5 Nigerian universities qualify for Zain Africa Season IV

BY TOPE TEMPLER OLAIYA
FIVE Nigerian universities have qualified to represent the country at the Zain Africa Challenge— the continent’s television quiz show involving 32 universities.
The institutions that qualified for Season IV of the quiz competition include the defending champions, University of Ibadan (UI); University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN); University of Abuja; University of Maiduguri and University of Jos (UNIJOS). The five schools will compete against 27 others from across Africa. The event is scheduled to hold in Kampala, Uganda, later in the year.
The schools emerged tops after a highly competitive National Qualifying Tournament (NQT) held at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja, on January 6, involving 16 universities across Nigeria.
The National Universities Commission (NUC) selected the 16 universities, which participated in the NQT. They included Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Bowen University; Federal University of Technology, Owerri and Katsina State University (now Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina).
Others were Niger Delta University; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife; University of Abuja; Ambrose Ali University; University of Calabar; University of Jos; University of Maiduguri; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; Federal University of Technology, Akure; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; University of Lagos, Akoka and University of Ibadan.
Speaking at the NQT, Emeka Oparah, Zain’s Head of Public Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility said the competition is a tangible expression of company’s philosophy of “a wonderful world”, which underlines its relationship with its customers.
Oparah added that it was a special experience that Nigeria, in its first participation in the tournament last year, brought home the winners’ trophy, adding that the country’s representatives this year has all it takes to win the trophy back-to-back.





UI graduates resume Law School in April
By Kayode Bello
Following the intervention of the Faculty of Law and the authorities of the University of Ibadan, the Law graduates, who previously had their hopes dashed over resumption at the Law School in November last year, will now resume in April.
The Sub-dean of the faculty, Mr. Sunday Fagbemi, told Life Campus that a letter had been sent to the Registrar of the institution, Mrs. Ikotun Omotayo, stating that the Council of Legal Education has accepted to admit the Law graduates in the institution on April 10, 2010.
Prior to the letter by the Council of Legal Education, the Dean of the faculty, Prof. Yemisi Bamgbose, had expressed optimism that the students would be mobilized for Law School to prevent a huge backlog of graduates.
In a related development, graduates of the institution still awaiting mobilization call-up from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) directorate were seen checking their call-up




Corps members commit gifts to community service
By FISAYO SOYOMBO
Citizens cannot completely saddle government with the challenge of solving the various problems confronting education.
This belief was the motivation behind the decision of some members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), under the aegis of Integrated Rural Development (IRD), to donate gift items to students and staff of Gaskiya Secondary School, Ijora at a brief ceremony in the premises of the school last week. The school received ten white marker boards while 50 students – selected based on outstanding academic performance – received packages containing notebooks, pencils and pens.
Speaking at the event, President of IRD, Adeniyi Adejobi, said “We decided to come to Gaskiya, in the heart of Ajegunle, which is a remote area. We know that schools in cities have almost all the basic things. You would not believe that in this age, Gaskiya still uses blackboards. We know that by presenting these items, the students would be motivated to study harder and members of staff too would be encouraged to work better; because despite all the problems of education, they would be getting the impression that help is not far away,” he explained.
Principal of the school, Mrs. Nworgu, commended the IRD members; saying with the gesture, these secondary students would begin to appreciate the essence of NYSC and would also aspire to be corps members someday. She also noted that the students would begin to realize that dedication to excellence doesn’t go unnoticed and unrewarded. She therefore opposed calls from some quarters, calling for the scrapping of the NYSC due to crises, which have in the past, claimed lives of innocent youths. “No. I don’t agree. Death will always occur, NYSC or no NYSC. I do not think it is a reason to scrap NYSC,” she pleaded.





Conspiracy against Students’ Union in UI?
BY ABRAHAM OLADIPUPO
THE legal feud between Mr. Akeem Lawal (aka Aluta) and the University of Ibadan, leading to the suspension of elections and other activities of the Students’ Union in the school for a decade, came up for hearing at the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, on Monday, January 18, with the two parties absent in court.
The Students’ Union Transition Committee had traveled from Ibadan to Abeokuta, with the hope that the day’s hearing would mark the end of the legal tussle, thereby, leading to reinstating the union, but to their surprise, the lawyers representing both parties in the case were not in court.
Suspecting foul play, the students called Mr. Lawal, who said the judge presiding over the case had been transferred to Lagos. When prodded further, he claimed he was in the court premises the week earlier to receive a notice that he had been invited to court, when he discovered that the judge had been transferred. He, however, referred the students to the university’s legal representative for further information.
However, the said judge was on seat at the Abeokuta court and all staff were surprised of the rumour of the judge having been transferred.
Suspecting a conspiracy between the management and Aluta, the students called the institution’s lawyer, but his number was not available, even as at press time.
The dejected students returned to Ibadan wondering why parties to the case failed to show up in court.
The questions then are: Is this an attempt to put SUG in UI on hold? Why did the lawyers fail to show up in court? Why were the students advised to face their studies and forget about the court case? Why did the school authorities stop releasing information about the progress of the court case? Why is Akeem Lawal still pushing the case after 10 years? These questions are begging for answers.

ucjpublicrelationsofficer@gmail.com