THE NATION THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012
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CAMPUS LIFE Prodded by the Junior Chambers International(JCI), many students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, gathered to donate blood. UCHE ANICHEBE (400-Level Law) was there.
Their brothers’ keepers “S
ERVICE to humanity is the last hope of man” goes the creed of the Junior Chambers International (JCI), a student association. Two weeks ago, the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, chapter literally breathed life to the creed, following a five-day blood donation exercise it organised. This was in collaboration with the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), Souteast zone. Several uniformed medical practitioners from the NBTS attended to the donors under canopies erected at the Garuba Square, an open area on campus, while others attended to students who came to take advantage of the free medical checkup offered by the medical crew. CAMPUS LIFE spoke with Hezekiah Okoro-eze, President of the JCI. He was excited over the smooth conduct of the exercise. He said: “Since inception in UNIZIK, JCI has been committed to empowering and developing young people in the society. This blood donation exercise is one of the several programmes that we engage
in. Others include regular visits to orphanages and prisons, with relief materials for the inmates, so they will know there are people who still remember and care for them.” He added that the pints of blood that would be collected would be distributed free to persons who need them, in hospitals”. In a chat, the programme officer, Mr Patrick Mbanefo, told our correspondent that the medical crew came all the way from Owerri, Imo State, on the invitation of the JCI and that every prospective donor is allowed to donate just one pint of blood. According to him, each donor is first given the donor form and then, subjected to some tests. Such tests include body weight, pulse rate, and body pressure, and that actual donation of blood suggests that the donor had passed all the tests. While emphasising the need for all eligible persons to donate blood, he drew the attention of CAMPUSLIFE to the fact that there was a dearth of voluntary blood donation culture in Nigeria. He said: “In the Western world, people walk casually into blood donation
•Some of the students donating blood in the programme
centres and donate the excess blood in their bodies. But here in Nigeria, if you ask a person to donate blood, he or she would immediately ask you for money. We do not have the culture of blood donation in Nigeria. As a result of this anomaly, we, at the National Blood Transfusion Service, try our best to sensitise people. We often educate them and re-orientate them on the need to save life and serve humanity by donating blood, so that people who are in dire need of it
can access it.” Mbanefo went further to disclose that the blood would be screened and given to pilot hospitals, which would then distribute it to hospitals in their localities. He expressed pleasure with the turnout of students. As at the time he spoke to our correspondent, he revealed that they had received 220 pints of blood, an indication that 220 students had donated. CAMPUSLIFE spoke with some of the donors.
Nnaemeka Osuji, a student of Law said: “I am doing this with pleasure because I believe that I owe this service to humanity. I have read books where patients meet their early death owing to lack of blood in hospitals. This is my own way of trying to save a life. In fact, JCI should be praised for this initiative. I just hope that the pints of blood would not be commercialised, for if that becomes the case, the essence of this laudable exercise would be lost.”
Faculty boils over embezzlement
Students, politicians, honeymoon over
•Staff Adviser denies involvement
•Continued from page 29
From Emmanuel Ahanonu UNICAL
politician in your phone, they tend to fall for you. You are believed to have got ‘the connection’, you know”. A common event during those heady campaign days was “cultural days”, organised by parapo groups. Usually, students from the same locality would form a group and invite “illustrious sons and daughters” – usually politicians contesting elections - from their town to grace the occasion. The politicians always fell for these events; but once elections are over, they are no where to be found. In FUTO last year, two female student-groups clashed after a heated political debate they jointly hosted. They held the debate in support of their candidates who were gunning for the Owerri Senatorial District seat. One group led by Chioma Iwuanyanwu, in 300-Level Industrial Microbiology, supported the incumbent and eventual winner, Senator Chris Anyanwu (APGA). The other led by Ngozi Ekeh, in 300-Level Industrial Physics, threw its weight behind Mrs. Kema Chikwe (PDP), a former Aviation Minister. The duo were not there but many believed they sent “good” money to the girls. During the debate, Chioma brought out a postcard from her purse, which contained some of the achievements and ongoing projects of her candidate. These, she grouped into legislative achievements (bills and motions) and non-legislative achievements. Under legislative, she listed some bills and a motion urging the Federal Government to intervene and save Owerri Airport from collapse. She spoke so convincingly that the over 500 students in attendance began to prod
ALL seems not to be well in the faculty of Social Science Students Association (SOSSA), which comprises eight departments. For more than a year now, the Edmond Ebriled executive has been embroiled in controversy over misappropriation of funds. CAMPUSLIFE gathered that hardly had he settle down for business than series of petitions started flying. The matter came to head when Edmond, alongside the Treasurer, Financial Secretary and Director of Information, was summoned by the faculty parliament to clarify some issues bordering on finances. CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the sergeant at Arm suddenly disappeared with the mace, thus rendering the faculty legislative sitting powerless. It was learnt that the Dean of the faculty, Prof A. Anyia, summoned Edmond and the Staff Adviser of the association, Dr T. A. Ojua, over the petition written by Joseph Nyiam, a student, against the president. The petition has among others charges alleged financial misappropriation, horrible increase of the faculty due, nonchalant attitude of the president in response to duties, as well as misrepresenting the faculty in dubious, against the president. Prof Anyia was said to have adjourned the meeting when a consensus could not be reached. He was quoted as saying: “I suspend further withdrawal of money from the association account by the president and others pending the time this issue is completely resolved. But I will advise that students still keep on paying their dues pending when a new government is put in place. I will personally interrogate and resolve this matter myself.”
•Campaign train involving students in Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri last year
‘The icing is that when girls see you having a phone number of politician in your phone, they tend to fall for you. You are believed to have got ‘the connection’, you know’ her on with Carry go!, You don win! Soon, it was Ngozi’s turn to sell her own candidate. But students, being who they are, did not stop applauding Chioma. When she insisted on being heard, the students took offence and began to leave one after the other. Enraged, Ngozi lost her cool and started to “rain” abuses on Chioma, who gave tit-for-tat. A fight almost ensued but for some students who separated them. Later, Senator Anyanwu came to FUTO on the invitation of Mbaise students. For some reasons, some members of the Student Union Government (SUG) and Man O’ War would not allow her to enter the campus because, according to them, she did not “inform” the union that she was coming. Her hosts, the Mbaise stu-
dents, and others, who felt enraged at the treatment given the senator, went to bring her in “directly”. The woman’s motherly intervention was said to have saved the day from becoming violent. A source, who did not want to be named, said Senator Anyanwu was stopped because “FUTO was a PDP zone as the wife of the then Vice-Chancellor was the party’s deputy governorship candidate”. Each time there was a rally at the Dan Anyiam place, Owerri, parties mobilised students to flood the place. The SUGs of the many higher institutions within and around Owerri made this possible. Some politicians normally demanded the number of students they wanted from each school, and
the “mobilisers” would name their price. Students also enjoyed good times during Independence Day, Democracy Day, political rallies and other campaigns where the government required a crowd. Usually, each student gets about N500 after each event. Though some complain about the “paltry” sum, they still show up the next event. Emeka Chukwu, in 200-Level, said students refused to vote for Ohakim because “he gives only N500 per student after making us to stand in the sun for hours.” Some students voted based on the money given to them; others collected the money no matter the amount from every politician and still voted for candidates of their choice. Elections have come and gone. Students are complaining that “the politicians who won have forgotten us so soon; this is the time we need their love and care”. What remains to be seen, is whether these students would not do the same thing during the next general elections.