POST JAMB: UNILAG set to screen candidates

The University of Lagos on Monday says it will go ahead with its screening of prospective candidates for admission into the 2016/2017 academic session as scheduled.

The institution’s Deputy Registrar, (Information), Mr Toyin Adebule, said this in an interview with the news men in Lagos.

Adebule gave the university’s position against the backdrop of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) withdrawing the list of recommended candidates for admission, earlier sent to the various universities.

JAMB in the statement signed by its Head of Media and Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin, stated that the withdrawal was to ensure that the senate of each of the universities performs its statutory functions.

News agency of Nigeria reports that UNILAG had, last month, announced that it would begin screening candidates, who chose the institution as their first choice with a cut-off point of 200 and above, between today Wednesday August 3, 2016 and August 24, 2016.

Final year UNILAG undergraduate dies in hostel

Samson Folarin

A 500-level undergraduate of the University of Lagos, Odusami Matthew, has died after slumping at the Biobaku Hostel.

It was learnt that Matthew, a student at the Estate Management Department, was playing football with some of his friends on Friday when he slumped.

He was reportedly rushed to the school’s medical centre where he was confirmed dead on arrival.

Our correspondent was told that the remains of the student had been deposited at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba.

 When our correspondent visited the hostel on Monday, one of the residents confirmed that the incident happened around 4pm.

He said, “He stayed in this hostel. Around 4pm, he decided to play football with some of his friends. He was not tackled neither was he with the ball when he collapsed.

“Nobody understood what went wrong with him. He was rushed to the medical centre, but he died on the way. It’s really a shock to us.”

A colleague of the victim, who spoke to our correspondent at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, said Matthew cried that his head was stiff before he died.

“Actually, he had stopped playing. He took time off to rest and sat on the sideline. Suddenly, he started crying that his head was stiff and he could not feel anything again. He slumped shortly after and died,” the colleague, who did not want to be named, said.

A man, who claimed to be Matthew’s close friend, said he spoke with him on Friday, adding that he never had any premonition that he would die suddenly.

 Speaking on condition of anonymity, the friend said, “He was a nice guy. He was also hard working. He had a strong second class upper grade. I still cannot believe he’s gone. I am grieving and don’t want to say more than that.”

 However, the Deputy Registrar and Head of Information Unit, University of Lagos, Mr. Toyin Adebule, said Matthew was playing football at the university’s sports centre, where he slumped and was rushed to the medical centre.

 He said, “A student was brought from the sports centre to the medical centre. When he got there, he did not have any sign of life. The director of health centre and other workers there tried to resuscitate him to no avail. He was dead.

 “The dean of students’ affairs and other representatives of the school were there. We have reached the family and broken the news to them. Our prayers are with them that God will give them the fortitude to bear the loss.”

Blind UNILAG Student Writes VC Over Assault By Campus Security Men

A visually impaired political science student at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Mr. Lawrence Success Umezinwa, has written to the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Rahman Bello, to protest an assault on him by campus  security. The security men, according to Mr. Umezinwa, acted on the orders of the Students Affairs (DSA) to eject him from the hostel.

In the letter, Mr. Umezinwa said while on his way to submit some documents, a security man invited him to a meeting with  other officers, porters, and one executive of the hostel. He promised to attend the meeting after submitting the documents. As promised he went to the venue of the meeting, where he met six men, one of whom had a gun.

Mr. Umezinwa said he immediately linked the meeting to a letter issued to him by the DSA directing his removal from office as the Chairman of Mariere Hall. He believed that the security men were meeting him to carry out the order.

Things got nasty when the men attempted to seize his mobile phone, which he was using to record discussions at the meeting.  According to him, he had argued that there was a need to record the discussions.

In the process, one of the security men forcefully poked his finger into his blind eye, after which others joined in to twist his neck, remove his wristwatch, and tear his shirt. They eventually overpowered him and relieved him of his phone, which they did not return.  After the assault, they pushed him to his room to move out his possessions but they did not know which belonged to him or his roommate. According to sources, they then locked him out of the room and denied him access to it.

“Ever since that happened I have not been allowed entrance into the hall. This has led me to sleeping around,” Mr. Umezinwa said in his letter.

Attached to his letter was the eviction letter issued to him from office the Dean of Student Affairs, signed by Deputy Dean 1, Dr. Karo Ogbinaka, the letter, which ordered his removal from office as the Chairman of Mariere Hall of Residence, cited his failure to comply with a management directive to vacate the hall on 6 June as a reason.

Dated 9 June, 2016, the letter directed his deputy, Akintola Opeoluwa, to take over as the chairman with immediate effect. 

Through his letter to the Vice Chancellor, Mr. Umezinwa is seeking redress. He described his removal by the DSA as arbitrary and said his treatment the security men was "barbaric, uncivil, condemnable, and a breach of his fundamental human rights which calls for public concern."

"This institution is tagged nation’s pride but the office of the Dean of Student Affairs has not exhibited this in its conduct and I vehemently say as a student that this action needs to be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators brought to book,” concluded Umezinwa.

Lawrence Success Umezinwa

UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS UNILAG ‘WE ARE NOT SCREENING STUDENTS FOR ADMISSION’

Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof Rahamon Bello has disclosed that the rumours about the institution screening students for admission is untrue.

Speaking to reporters, he said that the university was awaiting guidelines from the Federal Ministry of Education before starting the admission process.

“ We are yet to really conclude on admission process cos govt asked us to wait for a guideline. Definitely there will be screening but we’re waiting for the guideline, ” he said.

The university’s admission office has also put out a disclaimer in the institution’s internal bulletin, Information Flash, warning prospective students and their parents to ignore information about cut-off marks from sources other than the university website.

The statement reads: “ The University of Lagos is yet to commence the 2016/2017 admission exercise and consequently has not released any cut-off marks or post-UTME advertisement.

“All prospective 2016/2017 UTME and Direct Entry candidates that chose University of Lagos as their first choice should regularly visit the website (www.unilag.edu.ng) for more information.”

There had been rumours on the social media that UNILAG had fixed UTME cut-off points and started the screening process.

UNILAG denies post-UTME screening rumours

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof Rahamon Bello, has debunked rumours that the institution has begun screening for admission.

He told reporters at the office that the university was awaiting guidelines from the Federal Ministry of Education before starting the admission process.

“We are yet to really conclude on admission process cos govt asked us to wait for a guideline.

Definitely there will be screening but we’re waiting for the guideline,” he said.

The university’s admission office has also put out a disclaimer in the institution’s internal bulletin, Information Flash, warning prospective students and their parents to ignore information about cut-off marks from sources other than the university website.

The statement reads: “The University of Lagos is yet to commence the 2016/2017 admission exercise and consequently has not released any cut-off marks or post-UTME advertisement.

“All prospective 2016/2017 UTME and Direct Entry candidates that chose University of Lagos as their first choice should regularly visit the website (www.unilag.edu.ng ) and click on admissions.unilag.edu.ng for information.”

There had been rumours on the social media that UNILAG had fixed UTME cut-off points and started the screening process.

Winners emerge in Chinese language contest

Winners have emerged in the Chinese Bridge Proficiency Competition organised by Confucius Institute, a Chinese language body at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). The contest was sponsored by a mobile phone giant, Huawei.

Gbemisola Fadeyibi came tops, clinching the gold medal and N500,000 cash. Daniel Ehiagwina got the silver medal.

Sixteen students from 16 schools across the country participated in the contest, which ended last Friday.

Gbemisola also received certificate of participation and a letter to represent Nigeria at the international edition of the competition in China.

Daniel was also given a certificate of participation, a Huawei smart phone, and a return ticket to be part of the international audience at the world challenge.

Speaking on the relevance of Chinese language, Dr Anthony Okeregbe, a senior lecturer at the Department of Philosophy and Deputy Director of Confucius Institute, said the Federal Government had initially designed the competition for public schools, but added that the contest was extended to participants from both public and private schools to achieve the body’s objective.

He said the massive turnout at the event was a proof that interest in Chinese language among students was growing, adding that the competition was being held in primary, secondary and tertiary schools.

Drowned UNILAG students buried amidst tears

But we do not want you to be uninformed brothers about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. Therefore, mourn not, cry not, grieve not; but rather give thanks to God for the life lived,” these were the soothing words of Pastor Biodun Alimi, the officiating minister during the funeral programme for Adesola Olubola Ogunmefun and Funmilayo Odusina, the two students of the University of Lagos who drowned at the Elegushi beach earlier this week.

Despite the advice from the man of God, family members and friends of the two young women could not hold back their tears, as they wept bitterly while paying their last respect.

Their remains were retrieved from the Lagos General Hospital, Marina, Lagos and moved to the Private Vaults Garden, a section of the Ikoyi Cemetry in Lagos. It was a solemn environment as deafening silence enveloped the entire area. And the people, all wearing mournful faces, started arriving in groups of two and more as the mourners found their way to the already set grave.

As the lone voice of the officiating minister boomed out, it reverberated far and struck an emotional button in the families of the deceased, as they broke down in tears.

At exactly 12pm, the remains of the two were simultaneously committed to mother earth with their graves not far apart from each other. Their friends, all wearing yellow T-shirts that had the pictures of Adesola and Funmi boldly plastered on it, wore long faces as they tried to cope with their loss.

The deceased were nevertheless showered with numerous encomiums and tribute as their lives and times were recounted.

According to Sunmibola Ogunmefun: Shola, my consolation is 1 Thessalonica, verse 13 and 18. Very simplistic, you have never been the kind to take things too seriously and your smile is always from ear…(I use ‘is’ because I know you are still smiling). Keeping malice with you was futile; you would always find way to break the ice and even now you won’t let me be angry at you.

I guess you would have to scrub the gas cooker myself now, you promised you were going to do it this week.’

‘You are in the right place, not a single house chore; all you have got to do is sing your heart out, chill in your mansion, enjoy the feel of gold under you feet and keep smiling Shokuro (my talkative sister); I know you don’t understand why we are sad, I can imagine you staring at us as though we were are silly,’ she said.

Shortly before their remains were interred, families, colleagues and friends of Adesola Olubola Ogunmefun and Funmilayo Odusina mustered strengths to pay tributes to the two.

In her brief tribute, Adesola’s younger sister, said: ‘Adesolami, I really don’t know what to say. Can I ever survive without you? I miss you; miss the fact that no one will be beating my breast. RIP baby.

Aikulola Olu, a friend, said: “I kept hoping I would wake up on Tuesday morning and find out was just like a very bad dream. You would be back to hounding me on my personal life as usual. Unfortunately, this seems to be the reality. I choose to believe God has a reason. I most definitely won’t forget you and I will try to loosen up and live life to the fullest like you advised me constantly.”

Another friend, Lanre Akinwale, said he found it incomprehensible to admit the reality of their death, saying, “each time I have to contend with the reality of your death, what comes to my mind is your smile.

When we met at a ceremony in Ikeja on Saturday, 4th of June, you were full of joy, happiness and enthusiasm. We dined and danced together. While you were leaving the venue in the company of a senior colleague, you waved your hand; I thought you meant to say bye, but I never thought you were actually bidding me farewell.”

Also paying their tribute, members of staff of the Ministry of Education, Ogun State, where she worked as the Personal Assistant to the Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology, described Adesola as a wonderful intellect of matchless courage.

In a statement, they said: “Adesola Ogunmefun strived hard to make sure that all our Model Schools are on point; she didn’t relent in her effort until she lost her life. She was extremely dedicated to her duty and was loyal to her Principal. We will miss your perpetual smile, the winkle in your dark brown eyes that would be the envy of any man.”

It will be recalled that the Post-Graduate Students of the University of Lagos, Funmi, 24 and Adesola 27 died last Sunday while celebrating the birthday of a friend a Elugushi Beach, Lagos.

While consoling the bereaved families, the officiating minister, who spoke on the transiency of, said the bereaved must be grateful for the fact that the dead knew God before their demise, saying that a life without Jesus was a waste.

He said death was an inevitable phenomenon for all and sundry and urged people to make positive impacts on others and leave indelible mark as they go about their daily lives. According to him, though their time on earth was short, they made their marks in the lives family members, friends and colleagues.