THE NATION THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2014
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CAMPUS LIFE
How to fight insurgency, by don •KWASU graduates 349
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O counter the Boko Haram insurgency, former Nigerian permanent representative to the United Nations, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, has counseled the Federal Government to invest in the development of impoverished people and their communities. Speaking at the second convocation of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete at the weekend, Gambari said military action is not enough to address the problem and warned that the insurgency is threatening Nigeria’s stability. He recalled that he had made some remarks on the state of the nation 15 years ago that are still relevant to resolve the crisis today. Then, he said he had advised that
From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin
the government should provide the most basic needs for it citizens, invest in human capital, provide infrastructure that would allow the citizens to realise their potential and evolve social safety nets that take adequate care of the downtrodden and those who fall into bad times. “A house divided against itself cannot stand. Political tolerance, religious tolerance and strict adherence to the secular nature of the Nigerian state and respect for the diversity of our nation are the pre-requisite for a republic that is at peace with itself and consolidates its unity,” he said. He also recommended collective national response to the insurgency in the northeast, which he described as a national emergency. “We must regard the insurgency in the Northeast as a national emergency demanding a collective national
response which is comprehensive, carefully calibrated and sustained. In my view, it would be a great mistake to regard the Boko Haram insurgency as a problem of the Northeast of our country. Let us be clear: the Nigerian state is under serious and unprecedented attack,” he said. Three hundred and forty-nine graduands of the institution bagged first degrees in various disciplines. Gambari, who is the Chancellor of the university, congratulated the graduands for having the courage, perseverance and resoluteness to complete their programes. He charged them to “prove to be worthy ambassadors” of their alma mater. In his speech, the Kwara State Governor and Visitor to the university, Abdulfatah Ahmed, praised the institution for the progress it has made in its five years of existence, and restated commitment of his administration to
continue to develop the school. Ahmed who was represented by his deputy, Peter Kishira, charged the graduands to brace up for the challenges of life after school. He also congratulated their parents for investing in their future. Earlier, KWASU’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, urged the graduands to make use of the entrepreneurial training they received in the school to become selfemployed instead of seeking for jobs. He said: “This is the time to be creative and innovative just as you have been trained in KWASU to be employers of labour rather than job seekers. These days, no one sympathises with a graduate who cannot be of use to the society. “You have no business roaming the streets (I will repeat this); and it will be a dishonour to your university if you are found not using your entrepreneurship skills to create wealth for yourself and your community whenever you do not take employment from government and industry. You are your own industry.”
Creative entries impress judges •100 battle for enterprise trophy
DVC counsels SU leaders THE Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, Prof. Rotimi Ajayi, has advised the Institution's newlyelected Students' Union leaders to dialogue with management on all issues at all times and provide responsible leadership. Ajayi gave the counsel at the opening of a two-day leadership retreat, entitled: Leadership and Responsible Unionism, organised by the university at the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration, NIEPA, Ondo. The DVC, who declared the annual retreat open, said, "You need to imbibe the culture of dialogue with the administration. There will be issues from time to time but these issues are to be tabled before the university administration for discussion. I appeal to you to pursue the path of responsibility, responsiveness, decency and good governance." Ajayi said the university has witnessed five consecutive sessions of unbroken academic calendar, and urged the new leaders not to disrupt the flow by treading the path of their predecessors who maintained the peace and tranquility during their tenures.
Community hails corps members
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HE quality of entries submitted for the Enterprise Challenge, an initiative of the British Council and Virgin Atlantic Airways has impressed the panel of judges. Mrs Adetomi Soyinka, British Council Regional Manager, Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) said the judges were wowed by the creativity of business ideas that young people aged between 18 and 35 entered for the competition. The competition tasks participants to showcase ideas they have initiated in the past, doing presently or plan for the future that would create opportunities for themselves and others in three stages within a five week period. Speaking at a press conference along with Brian Wilson, Director of Education, British Council, and Rachel Coffey, Commercial Manager, Virgin Atlantic last Thursday,
AAUA FILE
• From left: Mrs Soyinka, Wilson and Coffey at the event. By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie
Mrs Soyinka said the panel had a hard time deciding the 100 entries that have made it to the third stage of the online competition. "It was very difficult actually cutting it down to 100 because we got close to 2,000 entries. Normally when we run competitions like this, we do not receive that number of
entries, and they are not usually very good. I was humbled by the scale of the ideas and the proposition that people put forward or what people are actually doing. We are not easily impressed. The 100 were pretty good," she said. Mrs Soyinka added that majority of the 2,000 entries received for the competition, open to young people resident in Nigeria or the United Kingdom came locally. Underscoring the importance of the competition, Wilson said the initiative would help prepare the youth, who will take over the business arena tomorrow, to be innovative and entrepreneurial. "Nigeria's demographics are changing. It is one of the few countries in the world that will have many young people of employable age. These young people will need jobs and opportunities. We want to identify young people who will create opportunities for others," he said. Also speaking, Rachel Coffey said it is important to provide the youth with relevant education and skills they may not necessarily get in the classroom, courtesy of the competition. She added that meeting Branson would be a good way to learn some of those skills.
"We have a famous entrepreneur at the head of our brand. As well as entrepreneurship is in our DNA, it is in the DNA of Nigerians as well. Richard Branson has endorsed this challenge. This whole competition is about development - giving people the opportunity to go ahead and develop their own businesses," he said. To be among the 10 that will face Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin Atlantic Airways, top executives from Zenith Bank and others with their creative solutions in the final, the contestants have to shoot a video in which they talk convincingly about their ideas. The winners, one from Nigeria, and the other, a Nigerian studying or working in the UK, will win flight tickets to the United Kingdom, in addition to sharing a N6 million business grant courtesy of Zeinth Bank. They will also be mentored by experts who would teach them about running a business successfully and advise/monitor how they use the prize money. Apart from the winners, the finalists will benefit from mentoring sessions to help breathe life into their ideas.
India woos Nigerian students
E • Agatha Udo, a graduate of International Law and Diplomacy with her parents, Mr and Mrs Silas Okezu when she graduated from Babcock University
DUSOFT Associates limited is partnering with some Indian universities to hold a two-day exhibition next week. Mr Badri Prasad, director of operations, Edu soft Associates Limited, said the event scheduled for June 18 and 19 at the Nikoms Event Centre, Yaba, Lagos, will provide an opportunity for Nigerian students seeking admission into Indian universities for the 2014/2015 academic session to interact with representatives of
the institutions. He said those who merit it may also get partial or full scholarship. This year alone, the firm has facilitated admissions for 400 Nigerians currently studying courses like engineering, medicine and animation among others in India. He said Indian universities have gained global recognition for training in innovative technology which make their graduates to be sought after.
THE Etioro Community of Akoko South/West of Ondo State, has praised a corps member serving at AAUA, Mr. Godwin Afiene, for investing in the community. Afiene, a 2013 Batch 'B' Corps Member organised skills acquisition programme on carpentry (PVC Ceiling fixing) for youths in the community, distributed some domestic materials to widows, donated two First-Aid boxes to and gave exercise books to some indigent pupils. Speaking at the programme, the community head, Chief P. A. Adewumi, said Afiene stands out among other corps members. He particularly lauded the skills acquisition programme, which he said has encouraged the youth and added value to their lives. "Many corps members have served in this community. But this is the first time a corps member has done these remarkable things. Afiene has impacted our community positively. We are happy and we appreciate you," he said.
Don gets award A DON in the Department of Philosophy, Dr Lucky-Dada Itanrin, has been appointed Fellow Award of the Institute of Corporate Administration of Nigeria. Presentation of the Award plaque and certificate was done at the 2014 Kick-off Summit of the Institute on Saturday, May 24, 2014 in the Bouquet Hall of Owena Motel Limited, Akure, Ondo State. ICA is an amalgam of all professional administrators who occupy supervisory, managerial or leadership positions across public and private sectors. In a statement, the Acting Council Chairman of ICA, Dr. G. C. Onyekwere, FCIA, said Itanrin was conferred with the fellowing “having satisfied the requirements for admission to membership and in recognition of competence in administrative, leadership strategies and outstanding performance as an administrator.” Itanrin expressed joy for the award and thanked the AAUA management for providing a conducive platform for him to work.