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THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2012
CAMPUS LIFE
Student group rejects subsidy removal •Calls NANS to order
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EFENCE for Students Right Initiative Concern (DSRIC), a student group, has berated some faceless National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) officials for supporting the government action over the removal of fuel subsidy and deregulation of the downstream sector. The group also called on the legislative arm of NANS and all Joint Campus Committee axes of the association to reject the opinion of certain executive members. The group stated this during a rally at Oyin Ekiti, in Ekiti State, to sensitise students on the need to reject government action on subsidy removal, saying the action was to further impoverish their parents. The president of the group, Adebayo Adekunle, said Nigeria’s political elite is selfish and mindless. Adebayo, who spoke in Yoruba, urged students to come together and speak in unity. The General Secretary of the group, Opeyemi Akomolafe, said President Goodluck Jonathan has shown Nigeria that he is a betrayer. “Why did he not tell us he would remove subsidy during his campaign?” Opeyemi asked. He enjoined the students not to give up the struggle to revert the
‘NANS does not support subsidy removal’ •Says FG bent on destroying body
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•Students lameting after the demonstration From ‘Tosin Ajuwon EKITI
price of litre of petrol back to N65. Some of the students at the rally told CAMPUSLIFE that the Federal Government wanted life to be dif-
ficult for their parents. They said the government should concentrate on pro-masses policy that can bring good economic order and employment opportunities.
HE executive arm of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has absolved the body from the purported endorsement of fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government. According to the statement issued by the NANS President, Dauda Mohammed, and made available to CAMPUSLIFE, the body said the purported president of NANS, who endorsed the subsidy withdrawal, Adakole Ochai, is not a member of the body. It reads: “The attention of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has been brought to the purported endorsement of the Federal Government’s removal of fuel subsidy by one Mr Adakole Ochai who impersonated and called himself the President of the NANS.” “It should be recalled that the President of NANS, Dauda Mohammed, had on December 12, 2011 alongside other executives of NANS, met President Goodluck Jonathan to discuss issues of subsidy removal in a meeting facilitated by his Political Adviser, Mr Ahmed Gulak. Having pledged to us that the government will further its consultation
College set to improve standard HE Nigerian Television Authority Television College (NTA TV College), Jos, Plateau State has constituted three committees to look into how to improve the institution’s academic standards in the new 2011/2012 academic session. The committees are examination malpractice, project defence and editorial board of the academic journals. While inaugurating the committees, the Rector of the institution, Dr Ayo Fasan, said the motive was to improve the standard of the college in academics and morality. He disclosed that the college has acquired modern and professional equipments to improve practical training exercises for the students, charging mem-
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•Prof Oyebode (right) with the new VC of Ekiti State University, during the inaugural lecture last December
‘Fed Govt must encourage informed inputs’
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ENOWNED Law lecturer, Prof Akin Oyebode, who doubles as the head, International Law and Jurisprudence department, University of Lagos (UNILAG), has advised the Federal Government to pay more attention to the nation’s involvement in international matters. Prof Oyebode made this known during his inaugural lecture held in December at the main auditorium of of UNILAG. The former Vice-Chancellor of University of Ado Ekiti (now Ekiti State University) said efforts must be made to encourage informed inputs from academics and experts on international law and related fields, in order to spare the nation of a repetition of its ugly experiences in international issues. Prof. According to Oyebode, nominees for appointment to important international positions of bodies such as the International Law Commission (ILC), International Court of Justice (ICJ), In-
From Ayodeji Adesina UNILAG
ternational Criminal Court (ICC), African Court of Justice and Human Rights and the Community Court of ECOWAS should be drawn from experts in international law as against the current practice of political patronage. He said there is an urgent need for “collation and regular publication of Nigeria’s treaties” in force as is being done in better organised countries with a view to equip legal practitioners and the general public with requisite information concerning Nigeria’s treaty obligations. The don also cited the Nigeria’s rising profile in the world and the leading role of the country in Africa and beyond, saying it was time to consider making international law a compulsory course in the curriculum of Law faculties in all Nigerian universities. “This would not only ensure a
broader horizon of lawyers produced from this university of first choice and the nation’s pride, it would go a long way in putting our graduates at a better pedestal and help enhance the quality of legal expertise that would be available to drive the making and execution of the nation’s policies in its foray into the global scene,” Oyebode said. Ekiti State, Governor Kayode Fayemi, who was at the event, described the lecturer as a legal colossus. He said Prof Oyebode deserved whatever honour students and staff bestowed on him. “I know him as a radical and robust scholar,” Fayemi noted. Adding that Oyebode has served his university, state and nation creditably well, saying the Law teacher saw the law as a tool for social change. The Secretary of Law Students Society (LSS), UNILAG, Segun Ojienoh, a 400-Level student, described Prof Oyebode as a phenomenon in Nigerian Law firmament.
Students re-launch newspaper
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TUDENTS of the department of Mass Communication at Benson Idahosa Universityhave released a publication of the department. The magazine, which is titled Biu Herald, was released after six years of previous edition. The newspaper was published by 300-Level students of 2010/2011 who are in their final year. The publication is a practical knowledge of the course titled Newspaper Writing and Production (MAC 326) which was to be
From Wale Ajetunmobi LAGOS
till April 2012, we were surprised to hear the government announced the subsidy removal to the shock of Nigerians on January 1, 2012. So, there was no way NANS would have supported the removal of the subsidy. We, therefore, claim that Ochai is not a member of the body and would not have been the president of the students in Nigeria.” Dauda said Gulak has been mounting undue pressure on the body to support subsidy withdrawal. “But when it was clear to him (Gulak) that the students were not ready to yield, the Federal Government planted a mole in NANS and courted an amorphous group headed by Ochai to destabilise the NANS,” Dauda said, warning the Presidency not cause disunity in the group. “We see the latest move by the government as a desperate attempt to railroad the student body into supporting the fuel subsidy removal despite our initial position that government must broaden its consultation and put in place necessary requirements before embarking on deregulation. We hereby restate to the general public that NANS has not at any moment endorsed the unpopular removal of fuel subsidy and shall join Nigerians in resisting it to the last day.” From Musliudeen Adebayo TV COLLEGE
bers of the committees to be committed to their assignment for the benefit of the students. The Rector decried the incidents of examination malpractices in the last examination the school held and urged students to take advantage of the institution’s academic journal to contribute articles that will improve their writing skills. He also used the medium to announce that students will be subjected to thorough defence of their projects to meet the accepted standards of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria to which the college is affiliated. The Dean of students and chairman, editorial board of academic journal, Mr Aleichenu Odumu, who spoke on behalf of other members of the committees, said all the committees will work to justify the confidence repose in them. From Gilbert Alasa BENSON IDAHOSA
out during convocation initially slated for July, 2011 but was postponed till December 2011. The publication was released during the convocation ceremony. CAMPUSLIFE correspondent, Joyce Marcus, is the editor while the editorial adviser is Mr Ekeli Emmanuel, the acting head of department of Mass Communication. Joyce Marcus told CAMPUSLIFE that the publication was welcomed by staff and students including principal officers of the institution as the front page covered the convocation ceremony and honorary degree given to Governor Adams Oshiomole, Gen. Godwin Abbe (Rtd) and Mrs Stella Okoli.