached by each focused group were deeply thought out and pragmatic in nature. The first to react to the presentations was the SSA to the Kwara state Governor on Youth Empowerment, Mr Saka Babatunde. He advised the youths to change their orientation with a focus on the second stanza of the national anthem. He was of the opinion that the youth remain the greatest asset of a nation. In his words, 'Youth continues to be the greatest asset for a nation's development.' He however upheld the view that the youth cannot be entrusted with the leadership of the country due largely to their lack of experience.

Reacting to this, a renowned Constitutional lawyer and lecturer of Law at the University of Ilorin, Dr. Sambo, differed a bit from the submission made by the SSA to the Governor on Youth Empowerment to the effect that youths are inexperienced to be entrusted with leadership positions. Dr. Sambo was of the view that such comment may not be valid as it was yet to be supported by research. He went further to state that policies fail because they are not hinged on research. In his words, 'the main reason why policies fail is because they are not research-oriented.'

The university don also pointed out the absence of provision for a youth objective under Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution and suggested ways it could be incorporated and made justiciable if the government fails to deliver on its campaign promises for the youths.

In a related development, the CEO of Positive Image Consult, Mr. Nasir AbdulQadir, gave a reverberating speech that sent chills down the spine of the participants. He gave a general admonishment to the youths to be alive to the current realities in the political landscape and take a positive steps in realising their dreams.

In his remark, the representative of the Honourable Commissioner for Youth Kwara state charged the youths to demand for quality education as against quantitative education. He also charged the youths to be alive to their responsibility by constantly putting the government on its feet to implement youth policies that would engender growth and development of the youths in the nation.

In his closing remark, the co-convener of the dialogue and CEO of Brain Builders Int'l, Mr. Olasupo Abideen Opeyemi, added his voice to the discourse of inexperience of the youth in leadership and governance. 'Experience cannot be bought at the market, it's gotten on field," he said.

He went further to state that if youths are entrusted with leadership position it will not only improve the economy and technology but also place on equal pedestals among the comity of states who uphold democratic values. Issues such as funding and godfatherism were also in the front burner.

Mr. Olasupo thanked all and sundry for making the dialogue successful and result-oriented. He assured participants that such discussions will be held at regular intervals in order to intensify efforts in the campaign for youth inclusion in government.

At this juncture, Miss Nurah of Brain Builders Int'l delivered the vote of thanks. The event ended at exactly 12:45pm with a group photo of the guests and the participants.

Osuji Chima Francis
UCJ, UNILORIN.