STUDENTS TEACHING STUDENTS

The least lucrative profession can be said to be teaching, yet some students of Obafemi Awolowo University and Adeyemi College of Education had their teaching practice at Ife . Afolabi Oni a 400 level student of Education English got the reaction of some student teacher.



‘Teaching practice is a time you go and exhibit what you have been taught. It is a practice and you must be good ambassadors of the University. You must be humble enough to learn from the permanent teachers and always be diligent and hardworking,’ those were the words of the formal Acting Head of department, Special Education and Curriculum Development (SEC), Dr Mrs Yemisi Ajibade during one of he SEC 300 (Language Teaching Methods) lectures.
Teaching practice is a 6- unit course in Obafemi Awolowo University and is observed at the end of 200level and 300level. Each section of the exercise has 3 units each. It is a time of facing the challenges and the reality of the teaching profession. The exercise is usual for a minimum of 6 weeks and has commenced since on the 15th of February 2010 . The students are expected to be 21st century teachers and accustomed to the classroom. Supervisors of various degree of expertise will be at hand to grade the students’ teacher as the exercise progresses. Lesson plan (statement of objectives, orderliness, logicality, Language of presentation), teaching aid, presentation, classroom management, and teacher’s personality are evaluated. Lateness or absenteeism from place of practice without prior notification of the Teaching Practice Committee attracts a capital punishment of repeating the course which is equivalent to an extra year.
Several big-wigs have said that Nigerian undergraduates are not employable, but this cannot be said of Education students of OAU. Despite the fact that the Educational sector is given the least preference by the Federal Government, these students’ teachers and their supervisions still work their fingers to the bone to ensure that the standard of Education in Nigeria gets better. While students in Engineering are whining that the stipends allocated to them during Industrial Training is not sufficient; students teachers and their supervisions earn nothing are stipends for transportation during the practice. The student’s teachers teach with all their might as some of their supervisors part with a few Naira notes to serve as extrinsic motivation to the student’s teachers despite the fact that fact that the fuel their cars with no remunerations. Some supervisors travel as far as Ilesa, Oshogbo , Moro and more distant places to supervise students.
A lecturer who will not want his name to be mentioned said, ‘I traveled to Ipetu-modu to go and supervise some students to the detriment of my fuel, I earn the same amount with lecturers in other faculties that do not have any supervision to make outside the school premises.’
The Financial Secretary of National University Education Students Association (NUESA), Kuye Olusegun, 300level Education Economics shared his experience with Campuslife, ‘Teaching Practice has been a dream come true for me. My happiest moments were those times I spent in the classrooms with the students in SS 3 teaching them Mathematics after school hours from 4-6pm . More so, my school, Adventist Secondary school provided conducive environment for all the student’s teachers. This exercise made me fall in love with teaching Mathematics but I believe that student’s teachers should be motivated as we spend a lot on transportation and instructional materials.’
For Adebanwo Abiodun a 400level student of Education Economics said, ‘TP has been an ordeal, but it prepares the potential teachers for the future challenges in the profession. The students in my school will only keep mute when my supervisor is around; apart from that you need to wipe them before they can be quite for a second. It has not been easy.’ He concluded.
For students in Adeyemi College of Education their exercise ended on the 19th of March and Campus life spoke with Adegoke Abiodun a 300 level student of Biology Education said the exercise was fantastic and interactive. ‘We had football match against OAU and Debate; it is interesting for teachers to debate before their students. It was fun. The system is not encouraging us and we had to encourage ourselves by exchanging gifts among ourselves.
Majekodunmi Abiola Chemistry department, Adeyemi College of Educetion , Ondo State said, ‘TP was very interesting for me and I got to have a feel of people especially secondary school students in the ways they viewed life and I was able to just blend with them. Student teachers and school students should be more patient, disciplined in tackling life issues.’
Ngozi Eunice a Part 4 student of Education Political Science posted to Adventist Secondary School, said, ‘Teaching Practice has been interesting, thanks to Adventist Secondary School. TP has been fun in all aspects; sports, academics, spirituality, etc. I learnt a lot about the Bible, the joy in sharing (giving gifts) the students have been fun, a bit challenging, which helped me to prepare properly before going to class. The school teachers have been accommodating and encouraging. It was a little bit boring because there wasn’t really much to teach the students since they were already preparing for tests and exams. The school principal has always been concerned about our welfare and students from Adeyemi College also made TP more interesting. In the long run, this has been the best TP I have ever had.’
Famutimi Temitayo Education/Economics 400L made his view know to Campuslife that 'The teaching practice exercise has from time memorial been a platform where teachers in training get the practical experience of the pedagogical world in a normal classroom setting. Really, it has been fun all this while, the permanent teachers, the students as well as my colleagues really made the exercise worth the while. My recommendation is that the Federal Government should encourage students/education students by giving those allowances during the exercise that as it is given to their counterparts in the faculties of Engineering and Environmental Sciences.'
Igbokwe Emmanuel Osinachi, Physical Health Education Department Part 3 said that, 'Teaching Practice is an excellent experience. It affords one the opportunity of experiencing and trying out those things learnt in class. More so, personally it gave me the chance to relate with the younger generation and impart into their lives beyond academics. The work experience also gives one a taste of the work life after school.'

Afolabi Oni
08036126690
oniafolabidteacher@gmail.com

TP, SIWES, OTHERS, LENGHTEN STUDENTS STAY ON CAMPUS

It’s been several weeks now, about a month since the 2008/2009 Rain semester examination at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife has ended. Though many students are back at home on long vacation, yet mindless of the sense of gregariety and the feel of miss for loved ones that is immanent in all humans, some students were made to stay back, though not taken aback on the essence of this. This is in partial fulfillment of their professional training for a period of seven weeks.

Kayode Gabriel Adeola, 200-L Quantity survey said:” the first week was for orientation, enlightening our less initiated eyes on the endless opportunities that await us out there. It was also to guide us on the way to go by the training.

Of those made to stay were the students of the faculties of Education, Technology, and Environmental Design and Management (EDM), undergoing training in pedagogy, engineering, and environmental design cum management.

Ajibade Davies, a 200-Level student of the Faculty of Technology explained: “ though those of the Faculty of Education refer to their training as Teaching Practice (TP), those of us in the faculty of Technology and our colleagues in the Faculty of Environmental Design and Management (EDM) call it various names at different levels: Students Working Experience Programme (SWEP) in part 2: Students Industrial Working Experience Scheme (SIWES) in part 3, and Industrial Training (IT) in part 4 ”.

Some of them share their experiences with CAMPUSLIFE on what their training has being like:

Kayode Gabriel Adeola also said most articulately: “we’ve been exposed to series of activities. SWEP has been challenging and demanding - We were out on one of those days on a visit to the OPA Water Dam; on another day, the oxidation pond (where the collection of wastes and sewage water are collected for treatment, for the safety of the users thereof). It was a long trek through the thick led by an agile staff. The most interesting aspect of this is the market survey we had to Moore, Opa, Lagere and other markets to get the market value of various building materials such as cement, paint, block, reinforcement, etc, from merchant-men who trade in it. All to drill us! ”

Alawode Afolake, a part 3 student of English Education however shared that: “TP has been boring for me, both in the school and in my hostel. This is because my school dad and lone school confidant has graduated. It’s also no easy task producing Instructional Materials (IM), as it’s not readily available. More so, junior school students can be troublesome, making classroom management much difficult”.

To many a student of the faculty of education who were posted very far from the hostel facility, the teaching practice has not been convenient as they’ve had to spend so much on transport fare irrecoverably, unlike their counterparts in the faculties of EDM and Technology who will be paid later. They wish the TP ends now.

On how they’ve been able to keep friendship across the miles, connecting with missed roommates and loved ones, both Gabriel and Afolake, reached the terminus of means having mentioned that they call the mobile lines of those they’ve missed and chat on facebook. Thanks to Extracool.



By Afolabi Oni
08036126690

NUESA and Pedagogue International organized Jamb expose with Dele Ashade and JAMB

With just two days to the university tertiary matriculation examination (UTME) organized by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Pedagogue’s international in conjunction with the Nigerian University Education students Association organized an expose on Saturday the of 10th of April 2010 at Biological science lecture theatre C in Obafemi Awolowo University. The Chief speaker of the program was Dr. Dele Ashade, the author of the popular A to Z of Jamb and The invincible Teacher. Dr Dele Ashade flew into the country from the People's Republic of china to give some useful hints on the forth coming examination. Also present was the Jamb Coordinator Oshogo, Pastor Babalola Bamidele who represented the Jamb registrar, Prof Dibu Ojerinde. Pastor Babalola gave reorientation to the candidate that they should come to the examination hall on Saturday with nothing because pencils, calculator and other need materials will be supplied by JAMB. He reminded students that students shouldn’t take a 2nd generation university as their 1st choice if a 1st generation university was their 1st choice. This he said will narrow their chances of gaining admission as the 1st generation university my not consider them. He advised students to adhere to instructions strictly as any form of indiscipline and examination malpractices will not be taken likely as such will be reported to the police.



The Former Head of Department, English Studies, OAU, Prof. Yusuf Salami, said OAU may not consider students that chose her as 2nd choice and those that have chosen OAU as their 1st and 2nd choice stand a better chance. He advised students to check the brochure careful and confirm if their subject combination corresponds with their chosen course. Lecturers from OAU and other universities were also present.

Dr. Delle Ashade advised students to study tenses closely as their are no such verb like understanding, knowing, seeing, loving among others. He told student that to get the title for a passage they must consider the subject matter. UTME candidates asked him their question and he gave immediate answers to them.

The Pedagogue International awarded Dr. Dele Ashade as the Pedagogue of the year 2010 in recognition of his tremendous impact to the success of the Nigerian students. Pastor Babalola told the student that they should prepare hard as the cut off mark for universities, polytechnics and colleges may be the same. He took out fifteen minutes to pray for the students as the program came to a close.

Speaking with Campuslife Dr. Dele Ashade said, 'The reason we have failure in English language is because people don’t practice what they learn. More so, the Nigerian system hasn’t prepared the students to fact this examination. They are not well taught and their teachers not well trained. The system is unjust. What we need is a complete overhauling of the educational sector; I mean start all over by training our teachers. The Nigerian system is unjust to the Nigerian students. To all candidates, I say to you, don’t involve yourself in examination malpractices, be confident because you can’t fail; you have everything it takes to pass.’

The President of Pedagogue’s International the co organizer of the expose, Dennis Imafedion said, ‘I’m basically interested in excellence in public examination; to eradicate failure completely and reduce mediocrity. I’m the happiest man on earth today because this program is a success. It hasn’t been easy with the publicity, arrangements among others. I’m grateful to Akpomuje Paul the President of NUESA for paling with us and mobilizing education students and most especially Dr. Dele Ashade because we requested for and hour and he gave us a day. To all UTME candidates, please be a generator to your generation.’

Afolabi Oni

OAU, Ife 08036126690

400level edu English

5th campuslifeworkshop

We started our journey with a visit to cocacola in order to see production process of coke and then headed for the Silverbird cinema where students never stopped taking snapshots. Students give their goodwill massage to the late Yar Adua and when ahead to trill themselves with Iron man II. Back at the Mainland Hotel students had their dinner as many made their own new delicacies and headed straight after little information from the Editor, Ngozi Nwozor.

Saturday morning started with breakfast and all made way for the workshop proper. Students trilled themselves as Ngozi Emmanuel sang ‘I have a dream’ and Afolabi Oni presented his poem ‘If I don’t marry you’ to the applaud of all students. Others also presented jokes and read out their short stories. The editor Ngozi Nwozor gave use useful writing tips and thereafter Mr. Clem Ugorji the Communication Manager of Coca Cola Nigeria Limited gave us a presentation on coke. Mr (The white man) when being as by Lateefat from Unilorin on how unhealthy coke can be gave a dramatic response that he had being taking coke seen he was six. He left the stage after predicting that Chelsea will win the FA cup final with smile brimming on ever students face. Mr. Jackson Akpasubi represented the MD of TCV, Mr Dele Alake, gave some highly significant tips on Leadership such that the questions didn’t stop pouring of students as it took the intervention of the editor to randomly select few students out of the many and we went for the COKE break.

Mr. Jim from NBC commenced the 2nd workshop with a reference to his hero, Steve Prefontaine, who ran with a limp and was 4th at the Olympic long distance but dead before the next Olympic. He spoke bluntly to students that leaders are made not born and emphasized the fact that we should write our tombstone. He told us how he moved up the ladder as a fitness trainer at porker and Gamble from a state university to become the CEO of that company and rounded off by saying we should be the diamond in the rough.

This edition of Campuslife workshop I will not have missed even for the millions in the world. Lets me take for granted the exotic food and drinks, the first class treatment in mainland hotel, the reception at the nation and the relaxation at the Siverbird galleria all this are side attractions. This 5th Campuslife workshop was extremely special because it was not just to tell us about the ethic of Journalism but how to be good leaders. One cannot say, when NBC/Campuslife-The Nation organizes workshop, it is to teach how to write and that is what some selfish cooperate enterprise do. They teach you to be useful for them and that is selfish, what NBC did again is to teach us to be useful for ourselves. We were taught practical leadership and its attribute. Many of us want to be leaders and we are already leaders on our campuses, but we have little or no knowledge of what leadership entails. They trained us to be useful for ourselves and our community, for them. If I’m asked to say anything to NBC, Campuslife, and The Nation, thanks will be an insult, we are grateful will be a debasement, we appreciate you will be utter disrespect. I am speechless. Have a bear hug. said Oni Afolabi OAU

THE REALITY IN LIFE AFTER SCHOOL

‘The worst thing you can do after leaving school is to work for any company or person. It irritates me to see a large crowd of graduates struggling to be factory worker. It is how big you can think that will determine how far you can go in life,’ those where the word of the chief speaker, Mr. Ogbo Awoke at a workshop organized by the association Demography and Sociology students on Thursday 20th 2010 at OAU cooperative hall.

According to the President, Olaosun Dewe, a 400 level student of Demography and Social Statistics he said, ‘This is the first Demography leadership and Entrepreneurship workshop (DLW). This workshop is meant to make students job providers and not job seeker. It will make them self reliant and serves as an eye opener for all students to the unlimited opportunities available to us after school.’

Engineer Antony Oba the CEO of Tropical Entrepreneurship Development Center, ‘Students should be able to start a job of their own even while on campus. Unfortunately, the system is not encouraging them. Students should not complain about initial capital to start off. The first thing they need is the idea, ideas that are solutions to the problems of the society. You can start small; you don’t need all the money in the world to start off. You can start with 5000 naira and then you will grow. Most students are coming in fresh to the market and they are looking for 1 or 2 million Niara. Where do you think you will get it? When people see the success you are making with the little you have started with, then you will attract money. Students can start by selling books to their colleagues and I call it portfolio bookshop. There is nothing wrong in dreaming big, neither is there anything bad with starting small.’

Mr. Ogbo Awoke requested for seven volunteers to have a bite on an Apple and after each has had a bite. He showed the participants how much each ate, and he said, ‘life is a big round apple, all you have is one bite.’ He further said, ‘there is no limit to your ideas, Chinua Achebe published Thing Fall Apart at 26 was are you doing?

One of the participants, Adeseye Matthew a 300level student of Demography said, ‘This seminar came at the right time, especially at a time where the numbers of job seekers are innumerable. Many of us are thinking of working with Shell or Chevron and her is someone her to talk to us (Mr. Ogbo) who shuttled between shell and Chevron and still resigned on his own. Working in such places is false life because once you are sacked you cannot live the life you were living while on the job. My orientation has changed.’

Afolabi Oni

400 level Education English

Students Attacked by Police

On Sunday last week, some students of Obafemi Awolowo were arrested in town, six of them four ladies and two guys in Modakeke where they stay. They slept at the police station for the night but we got the information on Monday morning the president of the student union and the welfare officer went down to Akarabata station where those persons were taken to. When they got to the place they were told that they had already transferred the students to the head quarter in Modakeke, so when the President and the Welfare officer Christopher Kris were about leaving the place when the policemen on duty started threatening them with guns so the president, Paul Alaje now called the P.R.O Adelu James to mobilize students to the second police station so that our students would be released. The PRO mobilized students and some other union officers also led the students down to the Nigerian police divisional unit Modakeke. On getting there the first thing we wanted to do was to ascertain the reason why those persons were arrested but when we got there they had already released the students.

Reporting to Campuslife, The General Secretary of the students’ union, Tiawo Thomson said, ‘The police officer that we met on duty gave an excuse of mistaken identity we already understood that it was a mistaken of identity. We then told them that we understand that it is a case of mistaken identity, but the Nigerian police must apologize to those students they were unlawfully arrested and unlawfully dealt with but the first information that we got was that somebody in town who stays were this students stay insulted a member of the vigilante and as a result of that the vigilante consulted with the police to arrest our students because they were beaten, that the students must be given medical attention and that such should repeat itself again.’

Students headed for the palace of the king of Modakeke and made their demands, he appealed to the students that he said he will stick to them at all times that he would see what he could do in other to make sure such occurrence never come up again and he gave them 2000 naira to fuel our buses.

Another eye witness, Asaju Olanrewaju said, ‘While we were leaving we were told that one of our students has been detained in Akarabata police station again, so we passed that rout to ascertain the authenticity of that report. We got to the place only to discover that the police officers on duty had fled. More so, none of our students was there. While we were leaving we heard sounds of gun shots and teargas so we looked back to actually ascertain what was going on, then we discovered that the police officers had already gone to mobilize the indigenes of Modakeke against us. In other to avoid casualty we retreated and we withdrew our students from the troubled spot. We came back to the campus and barricaded the gates (the road in front of the gate) the reason we did this was to send a signal and message to people that are really concerned because police brutality has been on the rise for so many years even this is not the first time they will be doing such a thing we have reported similar cases and the excuse they keep giving us is that such acts are being performed by the rank and files in the police. Why we barricaded the road four hours was that the road leads to Abuja, Lagos and some other places and we attracted some personalities. They came down to us they are able to talk to us. Those people that came around actually appealed to students the president of the union also appealed to the students and the students left the barricade the road was open and vehicles were able to pass all this things were done peacefully and very constructive and you know a way that is already known by our union.

Adie Moses a 200 level student of Physical Health Education said, “It is pathetic that rather than our country to be progressing, we are retrogressing. Our security men are ensuring that citizens are insecure and make indiscriminate use of Guns. No little thanks to the beautiful display of maturity by OAU students, because if we had waited probably we will be counting death which may result in closure which is the last thing any Ife student wants to hear. Ugly event but well managed by the students.




CULTISTS BEATEN

On Sunday three cultists were arrested but while we where trying to release our students that were arrested on Monday, one of the cultists ran away. We later paraded the remaining ones on campus after interrogations the slim one claimed he was initiated into BLACK AXE by his friend who told him that the was going to a party on February 9. He consented to follow his friend to the party but while they drove along Parakin lane, his friend parked the car and told him that he wants to smoke. ‘I responded to my friend that I don’t smoke and he asked me to follow him into the bush. On getting into the bush, he started beating me and I was badly battered, and I allowed myself to be initiated.

Speaking with the Gist, the Secretary General of the Students’ Union Taiwo Thomson said, ‘The truth is that they have both confessed to the crime and the students’ union of Obafemi Awolowo University has Zero Tolerance for cultism and as such we cannot but remember the death of our fallen heroes who were murdered by cultists. After the parade they were hand over to the security unit. We are not scared of them, and Ife is not a place for them.


Afolabi Oni

08036126690

oniafolabidteacher@gmail.com

BLOOD DONOR DAY IN OAU

The World Blood Donor day by the World Health Organization (WHO) is observed world wide on the 14th day of June every year and OAU was not left out. However, on Obafemi Awolowo University campus, Ile-Ife Nigeria , it was observed on the 18th day of June year 2010 by All-Nigeria United Nations Students and Youth Association (ANUNSA), Obafemi Awolowo University chapter in conjunction with World Health Organization and National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS). Blood donation by OAU students started around 10: 00 am at White House Basement and ended around 4:30pm the same day. About 71 students donated blood. Gifts were given to donors in form of glucose, malt drinks and biscuits T-shirts, hand bands and face towels to serve as motivation in the nearest future.

Speaking with campus life a donor Mr. Osowade Ebenezer Adegoke 300 level student of Economics said, ‘I think it is a privilege to save a life. A dead man can’t be able to donate blood nor save a life and it is the greatest gift you can give a person.

The Social Director of ANUNSA OAU chapter, Mr. Bala Daba asserted that, ‘Before any donation is made they check the weight of the interested donor and if lesser than 50kg, the person is not allowed to donate. More so, the blood pressure is also checked and the intending donor is refreshed before the donation is made. The sample of the blood is taken to be tested in their lab to certify that the blood is safe. We were also told that donors will be given preference should they need blood provided they can provide their donation card. It was not easy convincing students to donate because of their poor standard and low quality feeding. Many of them refused to donate because they hardly eat good food and the overwork themselves, but we tried our best’

The coordinator W.H.O. Osun State, DOCTOR AKINOLA FATIREGUN said, ‘The future of every nation depends on the capacity of its youth to take over from the older generations, the responsibility to sustain, strengthen and improve interventions for a better and healthier living for its population. In this context, it is of paramount importance to recruit and retain young voluntary non-remunerated blood donors, with the hope that this new generation of enthusiastic and motivated blood donors will form a pool that provides the safest possible blood for use in health facilities wherever and whenever it is needed. This is intended to save lives of the patients suffering from severe anaemia or bleeding, which pose a major public health problem mainly in children less than five years of age and in young mothers in our region.

Mrs. Christiana Raji from the N.B.T.S. said ‘We were invited by ANUNSA to observe World Blood Donor Day with them and also to collect blood for those who are in need in hospitals. We make blood donated from different donors available to every Nigerian in need of blood without charges. This donation is mainly for the hospitals that has victims in need of blood urgently. For instance, as we are talking now, there is a pregnant woman who is need of blood urgently and an accident victim who has lost a lot of blood and needs a donor to donate blood to him urgently.’

The ANUNSA-OAU President, Omosebi Oloruntobi, a 300 level student of the department of Economics, said, ‘The main objective of ANUNSA is to propagate the ideals of UN. We observe the World Blood Donor Day on the 18th day of June instead of on the 14th day due to some constraints. We are doing this because it is in line with the objectives of the UN to observe World Blood Donor day to donate blood to people in need. This year’s theme is “NEW BLOOD FOR THE WORLD” and the emphasis is on young donors who will willingly donate blood for people in need to save lives. In time past we have observed the World Environment Day June 5, we went round the school picking and cleaning the school environment and making the students aware about the need to conserve the environment to reduce global warning in order to make the world a better place for us.’

Afolabi Oni, OAU- Ife 08036126690
oniafolabidteacher@gmail.com
I love you aunty, shout out to you. You are just too nice. Shout out to all OAU student and wishing them success in their examination next

AIESEC TRAINS NIGERIAN YOUTH ON LEADERSHIP

AIESEC is the world's largest youth-driven organization is an international platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potential and make a positive impact on society. In cooperation with companies and universities, AIESEC has been developing young leaders with international experience for sixty years. Thier innovative development process comprises exceptional leadership experience and global internship programme. Focusing on the building of networks of personal contacts and the exploration of one's own future directions and aspirations, AIESEC employs an innovative approach in the initiation and development of young leaders of the future.

BLACK (Building Leadership and Cultural Knowledge) Program is to arouse in the participants the awareness and appreciation of their culture and the culture of others while developing essential leadership skills. At the end of the project each participant would have experienced and learnt more about his culture (local and national) and the culture of at least 6 other countries from at least three different continents. The objectives of the project are, to develop leadership skills in youth through skill enhancement, theoretical and practical training enabling them to become the ‘leaders of now’ which they are now. More so, to provide learning experiences that would help enhance youth having a greater appreciation of their culture and the culture of others. Among her objectives is to help increase cultural tolerance among youth and thereby aiding global peace.
A closing seminar (Global Village Day) will be organized during the last month of the project. The Global Village is an event that aims to expose the most interesting aspects of cultures and traditions of all countries participating in the program. The idea is that "we are all citizens of a single country: the global village." It is an event open to the public and allows anyone interested to participate and know people from different backgrounds, learn something about their own culture and the culture of others.
Speaking with our reporter the Local Committee President, AKINSOLA Oladapo 400level student of the department of Geography said, ‘Culture is an instrument wielded by leaders to produce leaders, who, in their turn, will manufacture still more leaders. Project BLACK is leadership delivered through the avenues that culture has created, AIESEC IFE is proud to be associated with this noble cause. The project is aimed at building true leaders who learn to respect and also embrace the culture of other people despite our differences.
However the Project Director, NWOSU Ebuka 300 level Microbiology OAU complements by saying, ‘Working and being friends with youth from other continents has tremendously challenged my world view thereby making me a true global villager.’

The Local Comittee Vice President External relations, Mr. FETUGA Adebayo 500 level Chemical Engineering, ‘AIESEC envisions peace and fulfillment of mankind’s potential. The first step towards world peace is understanding and tolerating alien cultures. Project BLACK gives young students the opportunity to meet other young people from different parts of the world and learn their culture and ways while also introducing their own culture and ways to the foreigners. It also aims at activating the mind of the youths towards responsible leadership.
Local Committee Vice President Project – ADEGBULUGBE Oluwole Computer Engr 500 level OAU said, ‘AIESEC is constantly providing opportunities for young people to exercise their creativity. BLACK gives over a hundred young people the chance to do something new, innovative, exciting and socially responsible. The students are appreciating meeting and being exposed to other cultures and peole from as far off as the other end of the world. I am so happy when i see the glow on their faces.’

A Participating Student of Moremi High School as secondary school in Ife Mathew Olawole said, ‘It feels so good to be able to experience firsthand cultures and practices only seen in movies and magazines and also meet other youths with different perspectives about life from different parts of the world.’

Another participating Student from Obafemi Awolowo University International Secondary School Iyanu Sorinyan said, ‘The BLACK project has made me more aware of my culture and heritage and how people outside Africa see us. I think we should have more projects like this which help to correct the wrong impressions about Nigeria and Africa as a whole.’

Tam Anakin 2nd year Chinese University of Hongkong Geography and resource management is a student on exchange progamme (Intern) in Nigeria, AIESEC members are opportuned to engage in exchange programmes said, ‘Project BLACK is definitely a meaningful experience for me. Leadership and culture are very much related. Getting the chance to educate the Nigerian youth about these two issues that are critical to a countries’ development makes me feel proud. During my observation and involvement in the project, I really realize the meaning of global citizenship by connecting to the local youth. Coming for this project has made me realize that Africa is very different from what is shown on the NEWS. Africa is rich in culture and the people here are really nice and great. I’ll definitely visit more African countries because of this experience.’

Another participating Intern Sunny Wang of York University Canada 4th year sociology, said ‘When I read about the porject BLACK, I had no doubt that this project is going to be the one for me. Leadership and culture are certainly correlated. BLACK was the program that would certainly promote this. Working with Nigerian students has been a challenging and life changing experience.The program is carried out on Saturday mornings. For us, Saturday is the day where we are allow to wake up late and be lazy. However, I don’t see this kind of reality here. Every time we get to the schools, there is always some students waiting for us. While teaching them others cultures apart from Nigerian culture, I saw a thirst for learning and knowing from the students. The students were more passionate and more excited than us. I felt embarrazed in the beginning. Later I learned that I need to prepare very well before doing a presentation. I need to take into account that these students have experienced different teaching curriculum. What I know might not be the same as what they know. The project is not just about us teaching them, it is also about us learning from them. For instance, the students showed us their ethical dance and songs. It was full of symbols for me. Every movement, every color, every song, there is a meaning to it. Africa is so rich. This is something that is foreign to the western media. Africa students are hard working. This is what we don’t see in the newspapers. Africa must be experienced by oneself. No one can teach you what Africa is or how Africans look like. You must experience by yourself, ‘ he concluded.



Afolabi Oni

OAU 08036126690

oniafolabidteacher@gmail.com

NOTE: AIESEC is a name no more an acronym and has no full meaning

Religious But Unscrupulous

In as much as everyone will agree to the fact that the most difficult subject to discuss is the issue of religion, my conscience will not forgive me if I don’t write on this before I graduate from this great citadel of learning.

Religion is human beings' relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, spiritual, or divine. Religion is commonly regarded as consisting of a person's relation to God or to gods or spirits. Worship is probably the most basic element of religion, but moral conduct, right belief, and participation in religious institutions are generally also constituent elements of the religious life as practiced by believers and worshipers and as commanded by religious sages and scriptures.

In as much as the university community has tried her best to ensure that religious discrimination is not mentioned among students, nobody will consent to the fact that it does not exist at all on campus. One will expect that in an academic environment such will not be mentioned.

Knowing full well that OAU is the second most religious institution in the world, one will expect these sons and servants of God to have transformed the entirety of the students to be vices free. These religious houses even do more harm than good.

Some of these religious houses have a habit of pasting posters in lecture theatres. They deface the walls without thinking of the destructive repercussion of their vicious actions. They do not consider the cost of painting and never have they ever thought of adding at least one to the few information boards that we have on campus.

Some of these religious houses have vehicles. Usually in the hot afternoon towards evening we will see a long queue of students sweating in the sun at the bus stop and just less than 500metres away at Fajuyi hall car park, you will see another long queue of buses belonging to religious houses well parked under the trees to cool. It reeks. Can’t they help the students on the queue to town at a subsidized rate? Wouldn’t that convince people to accept their Gods? Yet they come preaching to us holiness, sanctification, predestination, forgiveness among others. Something far more disgusting is the fact that an empty religious bus will drive pass the long queue without picking anyone of them and yet be found in town. This is satanic of our religious leaders.

Few of them will pick their members only. This is the case sometime on Friday when a Muslim man wants to have his Jumat service in town only to pick the Muslim faithful. The Christians are not left out in this act as they look critically at the numerous gathering of individuals to select their members especially when they want to go for camp. Even when the bus is yet to be full they may not help others as they anticipate that they may see some of their members on the way, only to get to their destination with half filled buses.

Another terribly disgusting but worthy of note is the way our religious brother make least judicious use of water. While having their cleansing before prayers, some of them will go to a public tap without kettles or container and open the tap to its highest and take their time washing. They not only waste water but delay other people wanting to fetch. This is horrific. Some of them go for room to room visitation of their members and forget to great the bunkmate of their member. Many of them forget to clean up the public places they used for programmes. They have zero cooperate social responsibility. All they do is pray.

Can’t they paint our badly faded Zebra lines? Can’t they organize leadership workshops for free or rather entrepreneurship workshops? Can’t they organize inter faculty competition that will unite all? Can’t they award scholarships? They make so much from the community, give so little to their members and nothing to the community. They are religious with no moral standing, no human feeling and high sense of discrimination towards others that are disinterested in their religion.

If the God you serve is the one that leaves the society a better place than it met it, then we are serving the same God. Don’t preach to me, preach to the needy, help the masses and I will believe in your God. Live for something; live in the interest of others. God is the greatest.

Afolabi Oni, 400level Education English OAU Ile-ife 08036126690

I’m going gaga

I just woke up from sleep and had being in bed for over 2hrs early in the night. I struggled to take a quick gaze at the time and it was just 7:15pm. It was a Friday and I sat on the chair and placed my head uncomfortably on the take in front of the G.P’s desktop computer on the table. I was in my trousers and a singlet.
Wole, a roommate of mine in Pharmacy, came into the corner and told me that a lady wanted to see me. ‘What is her name?’ I asked bluntly, thinking he was doing the usual aro. ‘Sorry sister what is your name?’ he heard him asked behind the curtain, but I didn’t hear the response. ‘Margret,’ He told me. I told him to let her in as I wore my red T-shirt.
How can I forget Margret, the most difficult of all ladies in the world? Though we are good friends, and my heartbeat increases when I see her, yet she makes me feel a little lesser than important. We were having several unsettled issues and some persons think we will best of couples, other believe that it will be the most regrettable marriage ever. Yet, she had and still inspires my literary works and brings the creative side of me out to the fore. I had lost touch of her because the last time I called her was disastrous. She didn’t stopped telling me she felt nothing for me and that she will never want anything serious with me.
I watch her standing as I remembered the most dramatic encounter with my parents. It was just this break; my mum woke me up at around 3am in the morning. My dad was also readily seated by my bed. I was asked to sit up and I chose to sit on a stool in the corner of the room. My mum ordered that I should sit in between the both of them, and there I was, in the middle of Daddy and Mummy and they started. ‘You told us the girl you are in love with is Margret, why not let her meet us?’ asked my dad politely. ‘It is a lie, he is just using any girl that comes his way, he does not want to be serious with one lady, you don’t want to be responsible, you are not a catholic and you cannot tell me that you want to be a reverend father. Don’t you dream big? Imagine, you will graduate in December, I know God will open doors, what if you hit it big in less than one year after graduation, is that when you will start that search for a wife? They will just marry you because of your money….’ She wouldn’t stop the talk, reminding me that everyone in the family was either married or in a serious relationship, but for my kid sister.
‘Let’s hear from you, Tade, what is the problem with Margret?’ my dad interrupted my concerned mum. Immediately, I knew no approach will work but the born again approach. So I started with, ‘let us pray, dad please lead us in a short prayer.’
Dad took fifteen minutes to pray, binding and casting away every anti-women demonic spirit in me. After the prayer session, I told them that I have resolved that God should take control, since he cannot but make the best choice for me. I told them that nothing is wrong between with Margret and I, but the need to hear from the Lord is principal (as if the dream I have had was not sufficient enough).
Now, here she is in my room, ‘please make yourself comfortable,’ I broke the long boring but tension filled silence. She replied, ‘The bunk is low and I will be bending my back.’ I switch from the chair to the bed without thinking it twice. Of course, what do you from the first daughter of Adolf Hitler; she sat down comfortably as my tall but unthinking self squeezed in between the bunk. The feelings were still there; I became dumb and was just looking. I wanted to tell her how good her hair-do was, and how attractive she was, but I was scared of being called a fornicator by herself.
I started sweating despite the cold weather; my hands were visible shaking but found solace underneath my pillow. I wanted to talk but was scared of committing grammatical blunder, in the presence of one that I have better understanding of language more than. I was thinking, should I say, ‘what is it?’ No, I retorted, that will be an insult. I forced myself to stammer, ‘yeeeesss?’
She replied bluntly and in the most inhumane way, ‘I just came to collect the assignment given to us from Ima, we are to submit early tomorrow morning and since it is just a room from your and I have few minutes to waste, I came to say Hi, You know I’m a very busy lady, I will like to be excused,’ as she made way for the door.
I muster courage and I said goodbye, with no effort to see her off. Everyone needs a bit of pride. But deep within me, I was hurt, I can’t say I don’t love her, but it is obvious that she wants someone else.
I opened my eye only to discover that it was all a dream. I was having terrible headache and feeling sickly. ‘This lady won’t kill me,’ I muttered to myself. I guess I’m going gaga.


Just a fiction, 08036126690
www.afolabioni.blogspot.com or oniafolabidteacher@gmail.com
…imparting lives A4

A4's Recommendations 4 the award

1. That all winners of each category should get a plague and a certificate.
2. That all 1st and 2nd runners up should be presented with certificates in each categories.
3. That gifts like internet modem, flash drive, camera, palmtops, laptops and e-notebooks.
4. That invitations should go to all media houses and open invitation on campuslife page.
5. That the pictures of the 3 finalists in each categories be projected as their names and articles are pronounced and the winner's pictures be projected till the next category is about to be called.
6. That the 3 finalists in each category should have snapshots together immediately their category is called.
7. That all the winners of each category should have a group picture and each of them should be granted a short interview back stage.
8. That all campuslife reporters present be given between 20 to 50 % of their transport fare, especially those from the north and distant places.
9. If possible dinner shouldn’t break the programme.
10. Renowned media practitioners (both electronic and print) should be in attendance.
11. Campuslife reporters should send a message 3 days to the programme to assert that they are coming and the sitting arrangement should be mixed (guys and ladies). We should all have tables and chairs.
12. That I should present a eulogy to cocacola appreciating them for all they have done.

Afolabi Oni
OAU

Afolabi Oni's (A4's) Nominations

Campuslife Man Of the Year Award
Maximum shishi just or jungle justice March 4, 2010

Entertainment
Licensed to craze 24, 31 Dec or 7 January 09/10

Culture
'Devil' in Varsity August 13, 2009

Investigative report
Admission Fraudster nabbed July, 8 2010

Campus Politics
Between Ideologues and Unionist (joint effort) 29th July 2010

Opinions
1st Politics should be less lucrative February 4, 2010
2nd Is Vulgarity Campus life? September 24, 2009
3rd Religious but Unscrupulous June 24, 2010

JASPER; OMISORE SCANDAL

Jasper! You are a Fool…Bobby


The former Welfare Director aspirant of the 2008/2009 parliamentary year popularly called Jasper who was as at last session in his final year in the Department of Dramatic Arts was called to question by the Students’ Union. At exactly 3:47pm on Tuesday 24 May, a helicopter was sighted descending on the football field. The helicopter was accused by the Secretary General of the students’ union Thompson and the Public Relation Officer (Bobby).

Speaking with A4, Adelu James a 300 level student of Law, the PRO, aka Bobby said:
“After sighting the helicopter, we placed a call across to the Chief Security Officer of the University Management, he first told us that it was Mimiko and later he said it was Dr. Segun Oni and the final answer was that it was brought by Oyinlola. When they were unable to identify the owner of the helicopter we gave them two minute ultimatum to get the helicopter out of our campus because the mobile policemen carrying guns pose a great deal of challenge on an average student. When we were demanding that the helicopter should leave, the person of Omisore came and it became obvious that Omisore brought the helicopter to our campus. We addressed greatest Ife students that Omisore is an election rigger, an armed robber and also a murderer, a categorical example was the killing of the Attorney General of the federation, Bola Ige and yet justice is yet to be served. More so, Omisore connived with Oyinlola and claimed to have secured about 30,000 votes on our campus when students were not on campus. This is the reason the Akinola Saburi for the imprisonment of Akinola Saburi and others because they wanted to fight for justice. We asked Omisore to leave and that he was a persona non grata on our campus after which he left immediately.”
“When he left, some persons were saying that, was it not the students that collected one hundred thousand naira and the mention the name Jasper. When I interrogated Jasper on Wednesday the following day he said he only collected only seventy one thousand naira,” he continued.
“I told Jasper that he is a fool because under what umbrella did he collect the money and that act was a misrepresentation of Ife students and possibly he could have told Omisore that he was the Student Union President. We asked Jasper to write a letter massively by disclaiming that he was never a student on this campus and that his act is a gross betrayer and a misrepresentation of over 30,000 students on our campus. We were informed that NTA Ile-ife showed it that OAU students gave Omisore applause because they were carrying placards. It is not bad for him to make Omisore his political God father, but he shouldn’t do such on our campus,” he concluded.
Responding to the PRO, Adedoyin Michael a student of Psychology department 400 said: “There is nothing wrong with what Jasper did. When did it become an offense to beg and where is it in the constitution of OAU Union that students should not beg. I don’t care, he should be discharged.”

JASPER; OMISORE SCANDAL

Jasper! You are a Fool…Bobby
The former Welfare Director aspirant of the 2008/2009 parliamentary year popularly called Jasper who was as at last session in his final year in the Department of Dramatic Arts was called to question by the Students’ Union. At exactly 3:47pm on Tuesday 24 May, a helicopter was sighted descending on the football field. The helicopter was accused by the Secretary General of the students’ union Thompson and the Public Relation Officer (Bobby).
Speaking with The Gist Adelu James a 300 level student of Law, the PRO, aka Bobby said:
“After sighting the helicopter, we placed a call across to the Chief Security Officer of the University Management, he first told us that it was Mimiko and later he said it was Dr. Segun Oni and the final answer was that it was brought by Oyinlola. When they were unable to identify the owner of the helicopter we gave them two minute ultimatum to get the helicopter out of our campus because the mobile policemen carrying guns pose a great deal of challenge on an average student. When we were demanding that the helicopter should leave, the person of Omisore came and it became obvious that Omisore brought the helicopter to our campus. We addressed greatest Ife students that Omisore is an election rigger, an armed robber and also a murderer, a categorical example was the killing of the Attorney General of the federation, Bola Ige and yet justice is yet to be served. More so, Omisore connived with Oyinlola and claimed to have secured about 30,000 votes on our campus when students were not on campus. This is the reason the Akinola Saburi for the imprisonment of Akinola Saburi and others because they wanted to fight for justice. We asked Omisore to leave and that he was a persona non grata on our campus after which he left immediately.”
“When he left, some persons were saying that, was it not the students that collected one hundred thousand naira and the mention the name Jasper. When I interrogated Jasper on Wednesday the following day he said he only collected only seventy one thousand naira,” he continued.
“I told Jasper that he is a fool because under what umbrella did he collect the money and that act was a misrepresentation of Ife students and possibly he could have told Omisore that he was the Student Union President. We asked Jasper to write a letter massively by disclaiming that he was never a student on this campus and that his act is a gross betrayer and a misrepresentation of over 30,000 students on our campus. We were informed that NTA Ile-ife showed it that OAU students gave Omisore applause because they were carrying placards. It is not bad for him to make Omisore his political God father, but he shouldn’t do such on our campus,” he concluded.
Responding to the PRO, Adedoyin Michael a student of Psychology department 400 said: “There is nothing wrong with what Jasper did. When did it become an offense to beg and where is it in the constitution of OAU Union that students should not beg. I don’t care, he should be discharged.”

INJURED

By Afolabi Oni 08036126690

I have a wound
That no man can tend
Neither can the gods heal
It hurts sharper than sword in the heart
And kills faster than the venom of viper

I have a wound
That no man can see
Cause there is no scar at sight
Nor cuts to stich
Cos I was wounded in the heart

I have a wound
Caused by the neglect of my calls
Silence to my mails
Outlawed by a friend
As she forbid that I see her

I have a wound
That no wound can be greater
When my most wanted makes me her least need
Just like my heart pulled out of my body
And my life shattered in my very sight.
I have a wound

Cause by unreciprocated love
By a woman who never want to see me

MAXIMUM SHI SHI (MSS); JUST OR JUNGLE JUSTICE

OAU has a tradition of canning students found in anti-social acts publicly; they call it maximum shi shi. To some it is barbaric and others the best mechanism for having violence free society. Afolabi Oni, a 400 level student of Education English OAU examines the subject.
Among every twelve, there must be a Judas and among over twenty five thousands, thousands of Judases. No doubt that cultism has been the order of the day on most campuses, because of youthful exuberance, over ambition and the need for security. ‘Variety’ they say ‘is the spice of life’, but when the spices get to be too much, it spoils the broth. One of the most difficult tasks in the world is to checkmate the excesses of men, little wonder we have the law. One of the laws in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife which has now become a tradition is maximum shi-shi (MSS).
This tradition circulated around 1999 when students after clamping down massively on the cultists on campus as at that time, they converged in Amphi theatre and chatted a way forward. According to a source, Ife students after critical analysis and intellectual scrutiny on how to deal with all forms of anti-social acts resolved to use cane publicly on erring members of the union and the number of strokes to be determined by the students. The erring student is paraded round all the halls of residence, both male and female. The congress resulted on zero tolerance to cultism and to achieve this assault had to be defined. They resolved that assault ranges from touch to fist to hit, any form of push or pull was also assault. This move placed a compulsory ban on fighting and there was absolutely no need for breaking of bottles. The congress observed that such punishment is best as it will not affect the studentship of the erring student and yet teach him or her lesson. To every law, the right execution must be in place. This may not have been the case in all occasions and due to improper execution many call for the quick disposal of the tradition.
According to a Law part five student of OAU, Olusola Adegbite said that ‘Maximum shishi has incurred odium. Human dignity is not negotiable, not even on the altar of an allegation. Section 36(5) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s constitution is clear and apt, and no excuse can cure this irregularity.’
While giving his manifestoes, the Students’ Union President Alaje Paul said the decision on the eradication of maximum shishi lies with the students and such can only be taken at the level of the congress. However, he was of the opinion that erring members of the union after the maximum shishi must be referred to Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) or University Joint Christian Mission(UJCM) for proper rehabilitation.
Another student of the faculty of Education studying Economics 400 level, Eniayewu Oluwole said maximum shishi is a tool to discipline students whose ways are impure. It should be encouraged to correct abnormalities in the students’ environment. I strongly believe that it needs to be redefined so as not to be an anti-students’ policy. When a student is found in anti-social activities, I see no reason such student should not be dully punished. However, proper investigation should be made in order not to temper with the students’ right.’
On more than one occasion the Register of the University, Mr. Ayorinde Oguruku has referred to maximum shishi with contempt. During ACJ organized open forum in the year 2007, Mr. Oguruku referred to maximum shishi as jungle justice. More so, when the 2008/2009 executives of the ACJ headed by Fatai Abiola Moshood paid a courtesy visit to the Vice Dean of The Division of Students’ Affairs, Dr Yinka Adesina, he said it was barbaric and that no student has the right to beat a fellow student.
A member of the student Representative Council, Raji Saheed in Education Economics 300 level strongly supports the maximum shi shi. ‘The only reason we do not have cultists on this campus is this maximum shi shi. If it is abolished, students will be licensed to kill and the weak will be at the mercy of the strong. It is basically to check excesses.’
Campuslife met with the leader of the Students’ Union judicial council, a law part five student, the Lord Chancellor of the Students’ Union, Obafemi Awolowo University, Mr. Omotoso Adebisi Wasiu aka O’ Black. He said, ‘the Great Ife tradition of Maximum shi-shi is one of long standing that has been accepted as the standard of punishment of anti-social activities such as affray, stealing, bullying, indecent assault etc. This process involves flogging or canning of the offender after being investigated and found guilty by the judicial tribunal-Hall Executive Council, Council Executive Council, Security committee or the judicial council of the Union as the case may be.
To some individuals, the doctrine of MSS is crude and barbaric but it must be understood that canning, or other forms of corporal punishment is rooted in the theory of punishment provided for in the corpus of our criminal law. The Court is empowered by law to sentence an offender to canning in addition to other forms of punishment. For example, by virtue of S.358 of the Criminal Code Act Cap 38 Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 states, ‘any person who commits the offence of rape is liable to imprisonment for life with or without canning’ (emphasis mine).
Also, S 77 of the Criminal Code Act and S 384-387 of the Criminal Procedure Act provides for canning as a mode of punishment and sentencing. This evidences the fact that corporal punishment is recognized in law and it is not anomaly where an accused is found guilty of the alleged offence except where he is above the age of 45.
The rationale behind canning is not only to subject the offender to the pain that comes with it but the shame and psychological blow given to his person. This is to serve as deterrence to others. Thus, the Ife doctrine of maximum shi shi is not as odd or barbaric as people may perceive it to be. It may only seem to be barbaric where it is dispensed where due process is not fully adhered to. After all, our Union does not have a penitentiary system or fining mechanism and we cannot afford to expose our members to the obdurate sanctions of the university at even misdemeanor of theirs. We can only subject them to measures that will make them repentant and ashamed. This is the import of maximum shi shi complemented with parading.’
To Adedayo Afolabi a 400 level student of Demography and Social Statistics said, ‘One cannot but mention the excesses of this barbaric act. Some persons will just come from nowhere and say they feel like beating, some will say they feel like slapping the stomach, it is stupid. Some of them are paraded naked or even with only their boxers in female halls, although not in most occasions naked. You need to see the way they beat, crueler than a Roman soldier, hitting all available spot. The victims are always perfectly deformed and terribly difficult to identify. On most occasions the victim is hospitalized after the exercise. More so, even most of them beating are thieves. This law must be abolished.’
Another student who will prefer if his name isn’t mentioned said, this tradition is good, other campuses should emulate it.
A4
08036126690

AN APPEAL TO MY DAD

DISCLIAMER! This article is fictional. Any resemblance with real life happening or correlation with office, persons and officers is regretted by the author. The author died after writing. Read and ignore the content.
My Daddy, Daddy, I am really crossed with you oo, but as a well cultured child one must not forget to remember that one must not get angry with his daddy even if his daddy is acting like a child.
Daddy, our graduates reported you to me o, and I am not here to confront you since I am not comrade Tobby neither am I Hon. Destiny. Daddy, don’t pay attention to the title, SPITTING FIRE, I am only here to plead. My immediate senior colleagues who are presently graduates of this institution have confirmed that most of them will not be going for NYSC in July but November. Daddy why?
Knowing full well that they were the first to conclude the second semester examinations last session, more so, the rush and pressure the university management put forth on the departments to get their results ready in no time was too much. The deadlines were terrible, several lecturers spend sleepless nights marking scripts in order to meet the deadlines and ensure that the most cherished students of their department make the NYSC in July. Now, all have come to not as only few departments are mobilized for NYSC this July.
Daddy, don’t you think you are being pitiless when students that gained admission the same year, say 2005, graduated with all their results intact the same year, and some students, based on their department will have to wait for close to a year before going to serve their fatherland.
It gives undue advantage to some graduates above the others. This is discrimination at its peak and injustice at its zenith. If not that people will say I am being rude, I will have said that you are a bad fellow or unintentionally wicked.
My Daddy, information reaching me has it that no student that has just graduated without an extra year in faculty of Arts and Education was mobilized for July NYSC. Daddy, if not that I am obliged to respect you, I would have said that you lack common sense. Daddy, I know that all our graduates cannot serve at a time, and we have specific numbers we can mobilize. My loving daddy, why didn’t you use your common sense to divide the numbers among the various faculties and even if you don’t have common sense, you should have consulted with someone that has common sense at least and probably the person will have suggested such.
My Daddy, as your bio-academical son, you may want to say that the Departments or Faculties didn’t meet the deadlines. Daddy, I am the opinion that strict sanctions should be melted out to HODs of Departments and Deans of faculties that do not meet the deadlines.
Daddy, some were even saying that not all our graduates will be mobilized in November. Daddy, what are you doing? Don’t let me say, what type of dad are you? Instead of you to lobby for more numbers to be mobilized for NYSC, you busy yourself doing next to nothing. Some of our graduates are yet to collect their ‘to whom…’ and you sit in your fully air conditioned office sipping tea.
My daddy, don’t let me reject you as my father, anyway this is an appeal not a demand, neither a command nor an impolite request. Well, if you think I am impolite, you too don’t come out publicly to say things you don’t intend doing. If you do that, that will imply that you a deceiver. I am not signifying that you are a deceiver, neither am I denying it.
Daddy, time is life, don’t just mobilize one department, and spread the number across all departments based on the number of their graduates. I am appealing to you now, so that some will not start criticizing you in future and once the criticism starts, you are on your own oo. I love you Dad. Bye for now!
A4‘…imparting lives’ 08024065997, 08054045225 zyplessy2k4@yahoo.com, oniafolabitheteacher@gmail.com
Afolabi Oni is a campuslife reporter of The Nation, a 400level student of Education English, General Secretary Association of Campus Journalists OAU, 2008/2009 session, Assistant General Secretary 2007/2008, Editor in chief of Ife Educator News Agency 2007/2008, and Editor in Chief of The Gist currently. He coauthored a book title tears and a Guest public speaker to several gatherings.

JOURNALISM WITHOUT MASS COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT

Journalism in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife is that which cannot but be peculiar. This is due to the fact that the University has no Mass Communication department and as such, students practicing journalism practice as extra curricular activities. Although, few students have the intention of being media practitioners in future, yet the limitation by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) that her members cannot but be graduates of journalism, at least a minimum of Ordinary National Diploma (OND).
The date or year in which the practice of journalism started in Obafemi Awolowo University cannot be specified, but the rationale behind it been pronounced is not far fetch. Some group of students few decades ago were interested in bringing sanity to the OAU community. They published private or ‘sacred’ stories of the OAU community for the purpose of correcting social ills. These journalists were taken to the students’ court, tried and on most occasions discharged and acquitted. One of such was The Parrot among others. This news papers were always served hot at the halls of residence on Monday morning. Few years later, the various News Agency saw the need to have an association to fight for the common interest of all journalists, and this was how the Association of campus Journalists was born. The various news agencies elected Executive Councils members across the various news agencies to lead the association.
Based on the to promote the readership of each news agency and the fact that some student could not afford to purchase the paper also accompanied with the cost of production, some news agencies decided to get News boards-standing boards that they paste their news articles for all to read the articles for free. Based on the relevance of the Journalists, the University Management gave the Association of Campus Journalists, the sole right to conduct the press confrontation and manifestoes. This exercise is a core of the transition process of the student Union leadership.
Today the Journalism in OAU is a moving train. The News boards make publication from time to time and the print do their business regularly. ACJ-OAU has over 30 registered press board, 10 news prints and close to 300 members. Some of this news agencies are Ife Educator, Infocus, The Councilor, Socioscope, The Critic, Icons, The Eagle, Nasels Communication Bureau, Medivioce to mention but a few.
The ACJ-OAU knowing her limitations, especially the fact that she may be handicapped in the ethic of journalism resolve to invite practicing professional journalists and writers to educate and enlighten her members as regards the ethics of the profession. In the past the likes of Nngozi Nwozor (The Nation), Sam Omaseye (The Nation), Segun Adeoye (Tell), Segun Adisa (Anchor of Labe Orun), El-Nukoya and Fatimah Abdukareem (Nigerian Association of Women journalists (NAWOJ) President, ) have been her guest.
The ACJ-OAU has refused to be confined to the four corners of Obafemi Awolowo University, some of her members write for National Dallies. While Fatai Moshood writes for the Compass, Oni Afolabi, Ayodele Obajeun, Hannah Ojo, Yemisi Akingbola and Akpomuje Paul write for Campus life page of the Nation News Paper. OAU students’ union is vibrant not in herself but in the fact that her activities is brought to the notice of the entire students and Nigerians as a whole by the ACJ.
However the ACJ has her challenges and one of such is the impression the OAU community has about us. We are opponents to the university management and adversary to students. We are loved by neither. Imagine that on the floor of the congress, I as the General Secretary was almost assaulted because the thought I was management boy and was taking snap shots to be taken to the management for explosion of radically students. One Honorable member of the Parliament Folarin Kazeem at the Presidential debate of English students’ presidential election (2008) was badly comported and the Vice President Administration of the ACJ, Miss Ife Akala, took the snap shot, and he dragged the device forceful and deleted it. Such persons have forgotten that the media is there to caution.
No thanks to the University Management of OAU too because journalists have more than once been victim. A very recent example is the of Mr. Ayo Ademuluyi, the Formal Editor of The Eagle News paper who published a ‘report’ on the VC’s EFCC investigation and is yet to be mobilized for law School. Well, No one knows reason behind his immobilization because all his results have been released and he has graduated. Although, it may be difficult to establish a cause and effect relationship between the witch’s cry and the child’s death as the aftermath, yet, there is possiblity.
ACJ-OAU has a peculiar case, but journalism has come to stay and is per of every faculty and department. All we need is commitment on the part of her member. If there is anything the ACJ-OAU has achieved is in a concrete demarcation between her and the student union leadership. Her secretariat is separate from the union building and the Students’ Union is not a member of the ACJ and cannot lord over the ACJ. Conclusively, the fourth estate is in isolation, which is in the interest of all. Our motto is ‘…asserting the strength of the pen.’ But as far as I’m concerned, what keeps my going is the need to impart life.
Afolabi Oni
A4
‘…imparting lives’
General Secretary OAU-ACJ 2008/09, Assistant General Secretary OAU-ACJ 2007/08

14 days in hell

Preamble
I have a wound in my heart that no man can tend nor heal. I wound I will carry even in death if a miracle doesnt happen. A wound I think of every second of my life and cannot but notice it. It is easier to teach than to practice what you taught. It is easier to be a coach at the sideline of the field casting blames and faults than be in the field of play yourself. I used to think that when you talk about women that I was a vetiran teaching people how to best maintain their relationship and control their woman, not until I met the woman I will forever love.

Story
The Academic Staff Union of Universities were at I again, they were protesting for increment in thier salary and better welfare conditions in the Nigerian Universities. They have being at it for two months now and obviously still counting. Ibalofa a student of Obafemi Awolowo University popularly called great ife stayed back at school. He did this basically for two reason, he wanted to keep writing news as a correspondce to The Nation newspaper and to keep teaching at an Educational Institue in Ife. His parents lived in far away Lagos about 400 miles away.
However, life was a little boring in Ife. He was putting in his brother's house, Mr Jacobs. Mr Jacobs also a student of Ife was married to Ada and they were staying together in a flat in Modakeke. Ada's younger sister Adaku came to stay with her sister and her bed was in the sitting room with Ibalofa. No sooner than not Mr. Jacobs travelled to Lagos not only to see his parents but to make more money because business in Ife was far from good.
Early Monday morning, Iba as he was fondly called, woke up before six, did his hygiene retuals and dashed up to take a Motor bike of to the Educational institue, the had seven O' Clock class, a three hours class. He was taking Literature in English for students seeking admission to into the university. He was in class just 3 minutes before seven and the students in the hostel we already arriving one after the other. Dele one of the students requested that they waited for other but fair Eluku prefered they got started. Iba knew that to sustain a 3 hours class wasnt easy as he had to teach with high level of humour. Iba started the class at seven requesting the students to ask questions in diffcult areas already taught or from their past questions and the questions flew out from the lips of the students as the teacher skillfully paried them.


To be continue in the book 14 days in hell by Oni afolabi, 08036126690

No gender in Yoruba Culture

The issue of gender discrimination was the subject of discuss at seminar organized by the Institue of Cultural Studies, Obfafemi Awolowo University and Youba Group Project Abroad with a theme Beyond Genderocrntric Models: Yoruba Culture in the Global Age. Oni Afolabi a 400 level student of Education English was in attendance and reports.
The women's movement of the 1960s was not of course the start of feminism. Rather, it was the renewal of the old tradition of thought and action already possessing its classic books which had diagnosed the problem of women's inequality in the society, and in some cases proposed solutions. These books include Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Right of women (1972), Virginia Woolf A Room of One's Own (1929) among other portray unequal treatment given to women.
The same was the subject of discourse in Pit theatre of the Dramatic arts department at OAU, by 11 am on Friday the 30th of July, 2010 when Dr. Oyeronke Oyewumi of the department of Sociology, Stoneybrook University, Stoneybrook, New York, USA criticized gender discrimination and clearified the fact that it wasnt never yoruba idea. In her invention she said Male privilege and female exclusion is not Yoruba in nature, as it filtered into the system through collonialism, the translator's perspective and the religious instutues.
She said, 'Ifa is the supreme diety and doesnt discriminate. When you check the lines of Ifa, you will see 'won ni ko ru bo ifa' but the translators being a man tranlated it to 'they said he should give sacrifice to Ifa' rather than 'they said they should give sacrifice to Ifa' and putting into good use the singular 'they'. Another thing we have to consider is the fact that, the women are the ones that go to the Ifa Priest the more. When the child is sick, who carries it to the priest on most occasion? It is the mother and subsequently she is the person that gives the sacrifice.
More so, the issue of names that are oriki like Ayinke, Alao, Ayinde, Alabi among others that are gender sensitive are names people adopted in other to aviod the orisa (gods) sensitive names after being converted to christians and musilms. They dont want to bear orisabunmi and they Ayinke, those names are appraisals like 'Darling' in English. Little wonder we have the proverb, 'Omo eko tio n fi oriki je oruko ... to ri won o fe je oruki orisa' this implies that 'the Lagosian who has made an appraisal thier name because they dont want to bear the names of gods.
I will like to assert that oruko amutorun wa (Natural names) that many says are gender sensitive like Ojo for males and Aina for females are primarily restricted to specific areas for instance we have had that an Ibadan cannot bear Ojo. She also explained the yoruba genres that are gender sensitive like ekuniyawo, obitu among others are not restricted to women as it is not out of bound for male. More so, on few occasions I have witnessed that the person teaching ekuniyawo is a man.
Furthermore, the timeline to when gender discrimination got into the yoruba culture is difficult just as it is difficult to put a timeline to when esu was demonized. Many link it to the early missionaries because, we all know that while the christains refer to God as olodumare the muslims refuse to call God olodumare because they had first hand information about Ifa and they know that olodumare occured more in Ifa and they use olorun.
She concluded that gender should not be a standard for discrimination and traditionalist should not take succour in the african traditional setting to abandon the women in the kitchen and say their voices shouldnt be heard. We had Iyalode Efunsetan Aniwura who is a classical example of a woman that lead men. The yoruba tradition is not against women leading men and doesnt see the woman as inferior, neither does Ifa.
Responding to the presentation, Dr. Foluke Ogunleye, the formal Head of Department of The Dramatic art commended Dr. Oyewumi for being at the vanguard of the fight for gender equality. 'It is time to put an end to such statements that she can do it because she is a woman or women should not hold that position or you cant talk to me that way because you are a woman. Women should rise up to the challenge.'
A student of Mechanical Engineering, 200level, Tinuke Oyewole said, 'My father use to tell me to respect my younger brothers. When I asked for the reasons, he said it was yoruba tradition. Thank God for this exposition that has exposed the elements of untruism in the statement. I am an advocate of gender equality because I have being greatly discriminated against. They will ask you, what is a lady doing in Engineering as if its made for the guy. They say we should go to Home Economics, even some lecturers throw light remarks at us. This exposition is a square peg in a square hole for me.
Adeoye Damilola a 100level student of Economics said, 'Nobody is discriminating against us. We are ladies and most of us want to feel like women. We cant do all the things they do, I wont love to lie on the floor fixing a car. Niether will I want to be in the boxing ring. More so, that a number be reserved strictly for females to participate in politics is clamouring for gender domination, but the exposition is educating and I feel the guy should be the head.'
Dipo Oluwaseun a 400level student of Fine Art department said, 'The programme was highly interacting and it did confirm the knowlegde I had earlier learnt about yoruba ancestoral believes especially when she majored on gender and the yoruba perspective. Programmes of this nature should be coming up frequently since Ife is for learning and culture. Big thanks to Institue of cultural Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University and Youba Group Project Abroad.'
Afolabi Oni
08036126690
OAU