Immediate Past Mozambique Hall Leadership Gets Special Recognition

Miss Adetayo Adetorera Hannah, the immediate past chairperson of the  Mozambique Hall of Residence and other members of her administration were specially acknowledged, yesterday 11th June, 2016 during the Hall's Orientation programme held at the Basketball court within the Hall Premises.

Miss Hannah, popularly and politically referred to as Annadiva was recognised based on the exceptional work she and her team did over the one year tenure. The Hall Warden also praised the Annadiva led administration most especially for the financial accountability of the hall under her leadership.

Also present at the event was the Vice Dean of the Division of Student affairs, Dr Afolabi, who handed plaque and cash prizes to the awardees. He also further stated that the legacy must be maintained, stressing further the need to reward students for other worthy acts asides academics.

Some other awardees at the event included staff members like Mr Iyiola, Mr Olawale and Mrs Akinbobola.

Credits- Spicebolt

Many OAU Graduates Not Eligible For The FG N-Power Programme

Following the recent launching of the Federal Government's N-Power Programme which seeks to assist the vast unemployed graduates of the country in skill acquisition and garnering of work experience, indications have emerged that Obafemi Awolowo University graduates of the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 academic session are not eligible for the programme.

Barring any personal issue, OAU graduates from the 2013/2014 session are currently serving through the Stream I or 2 of the NYSC Batch A Service. One category of those exempted from applying for the N-Power Programme is the current crop of serving Corps members. That way, these ones have been screened out.

Also, those who finished their programmes during the 2014/2015 academic session are not also eligible because they have no certificate to tender for application. One of the requirements for application is that applicants should be a Bachelor's degree holder or Higher National Degree holder.

However, we have also been able to gather that the N-Power Programme, specifically the teaching positions in the programme would only allow participants be under the scheme for two years after which, another set of graduates are to replace them. The duration of the different skills offered by the programme is not yet known.

In the mean time, application for the programme has been billed to start by 11:00pm today.

OAU Freshmen Win Big At JCIN Spelling Bee Competition

The much anticipated spelling Bee competition organized by the Junior Chambers International Nigeria, Obafemi Awolowo University Chapter (a non-governmental organization) held on Friday night at the popular Anglomoz car park.  The event was in line to welcome freshmen into the great citadel of learning by the JCIN, OAU.

It was sponsored by one of Nigeria’s leading communications giant, AIRTEL Nigeria, and has as media partner, OAU Peeps News Agency. 

The competition saw 20 contestants engage in a battle of word-spelling wits, spanning through three rounds.  At the end of the rather tight first round, 10 contestants were eliminated and the other 10 moved through to the second round.

The second round was quite interesting as the judges had to provide words after words for the ever-ready contestants, who were not looking like they would misspell.  The second round produced three contestants; for the final round.

The third and final round saw BALOGUN GEORGE – a 100 level student of the Department of Microbiology, with tag number 10, emerge victorious. 

Winners at the competition went home with various delightful prizes ranging from an electric fan, electric blender, toaster, Oge Fashion designer bags and wristbands, bag of rice, bottles of vegetable oil, Airtel-branded water bottles, recharge cards, and GG branded designer shirts and others.  Contestants who didn’t make it to the finals were also rewarded with various consolation prizes.

Other side attractions at the event include the presentation of praying mats to two of the audience by Airtel NG who were major partners of the event.  The audience was also entertained by performances from various indigenous OAU artistes.  The event eventually wound down with a fun-filled dancing contest that really thrilled the audience.

Post UTME Scrapping: The Cart That Cannot Drag Any Horse

Like a very high number of Nigerian students, I had the undesirable privilege of writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination more than once. The first time I took the Examination, I had above the 200 average score, however, looking back now, I wouldn't want to exactly use the term; “I passed” to describe this feat which at the time was quite monumental for me. The reason for this is not far-fetched; it’s simply because the score was eventually as useful as the letter “P” in the word Psalm. All the two hundred and thirty four marks I had gotten did for me was qualify me to write the Post UTME examinations at the Obafemi Awolowo University, which I had either out  of ignorance or severe love for the school (or a little bit of both) filled as both first and second Choice Degree Awarding Institution. Again, like most fresh Nigerian Secondary school leavers, I had picked Medicine and Surgery as my most preferred course of study and Microbiology as an alternative. I then proceeded to write Post UTME Examination and luckily for me, I passed. If only passing was enough. The Obafemi Awolowo University, at least until the recent cancellation of the Post-UTME ran an admissions system where the score considered for admission was a weighted average of the UTME and Post-UTME Scores. However, apart from this every course had a Cut-off mark prerequisite which actually was the set bar for any admission on merit (Even though the “mago mago” factor can not be totally removed). The average of my scores was not near to the lofty cut-off mark for Medicine; in fact, the difference between the two scores was enough to give one a good lesson on humility.

I took the UTME again. And having learnt one or two things from my past experience, I avoided the gates of Medicine and opted for her immediate neighbour, Pharmacy. Again Dibu’s feedback made me look stupid, though I again had more than 200 marks, my score was less than the year prior. However, my Post UTME examinations were not similar to the year before. I passed very well and in fact, my eventual average score was just enough to put me in the merit list. The Post-UTME which was just another hurdle a year before became my saving grace.

Several comments and criticisms have trailed the Scrapping of the Post UTME Scheme. Some have claimed it is a good decision as the scheme was only a nonnecessity that hindered students from gaining admission over the years. Perhaps this is true but checking again, with the Post UTME, higher institutions continue to admit students annually, these days even more than their resources. Scrapping Post UTME would not increase the number of admission spaces, if the real problem is not faced, majority would still remain unadmitted every year!

Maybe Scrapping Post UTME would help improve the credibility of the admission process considering the reduced bureaucracy, but I believe it should be preceded by a qualitative reorganisation of JAMB and the UTME. The timing of the cancellation is probably what makes the decision itself seem so Controversial. The Minister of Education, who has been under the rocks just popped up to make the announcement and crawled right back. This just complexifies the situation because the 2016 UTME has been concluded and many schools were already making plans for their Post UTME. I think the Minister just placed the cart before the horse and left Nigerian schools and Students in it. I wonder where this cart would drag the horse to.

Pope Jay

Cartoon Illustration- Pelumi Ponmile

Court Adjourns OAU VC's Appointment Case Again

Protesting Unions On Channels TV

According to reports garnered, the federal High Court, Osogbo has again adjourned the case of Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), OAU and the management of the Obafemi Awolowo University management till Friday, 17 June, 2016.

From reports gathered by some correspondents of The Insider News, the Judge had to postpone the hearing due to the death of the Judge handling the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki’s CCT case. The Judge is to be mourned for two days (Friday and Saturday). The late judge, Justice Steven Evoh Chukwu, was said to have passed on in a hospital in Abuja.

The Chairman of NASU, Comrade Wole Odewunmi said, “we have filed a case on contempt of court as the management went ahead to appoint a vice chancellor despite the court order, we produced the publication by Tribune announcing that OAU has appointed a new VC to the court and that affirmed our claims”.

Also, in an address to members of the Association,the lead counsel of NASU, S.T.A Raji said, “the judge has decided to take up the inactions of the management”.

The counsel to the management, however, denied that Prof. Ayo Salami had been appointed the vice chancellor, he had earlier stated this at the sitting held on Tuesday June 7th, 2016 and reiterated it again today Friday, 10th June, 2016. To counter this, NASU and SSANU provided evidences to show that the announcement of the new Vice Chancellor had been reported by various media outfits.

Raji further stated, ”This case is ours to win and by next week Friday we will emerge victorious, we may have had them sent to jail but we are not interested in that"

 The Insider 

UI Students To Resume On June 15, 2016

Other Resolutions From The Meeting

Revised Academic Calendar


The Senate of the University of Ibadan in its sitting today has fixed Wednesday June 15, 2016 has resumption date for Students' of the University of Ibadan after the closure of the school for more than a month.

Lectures are to resume on Monday, June 20, 2016 following the newly released and revised academic timetable.

However, students are yet to know the fate of Ekpeti Tunji "Mote" who is the symbol of solidarity in the current struggle against Students' Victimization in the University, as nothing has been released concerning his appeal.

Students' all over the country continue to await the decision of the University on the Issue.

How To Apply For FG's N-Power Programme

Find below an infograph that explains the step by step process to apply for the Federal Government’s N-Power initiative. If you do not understand what the initiative is all about, kindly click here to read.

While the portal would be live on Saturday June 11, applications are expected to start coming in on June 12, the beginning of next week. Young unemployed Nigerians are advised to visit the website and apply.