Students’ remarkable week

Students of the Mass Communication Department of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), held their yearly Week, tagged: “Jackson Week”. The event featured a vocational training, where the students learnt craftwork. JAMES OJO (300-Level Mass Communication) reports.

It was a week they all looked forward to, but none expected the large turnout at the event. It was the yearly Week of the Department of Mass Communication of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).

Students, under the aegis of Mass Communication Students’ Association (MACSA), turned out in gorgeous attires for the event.

The week-long event started with a vocational training, where students learnt website development, computer programming and video editing.

The participants were also trained on how to make cakes, bags, beads and shoes. The training was followed by a seminar on finance management and how to start small scale businesses.

On the second day, there was a novelty football match in honour of the Head of Department (HOD), Dr Greg Ezeah. Second year students of the department worn the contest.

On the third day, the students organised a lecture with the theme:
Journalism today: The realities of professional practices. It held at the Princess Alexandra Auditorium (PAA) and was graced by speakers

UNN shuts Enugu campus over violence

The Enugu campus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has been shut, following a students’ protest against blackout in their hostels.

JAMES OJO (300-Level Mass
Communication) and PEACE ONUBULEZE (200-Level Law) report.
It all started as a peaceful demonstration before it ended in violence. Students at the Enugu campus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) went wild during a protest against epileptic power supply on the campus. The protest became violent and some school
properties were destroyed.

The protest was led by the Students’ Union Government (SUG) leadership. The students earlier held a congress during which representatives of each arm of the union and Council of Hall Governors, faculty presidents, and class representatives met to discuss the challenge.

The students were angry about the blackout on the campus, saying the situation prevented them from carrying out their academic assignment.

There were also complaints about lack of basic services, such as water supply and Internet. After the congress, the students’ grievances were forwarded to management in a letter titled: “Enugu Campus Students’ Demands”.

The letter listed the students’ key demands and served management a seven-day warning strike notice.

The students’ union declared “sit-in-the-hostel” strike, which paralysed activities on the campus. To ensure compliance, the union locked all lecture halls and barred commercial bus plying the campus from operating from 8am to noon.

The students vowed not to go for lectures until their conditions were met. Their action came at the time the school was preparing for examination.

The union president, Chukwuebuka Nwankwo, said there was need for the management to address the situation with a sense of urgency.

Chukwuebuka, a 300-Level Accountancy student, said the strike was to prevent “extreme response” from students.

After four days into the strike, the union leaders met with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Smart Uchegbu, who promised “prompt action”. The students also held another meeting with representatives of the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Benjamin Ozumba.

The union leaders held another congress to intimate their colleagues with the outcome of their meeting with the management. At the congress, students wanted the strike to continue until their grievances were addressed.

On Monday, students held another demonstration, blocking the school gate. They carried placards with the following inscriptions: “Let there be light” and “Doctor’s cannot save lives without light”, among others.

The protesters were restricted to the school entrance by security operatives.

As the demonstration was going on, the union leaders were holding a meeting with the representatives of the school management led by the Director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Okeke Olisa.

The school, again, promised to do its best to restore electricity in the students’ hostel. The management ordered the union to open the locked classrooms for lectures to start.

Olisa said the school would also procure 1,500 KVa generator to complement and increase electricity supply to the hostel to two hours 30 minutes. A decision the union leaders rejected.

CAMPUSLIFE gathered that electricity was restored at night as promised by the management but the boys’ hostels were excluded.

This led to another demonstration as the angry boys made bonfire in the school, before they went wild. They destroyed properties belonging to the school, including louvers of the Main Hall and ICT centre, streetlights, and statute of Eudoral Ibiam.

The students also smashed louvers in female hostels.

The violence led to the closure of the school, with the VC ordering all students to vacate the campus, while also announcing the proscription of unionism indefinitely.

None of the students’ leaders were available for comment, but female students criticised their colleagues for the destruction of the school property.

University Of Nigerian (UNN) shut down over students protest

The authorities at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus has officially shut down the school indefinitely following a recent student protest which quickly turned violent.

This announcement was made in a statement by Prof. Smart N. Uchegbu, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Enugu Campus, on Wednesday, June 15.

According to the statement, the school announced the immediate and indefinite closure of the university following last week' students’ protests over poor academic environment, that halted academic activities.

“This is to bring to the notice of the University Community that in the light of the violent protest and monumental destruction of properties on 13th June, 2016, the Vice Chancellor has approved the implementation of the measures listed below:

“Immediate suspension of the Enugu Campus Student Union Government; and closure of the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus indefinitely ,” the statement said.

Last week, the students of the institution halted academic activities in the school went on a rampage to protest the lack of electricity and poor learning environment.

The students were agitated, saying the lack of water, electricity among others have prevented academic and non-academic staff from working to the best of their abilities.

Alumni donate equipment, cash to alma mater

Alumni of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science have donated equipment to the faculty to promote excellent research.

They donated the equipment during an event tagged: “Home-coming”, which brought students of the 1976 Class back to the campus. The alumni created endowment fund, which must be contributed to by past and present students to restore infrastructure in the faculty.

The event started with a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic, Prof James Ogbonna said management was delighted to receive the equipment. He praised the alumni for their gesture. He said management would not relent in providing the faculties with academic equipment to improve excellence and standards.

Dean, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prof Emmanuel Ibezim, appreciated the alumni’s intervention and urged the students to embark on quality research with the equipment.

Prof Ibezim urged the students to  continue to work and study in groups for better understanding.

Prof Amechi Attama, a lecturer, said the faculty, in the last three years, has experienced positive changes in terms of infrastructure and academic. He said the alumni’s gesture would challenge the faculty’s staff to maintain the culture of excellence.