Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country, says John Kennedy. Some students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, known as 'i360', a subsidiary of Generation Next (G-Next), took these words seriously when they voluntarily taxed themselves to give the institution a facelift.


They took the school by surprise when they secretly levied themselves to repaint the shoulder at the edge of the road leading to the campus. Aside the voluntary donation they made, sometimes forfeiting their lunch in the process, they also took up the manual labour of painting the entire road pavement on Thursday, October 13.


It was an amazing sight with the black and white colour beautifying the major roads on campus. Speaking with Campus Square, Eromonsele Moses Osas, the Assistant Head of Publicity said the group comprises students who chose to become agents of positive transformation. 'We have come out to let the management know that, yes, students can also contribute to the development of the university.


People have brought out from their pockets to buy paint, brushes, to send bulk SMS to people and to make announcements. We have got 20 drums of glossy paint and close to 100 brushes. All this we have done without sponsorhip,' he maintained. Adelu Monehin James, the former Public Relation Officer (PRO) of the Students Union, who is also contesting for the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), commended the initiative.


"When the university is marking her 50th anniversary, I believe this is one of the things individuals can do. You can see the passion of the students. Even in the sun, they are trying as much as possible to give the best they can offer the system", he said. He noted that aside the beautification of the roadside, the newly painted pavements would aid visibility at night.


'For instance during dark period, if you are driving and something of this nature is not there, you may find it very difficult to know the edge of the road; but once it is there, it becomes easier for an average driver to know where the edge of the road is,' he reasoned. He, however, urged the management to see the initiative beyond the beautification and know that the students could contribute to the development of the university.
He advised that the 50th anniversary celebration of the university should not be solely the business of the university administrators alone, as students could also make reasonable contributions.


While commending the effort of the Tony Olumide led group, Babashola Bamishe, a 400-level Psychology student, who is also a key member of the group, said the exercise would encourage the students to contribute towards the development of the community.


To ensure compliance to traffic rules, members of the OAU Man O'war stood by the group throughout the painting exercise, directing traffic and maintaining law and order. Adebayo is a 400 level student of English, OAU