An Educated Mind With An Idle Hand; The Devil’s Amoured Tank

This title was inspired from a recent public debate organized by Prof Pat Utomi, with its crux being whether skills acquisition should be mandatory in tertiary institutions or not. Meditating over this topic, I became nostalgic and started to have a reminiscence of my childhood days with grandma. She was a woman who controls a bountiful and overwhelming respect basically for her height of literacy and passion for education. Grandma was the principal of a secondary school in my home town for a lengthy period until she peacefully kicked the bucket. The most important moment this topic made me remember was her usual mantra “Arakunrin (young boy), if you want to be somebody in life, go to school, study very hard and get yourself a good job” I am much older now and I begin to wonder why she never said “Arakunrin, if you want to be somebody in life, go to school, study very hard and CREATE jobs.” After all, there is an evident discrepancy between seeking for a job and creating one. Grandma, no apologies, your words were for the days of yore, we are in a new dawn. Unfortunately, we have been bamboozled by the ill and hereditary mentality of seeking for jobs after tertiary education and that counts as a reason why we still remain in a pathetic economic ecosystem.

Skill in this context is the quality of performance which is derived and developed through training and practice. Today’s youths have found themselves in a niche of numerous employable opportunities but with little employment opportunities. However, these opportunities can only be employable if one possesses the gifted hands and make judicious use of them even if the white collar system is not welcoming. In my personal opinion, the best institution to sharpen these gifted hands is the tertiary institution.

One of the inadequacies of the Nigerian tertiary education system is that it has failed to groom students for self-employment in the labour market. The egregious norm of always seeking for jobs after school has developed the mindset of being a job seeker and not a job maker. However, many graduates of today have become unrepentant job seekers, dauntless in their job search despite not being oblivious that job competition is becoming tougher and our unemployment status is near the double digit radar. Adequate machineries should be put in place by the government in order to incorporate several skills acquisition programmes into the curriculum of tertiary institutions so as to equip undergraduates for self-creation of numerous opportunities when they get to the labour market.

Going by the popular religious quote, “Man shall not live by bread alone but…” Permit me to phrase my version which goes thus; man shall not live by certificates alone but by every skills that cometh from his higher education. I believe this should be the general mentality in an economy like ours that has suffered from four consecutive increases in the unemployment figure. As at the third quarter of 2015, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics reported that unemployment was 9.9% an increase from 8.2% of the second quarter with youths culminating 50% of the figure. I madden seeing the ridiculous status skills acquisition enjoy in present days. Only a few are conscious of the fact that the future of the Nigerian economy lies in the hands of those who possess entrepreneurial abilities and can display the dynamics of the operation of the hands. The Nigerian Universities Commission should see to the redesigning of both public and private tertiary institutions to enable skills acquisition and entrepreneurial prowess before graduation. If this is actualized, graduates will get to enjoy diverse number of job opportunities at their disposal. In addition, it will help to stab to death the monstrous malady of unemployment ravaging our nation.

It is tragic and unfortunate that the government has not accomplished the task of actualizing item four of the National Policy on Education which aims to acquire both physical and intellectual skills which will enable individuals to be self-reliant and useful members of the society. Let me pronto sound to the helmsmen, a country’s development is a function of its manpower. Ditto, many academics have opined that effective skills acquisition in education is sine qua non to a self-reliant economy.
According to JAMB, there are 378 tertiary institutions in Nigeria, this figure should never make one imagine a whooping shortage of skilled manpower but the reverse is the case. This is sorrowful and embarrassing! As a reminder, the modus operandi of today’s higher institutions is mere theoretical delivery, relegating practicality to obscurity. Little wonder many Nigerian graduates have become ‘theoretical robots’ delivering only what is read on paper and failing to showcase what can be done with their hands. Education is not about sharpening the brain alone but also the hands. It is high time the government delivered our tertiary institutions from the hangover and overdose effect of theoretical delivery to embrace a practical dispensation of education.

In conclusion, there has to be a paradigm shift to provide a juxtaposition of academic and vocational skills. This can only be a successful accomplishment, if the curriculum of tertiary institutions is restructured, there should be a synergy between the government and private sector and the various vocational skills should be aligned to the interest of the students based on the skills they want to acquire.

This article was written by Abubakar Muideen Oladayo. A 200 level student of the Department of Economics, Obafemi Awolowo University.

LLB 4 Trash LLB 1 To Win Animashaun Cup

The annual Animashaun soccer fiesta came to an end today as the LLB 4 of the Obafemi Awolowo University Faculty of Law pummeled their junior colleague from LLB 1.

It was such a glamorous duel today as teeming crowd turned up to witness the final of the annual competition. The Part one team has been keeping an unbeaten run right from the outset of the competition defeating all their senior colleagues. However, reverse was the case yesterday as they unfortunately lost to their colleagues from Part 4. It was goalless draw all through the first half of the encounter. Many thanks to a beautiful drive from Fakeye, who eventually bagged the highest goal scorer of the competition which eventually ended the goal drought.

The match proceeded as the luminaries struggled to get an equalizer. Alas, the equalizer would not just come. Shortly after the luminaries failed to convert the penalty kick that was awarded to them, the LLB 4 team punished them by utilizing a beautiful corner which turned out to a goal, courtesy of a beautiful header from Uche.

The second goal confirmed the victor of the day as the luminaries struggled and laboured for a goal they never got even though they wrote their names so boldly in the history book being the first part one class to play in the final.

Photos From Lai Mohammed's Visit To OAU

Here are some exclusive pictures from the Honourable Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed's visit to Obafemi Awolowo University yesterday.

“When You Are Eating, You Don’t Talk” – Lai Mohammed

The Honourable Minister for Information and Culture – Alhaji Lai Mohammed was at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife on Friday 29th of January, 2016 in honour of the University’s Faculty of Arts invitation, who invited him to their annual Faculty’s Distinguished Guest Lecture as the guest lecturer.

In his delivered lecture titled “Nexus between corruption and Underdevelopment of the Nigerian state”, the minister examined burning national issues, most especially those relating to corruption and administration. At the closing stages of his delivery, he presented an analogy during which he stated that it is not right for a person to be talking while he or she is eating.

“Once a time, a very vocal and (God) fearing professor was nominated as a Minister. Because he was so vocal, so (God) fearing and he was actually seen as a defender of the masses, his constituency – the academics – were very happy that at least, they have somebody who is going to represent them and represent the masses in the government. But after about 2-3 years in government, nobody heard him champion the course of the masses, nobody heard him denounce corruption. After three years, there was a cabinet reshuffling and he went back to the university. When he got there, his colleagues were very infuriated and narrated to him their disappointment. They told him they felt with him in government, war against corruption would be championed by him. The professor looked at them and replied by saying “You don’t understand. It is about etiquette and table manners, when you are eating, you don’t talk”.

The message behind this analogy is very tricky to decipher. While some school of thought believes that Alhaji Lai Mohammed is trying to suggest he might keep mute even in the face of scandals and irregularities that may arise in the course of the current administration, some others believe he just put up the analogy as a form of reference to past administrators and administrations who have in one way or the other committed such offences.

The highlights of the event include; Presentation of distinguished alumnus award to the Minister himself, who is an alumnus of the Department of French, Faculty of Arts, University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) and performances by the ever-entertaining Dramatic Arts Department troupe. Other awardees at the event include; Hon Kehinde Bamigbetan and Hon Oluseye Oladejo who were both alumni and former Student Union leaders. Prominent guests who graced the event include the Dean, Faculty of Arts – Professor Gbemisola Adeoti, former Dean of the Faculty – Professor Y. K. Yusuf and Kowa Party’s presidential candidate in the last elections – Mrs Remi Shonaiya. There were also in attendance representatives of the Ooni of Ife and other distinguished guests.

Now to you our distinguished readers, what do you really think Alhaji Lai Mohammed is trying to bring out of his analogy?

OAU Students Ask Buhari To Probe Vice Chancellor

Hundreds of students of Obafemi Awolowo University on Friday asked President Muhammadu Buhari administration to probe the activities of the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Bamitale Omole.

The students passed the message to the President through the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who was at the university.

They also bombarded the minister with requests that the Federal Government should ensure decent hostels for students on the campus.

The minister was at OAU to deliver the distinguished guest lecture, titled ‘Nexus between corruption and underdevelopment of Nigeria’ at the University’s Faculty of Arts.

The students had staged series of protest against poor condition of their hostels which led to the closure of the school by the management late last year.

“Our halls of residence are in bad shape and my colleagues are saying probe Omole (VC) and so on,” said one of the students allowed to ask the minister a question.

“It is not only at the national level that the government should concentrate its fight against corruption, it should come to universities and we welcome President Buhari’s war against corruption on OAU campus.”

The entire students present applauded the students, while the minister promised to meet with the VC to discuss the issue of students’ union leaders under suspension.

The minister urged Nigerians to support the government in the fight, saying corruption had already started fighting back.



Source

Egedegbe Gracious & Adeyemo Emmanuel Win Big At WRIDS Competition

Arts by self-coined definition to me would mean, in paraphrase, being creative. And when we say creativity, it is much like a relative term which one could similarise with diverse kinds of factors having to do with our community and society by extension. In furtherance, with this creativity in our hands, I guess the pasts that are making the masses, within and or off the four walls of this ivory-tower to feel cowered up can be allayed or solved for the benefit of humanity in general. So, it is in this light, I would want to believe, the faculty of Arts/Humanities, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, specifically, the department of English and Literary Studies come up with the idea or the notion to discuss, in the form of writing, debate and spelling bee amid us students, some disturbing issues affecting our lives as youth/students and or that may affect us, when we are done as one in the morrow. NASELS - National Association of English and Literary Students deciding bodies, under the overall control of its President - Sodiq Oyeleke - brought about the Writing, Debate and Spelling Bee Competition (WRIDS competition) with awards tagged alongside, promisingly, for those that would make it out fine.

So, the contests had taken place and had gone. All of the contestants went home with gift(s) for partaking in the competition. But it would be of lackadaisical act on the side of this news agency, if we fail to have you informed some of the core details you'd love to read about or know about took place at the level of Aud 2. Only students under the banner of Nasels put in for the contests so, not only students in part one contested but also two and three students, namely:

Okediji Samuel
Akingbade Victor
Egedegbe Gracious
Akinola Ebunoluwa
Adeyemi Emmanuel
And others who participated in the spelling bee.

The chairman of the occasion was Dr. Ogungbule - Lecturer in the department of English and Literary Studies. And chiefly present was the elegantly, verbally, grammatically and accurately conscious HOD of the department - Prof. Ogunkoya. In his brief talk with the students present, "we are not there yet in the area of infrastructural facilities at OAU" but "there has been remarkable developments within Nasels", he said. He continued by telling the students of Nasels present "the contract for the departmental library has been approved and it shall be tiled and WIFI shall be installed there", he explained, for easier access to the world wide web (www) for information collection and for increasing the height and weight and breath and length of our horizon as learning students. He encouraged students to be watchful of lecturers not doing well enough to have them reported for changes and also reminded the students to use their given quota well.

In furtherance, some of the topics debated on, live at the level of the meeting were: "Considering output, do you think OAU is currently positioned to produce seasoned graduates" whilst the topic for the written essay was "The Scientific Maximum Shishi (SMS) as a means of curbing social vices among OAU students has lost its effectiveness in recent times (Essay)" and on spelling bee, a lot of hard words strange words were asked to be spelt like oakum and the like.

Moreover, about the winners, Egedegbe Gracious won the Essay (written) and bagged home N10,000 - half of his next sessions's fees and Adeyemo Emmanuel won the debate and bagged the same worth Gracious's. All of the contestants went back with gifts, none left without one thing or the other to show.

Finally, I would say, contesting or competing in life in general view, ought not to be with the aim of winning or taking back home awards or the gifts if that is allowed but ought to be partaking with the positive mindset - to do all within one's might, for the better of self and for the best of the society we all are going to go and mix up with when we are done here.

Prof. Awopetu's Birthday: ASUU Appeals To Nigerians To Support FG

Some university dons under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are appealing to Nigerians to support the anti-corruption stance of the federal government rather than see it as a witch-hunt against any opposition.

This appeal was made at a special lecture and congress held in honour of a former chairman of ASUU, Obafemi Awolowo University chapter, Professor Idowu Awopetu in Ile-Ife Osun state.

Members of ASUU from across the country; vice chancellors of various institutions including that of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof Bamitale Omole all gathered for the event.

One after the other, they all lamented that some corrupt opportunists have almost milked the Nigerian economic cow to death and there is the need for the Buhari administration to recoup the money.

The academics want the President to spread the anti-corruption dragnet across board to achieve the desired goal.

They said that the war against corruption should be a people’s war supported by all Nigerians if the country must rise again.

The university dons, however, warned the President to always respect the rule of law and fundamental human rights of the accused corrupt persons so as not to be seen as an authoritarian.


Source: Channels TV