Predegree: First Contact Test Results Released!

The results of the first contact test of the Obafemi Awolowo University predegree students have been released. You can check yours now as it has been pasted on the notice board within the campus. A student with subjects combination Biology/Chemistry/Physics(BCP) got the highest mark scoring 29.8 out of 30.

Wishing you goodluck friends!

Important Qualities A True Leader Should Posses

How often have you heard the comment, "He or she is a born leader"? There are certain characteristics found in some people that seem to naturally put them in a position where they are looked up to as a leader.

Whether in fact a person is born a leader or develops skills and abilities to become a leader is open for debate. There are some clear characteristics that are found in good leader. These qualities can be developed or may be naturally part of their personality. Let us explore some of them.

1. A good leader has an exemplary character. It is of utmost importance that a leader is trustworthy to lead others. A leader needs to be trusted and be known to live their life with honestly and integrity. A good leader "walks the talk" and in doing so earns the right to have responsibility for others. True authority is born from respect for the good character and trustworthiness of the person who leads.

2. A good leader is enthusiastic about his or her work or cause and also about his or her role as a leader. People will respond more openly to a person of passion and dedication. Leaders need to be able to be a source of inspiration, and be a motivator towards the required action or cause. Although the responsibilities and roles of a leader may be different, the leader needs to be seen to be part of the team working towards the goal. Such leader will not be afraid to roll up his or her sleeves and get dirty.

3. A good leader is confident. In order to lead and set directions, a leader needs to appear confident as a person and in the leadership role. Such a person inspires confidence in others and draws out the trust and best effort of the team to complete the task well. A leader who conveys confidence towards the proposed objective inspires the best effort from team members.

4. A leader also needs to function in an orderly and purposeful manner in situations of uncertainty. People look to the leader during times of uncertainty and unfamiliarity and find reassurance and security when the leader portrays confidence and a positive demeanor.

5. Good leaders are tolerant of ambiguity and remain calm, composed and steadfast to the main purpose. Storms, emotions, and crisis come and go and a good leader takes these as part of the journey and keeps a cool head.

6. A good leader as well keeps the main goal in focus and is able to think analytically. Not only does a good leader view a situation as a whole, but is able to break it down into sub parts for closer inspection. Breaking the goals down to manageable steps and making progress towards them is also non-negotiable for a good leader.

7. A good leader is committed to excellence. Second best does not lead to success. A good leader does not only maintain high standards, but also is proactive in raising the bar in order to achieve excellence in all ramifications.

8. A good leader should be creative. Some decisions will not always be so­ called. You may be forced at times to deviate from your set course and make certain bends to get something done asap in an unusual way. This is where your creativity will prove to be vital. As a leader you must learn to think outside the box and to choose which of two bad choices which is the best option. You do not immediately choose the easiest possibility; sometimes its best to give these options a deep thought and even turn to your team for guidance.

9. Ability to inspire: Greating a business often involves a bit of forecasting .Especially in the beginning stages of a start up, inspiring your team to see the vision of the success to come is vital. Make your team feel invested in the accomplishment of the organization. Being able to inspire your team is great for focusing on the future goal. It is your job to keep the spirits up and that begins with an appreciation for the hardwork.

10. A good leader should be committed and disciplined: If you expect your team to work hard and produce quality content, you will need to lead by example. By proving your commitment to the role and your activities, you will not only earn respect from your team members, but will also instill the same hardworking virtue into your members. If you pledge to do a particular thing for people, let your yes be yes and let your no be no. You want to create a reputation for not just working hard but also as a fair leader.

Nigerian Universities Divided Over The Cancellation Of ‘Pass’ Grade

The directive by the National Universities Commission (NUC) cancelling the award of ‘Pass’ grade in the na­tion’s universities is causing dis­quiet in the Ivory Towers. The order, which was reportedly issued last year, came to the front burner at the 2014/2015 matriculation ceremony of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, when the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, informed the fresh students about the develop­ment.

Zuru urged the students to em­brace the new E-grading system in the university and work hard to earn a good grade. He pointed out that with the new grading system, the pass mark for courses in the univer­sities will now be 45 percent, that is, the D-grade, instead of the previous 40 percent, which was E-grade. In the new order, the minimum class of degree that students can earn will now be Third Class. Universi­ties will, therefore, now only award First Class, Second Class (Upper Division), Second Class (Lower Di­vision) and Third Class degrees.

The matter is, however, generating heated debates and controversies among stakeholders in the nation’s higher education system. It has vir­tually divided the universities into two camps, with one tenaciously supporting the old grading system while the other sees great merit in the new order.

Those opposed to the new grading system say the decline in the qual­ity of education in the universities cannot be redressed with the re­classification of degrees. They want the NUC to, instead, work towards improving the quality of teaching and learning by providing qualified teachers and modern learning fa­cilities in the institutions. For them, shoring up the grading system with­out provision of the necessary staff­ing and equipment will neither im­prove academic standards nor the global ranking of our universities. They are also of the view that the move amounts to an erosion of the hard-earned autonomy of universi­ties.

Those in support of the new grad­ing system say the upgrading of the score required to obtain a degree is a step in the right direction, if prop­erly implemented. Besides, they be­lieve that it will make the students work harder and ultimately enhance their grade.

As the regulator of university edu­cation in Nigeria, the NUC unargu­ably has the statutory responsibility to do whatever it can to shore up the quality of degrees awarded by Nigerian universities. We believe that this increase of the pass mark required to earn a degree in Nigeri­an universities is well within the au­thority of the regulatory institution. It could, indeed, elicit more serious commitment to their studies from students when they realise that they could easily spend years in the uni­versities without passing out with a degree. The quality of the worst per­forming students in the universities may also be improved by this initia­tive.

Nevertheless, we expect the NUC to properly sell the gains of this initiative to the universities before implementing it. The adjustment should not, also, be done in isola­tion. It should be accompanied with other steps that can help to raise academic standards. No doubt, the place of qualified lecturers and well equipped educational facilities such as libraries and laboratories can­not be dismissed in the quest to improve academic standards in our higher institutions. We expect more action from NUC in this regard.

While it is not in contention that the NUC has the right to fix the pass mark in our universities, being the regulator of that level of education, we enjoin fuller consultation with the authorities of the various univer­sities for a harmonious and seam­less transition to the new grading system.

It is necessary to carry all the stakeholders along for the innova­tion to be properly implemented. The need for a uniform grading system for the nation’s universities cannot be overemphasized.

Beyond this, the ‘Pass’ degree is odious and is largely treated with contempt by employers of labour. Abolishing the grade will make stu­dents sit up and brace up to the challenges of their studies.

Let our universities embrace and implement the new grading system. It is also necessary for NUC and the universities to properly enlight­en both the students and lecturers about the initiative so that all the stakeholders can be well informed about it and get prepared for its im­plementation.



Source

Ben Carson Urges US To Take Proactive Measures Against ISIS

An American author, and retired neurosurgeon, Dr. Benjamin Carson who is the first surgeon to successfully separate conjoined twins joined at the head has called on the United States of America to come up with proactive measures to halt the global activities of the deadly Islamic sect, ISIS.

Find below his statements reeled out in two parts:


In August of 2014, I wrote an article entitled “The Spreading Scourge of Anti-Christian Persecution”. Within that piece, I refer to those around the world who have been persecuted by a group of religious zealots whose behavior is difficult to comprehend. Their intolerance against Christianity is beyond horrible. People are being beheaded for their faith. Women and young girls are being sexually violated and whole families are being wantonly slaughtered in cold blood. Perhaps just as abhorrent is the profound silence of the American government as represented by the current administration. Even though President Obama has declared that we are not a Judeo-Christian nation, we are still compassionate people who should not ignore humanitarian atrocities, much less ones where the victims are only guilty of maintaining a belief in the principles espoused by Jesus Christ.

The recent beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya this past week is truly devastating, and my heartfelt condolences are expressed to all those involved. The same holds true for the four Jewish victims of the January Paris kosher market attack. Such unprovoked and brutal acts should be condemned by all, and we must recognize that the murdered individuals were targeted due to their religious faith. Regarding the killing of 21 Egyptian Christians, Pope Francis said, “The blood of our Christian brothers is a witness that cries out. If they are Catholic, Orthodox, Copts, Lutherans, it is not important: They are Christians. The blood is the same: It is the blood which confesses Christ.”

Every resource available should be used to eradicate the threat of ISIS while it is still in its adolescent stage. That means using every military apparatus that we have: banking facilities, sanctions, you name it. And I would not hesitate to put boots on the ground. We need to be the leader and take serious action. The coalition will form if it has a leader. I would commit everything to eliminating ISIS right now. We have to make sure that our military, which is extremely talented and maintains very good leadership, is not put into a compromised position where we are trying to micro-manage them.

I am extraordinarily concerned about the fact that we are not responding to the barbaric acts that are taking place. There is a tremendous leadership void. It is vital that our nation makes it very clear that we are going to react in a very strenuous way to any kind of atrocities of this nature. Nothing should be off the table. This whole concept of “We can’t put boots on the ground because of what happened in Iraq” is silly. The threat that Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda posed at that time was on a completely different level than we are looking at now. It is extremely immature to equate the two in terms of reactions. ISIS wants to destroy us and our way of life. There are two choices: we could sit back and wait for them, or we can use the resources we have to destroy them.

The United States should be willing to listen to our military advisors, as they are very smart people with great strategic planning in terms of the number of troops we need and how we utilize them. There is no such thing as a politically correct war. Our troops have to understand that if they go in and they fight, that they are not going to be prosecuted when they come back here. That is not the way you fight a war. We have to give them esprit de corps—feelings of loyalty and devotion— and they have to know that we have their backs.

Global citizens are dealing with an evil in today’s society that is threatening Christians, Jews and any people who do not believe like ISIS does. And if we allow it to continue to grow, it will be a big tree with lots of branches and roots, rather than a bush as it is now. The lack of an adequate response will endanger not only us in the long run, but the entire world.

Meet The 100 People Who Could Live On MARS And Never Return

One hundred brave souls from around the globe are now vying for a one-way ticket to Mars, knowing they will never return from the Red Planet. The Dutch-based Mars One project - which aims to send people to live on the faraway planet - has whittled down its shortlist of candidates from more than two hundred thousands to just fifty men and fifty women, more than thirty of them Americans.

Among the array of science fanatics, Trekies, physics majors, engineers and doctors, there were also a few more surprising choices, including a singer who was doing a two-man show in New York at the time of his application for the program; an artist with a fascinating family connection to NASA; a mechanic from a remote part of Utah, and an aspiring novelist.

Andrew Tunks (left), 28, works in health care technology and in his free time is writing a novel. His goal in life is to reduce suffering in the world; Carmen Paul (right), 32, serves in the National Guard and is an avid techie.

From this shortlist, a final crew of four will eventually be sent to Mars, scheduled to arrive in 2025 following a grueling seven-month journey from Earth. Among the 100 prospective Mars colonists, which hail from 40 countries, there are 33 US residents ranging in age from 19 to 60.

The American hopefuls come from all walks of life, including PhD students, engineers, artists, medical doctors, and even a singer and a workout trainer.
Out of the 33 men and women vying for the honors of traveling to Mars, half a dozen are over the age of 50, including a married father of five.

Ryan Macdonald (left) a physics student at Oxford University said: 'The most important thing to do in life is to leave a legacy. A lot of people do that by having a child...for me this would be my legacy.' Claire Weedon (right) is the only Briton who doesn’t work in science and is a self-confessed adrenaline junkie


See the other people at the Source

Engels Comforts The “Weeping” Ojogbon

The dust raised by the recently constructed link bridges on OAU campus by the SUG is obviously not settling anytime soon. Press statements, imbibed with assertions, accusations and counter-accusations, fly around madly like the bats of OAU. Barely has the tree heaved in relief, another burden weighs it down.

Barely a day after Welfare Officer Ojogbon released a press statement criticising the ERC and stating his case, Comrade Engels Oluwole of the ERC has given his reply.

In his statement, he promptly dismissed the allegation of him intending to destroy the bridges. He described it as “outrageous…unsubstantiated,jejune and petty”. He described the concept of a students’ union embarking on public projects, as a misplacement of priority, and the argument in favour of it illogical and purely sentimental. He said:

“A students’ union is not a department of the university administration, it is a platform for students to hold articulate voice and demand for what is theirs…As big and wealthy as ASUU is as a union, it will never wake up one day and start building classroom or erecting sound system so as to attenuate the suffering of their members who teach large classes”.

He said that a pro-student CEC would have demanded explanation for the deteriorating infrastructure, since the fee increment was premised on the “need to develop the campus and help students”, instead of covering up for the management. He criticized the union for astoing as the voice of the management, informing students when there would be no electricity, instead of asking what happened to the university generators.

He described the process by which the budget was passed as “militarized”. He said that “bouncers” had been hired to keep gallerians, away so that less 20 parliamentarians could pass the budget.

He described the receipt tendered by Ojogbon stating the cost of the project to be #325,800 as “political kabuki”. His reason for this was that the issuer of the receipt stated his specialty to be metal works, leaving the true cost of workmanship, cement as grey areas. He described a vibrant union as one that would champion the cause of students against intellectual sadism, which had resulted in mass failure.

In conclusion, he said:

“If Ojogbon will weep again, let him weep for the values which himself and his colleagues are demolishoing; he should not weep because students question the reasonability of CEC programmes and principles”.


Source: http://oauchristians.com/engels-comforts-the-weeping-ojogbon/

Pictures From Remi Sonaiya's Visit To OAU

The only female presidential aspirant for March 28 poll visited her former place of work, Obafemi Awolowo University last week friday as she interacted with students of the citadel. Here are some of the pictures of the visit