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EducationRe: Shortlisted Candidates For The 2018 Xfire N'land Undergraduate Scholarship Test by Orezy5(m): 3:49pm On Jan 20, 2018
I've received the mail. Thanks..
EducationRe: Shortlisted Candidates For The 2018 Xfire N'land Undergraduate Scholarship Test by Orezy5(m): 12:33pm On Jan 20, 2018
Richiez:
The link to the sample online test has been sent to your mails as scheduled. Please make sure you check your spam folder if you don't find it in your main box. Those who did not receive the mail should inform us here on this thread so that we can do all corrections before the real test. (NOTE: this is very important)
I haven't received a mail yet
EducationRe: Annual Xfire Nairaland Undergraduate Quiz Competition (scholarship)- 2nd Edition by Orezy5(m): 11:14pm On Jan 10, 2018
Institution: Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife
Level: 200L
Department: Agric Economics
EducationRe: UI 2018/2019 Admission Thread by Orezy5(m): 10:47am On Dec 23, 2017
DrBESTJC:
PHYSICS.
All of the following frequencies are overtones of 320Hertz except... (A) 960Hertz (B) 640Hertz (C) 520Hertz (D) 1280Hertz (E) 1600Hertz
C
EducationRe: OAU Law Students Defy Odds To Win On Debut At Indian Competition by Orezy5(op): 6:40pm On Sep 17, 2017
The team’s coach M. A. Lateef has written articles published on Lawyard




http://www.lawyard.ng/oau-law-students-defy-odds-to-win-on-debut-at-indian-competition/

EducationOAU Law Students Defy Odds To Win On Debut At Indian Competition by Orezy5(op): 6:40pm On Sep 17, 2017
Recently, three students from the prestigious Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife in Osun State, made the nation proud by winning the Spirit of the Competition Award at the 4th International Negotiation Competition in New Delhi, India.

It was the first time a Nigerian team participated in the competition.
The Competition was organized by U.K. based firm of Herbert Smith Freehills, HSF, in collaboration with and hosted by the National Law University, New Delhi, India.
The trio were Oyewole Faith Bamise, Oyiki Great, Ayansola Oluwaseun Joshua, all 500 Level students of the faculty. Mr M.A. Latest, lecturer in the same faculty was their team coach.
Speaking with Lawyard about his experience at the competition, Oyewale revealed that “it is the best experience ever. Competing with different schools from all over the world including the likes of Oxford University, UK, University of Queenland, Australia, Melbourne University, Australia, University of Technology, Sydney and so on, was quite a memory sticking experience and a lot was learnt from it. Apart from the competition, we got more exposed and connected with people who are vast in this area of law from HSF.”
Oyiki also praised his teammates, stating that the trio’s prior friendship earned them their ground breaking performance.
“Awesome guys. I think this was all possible because we have a common drive. In addition, their intelligence is matchless.

“For our team coach Mr M. A. Lateef, his words of advice have brought us this far. He treated us like his mates. His sacrifice to our success can’t be downplayed. If I’m to do this again, I would do it with the same set of people.” Oyiki said.
Speaking on getting sponsorship for the competition, Ayansola explained that “it was extremely difficult.”
“It’s always been. For those who know me I started the #VENT Campaign on Instagram to address this same issue of funding and the de-emphasizing of scholarship in our society.
“It took family and friends and the significant intervention of Mr Adesegun Akin-Olugbade (OON), Mr Gbenga Oyebode (MFR) chairman of Aluko & Oyebode and the firm of Banwo & Ighodalo for us to make the trip at the last moment. We will forever be indebted to the aforementioned sponsors.
“We wish the University will invest more in ventures of this nature which can certainly attract foreign partners to Obafemi Awolowo University and increase the School’s reputation internationally.
However, their team coach M. A. Lateef ESQ , expressed his excitement with the extraordinary performance of the team members.
The competition was commenced on the 8th of September and ended on the 10th of September, 2017.

EducationOAU Rejects 120 Cut Off Mark For University Admission by Orezy5(op): 11:29am On Aug 27, 2017
Some Vice-Chancellors and the Academic Staff Union of Universities have rejected the decision of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to peg admission cut-off mark at 120 for universities and 100 for polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education.
ASUU said the action, which it described as a “sad policy decision,” was in tandem “with the dream of the present government to destroy public universities in the country.”
Most of the vice-chancellors interviewed on the issue maintained that they would not lower admission standards in their respective varsities.
The vice-chancellors stated that the decision would add no value to the nation’s university system.
For instance, the Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Tope Ogunmodede, said the institution would not admit any candidate with 120 UTME score.
He said, “Traditionally, OAU has never admitted students who scored below 200 in the UTME. For us, we are sticking to 200. The minimum benchmark is 120 but you can go higher than that. I expect that an institution should be able to determine the quality of its graduates because there are internal exams. What has been done is to provide a leeway for universities to decide their cut-off marks.”
For University of Ibadan, in a statement issued by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, on the issue and released by his Media Assistant, Mr. Sunday Saanu, on Thursday, the premier university stated that it would never admit any candidate that scored 120 in the UTME.
Also, the Dean of Students Affairs, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Kayode Alese, who spoke on behalf of FUTA management, said that the institution would soon unveil its cut-off mark.
“However, I can assure you that FUTA has never gone as low as 120. It has never happened and it will never happen,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students has described the reduction of the cut-off marks for admission into tertiary institutions as “a gross misplacement of priority and an exercise in futility.”
The organisation said that the reduction by JAMB, from 180 for universities and 165 polytechnics, to 120 and 100 respectively for the 2017 UTME, would translate to a disastrous outcome in the future.
The President of NANS, Chinonso Obasi, in a statement on Thursday, threatened that the decision would be resisted if JAMB refused to adhere to the status quo.


http://www.oaupeeps.com/2017/08/oau-rejects-120-cut-off-mark-for.html?m=1

EducationI Didn't Use Phones, Other Gadgets - Enugu Girl Who Made 9 A's by Orezy5(op):
A former pupil of Shalom Academy , Nsukka, Enugu State, Chinecherem Cynthia Ali , whose story went viral after she made A grade in all the subjects she took in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination , shares her success story with TOLUWANI ENIOLA
Please introduce yourself .
I hail from Umuagama community in Enugu State. I am the third of eight children . I am 18 years old . I attended Shalom Academy in Nsukka , Enugu State . My parents are not so rich but they gave me adequate care . My dad is a teacher . He also has a poultry farm . My mother works as a medical lab scientist in a district hospital .
You became the first pupil in your school to earn A grade in all the subjects you sat for in WASSCE . What motivated you to achieve the feat?
While I was in school, my priority was to make a wonderful result. I had clarity of purpose in what I wanted to achieve . My elder brother was the chief motivator. He made six As in his WASSCE last year . He told me I could do better than he did . He planted that goal to surpass his feat in me . Whenever I had a problem with my studies, he was always around to help me out . He practically taught me the techniques to excel in the subjects . He prepared my mind about the syllabus in SS3 , who the teachers were and what would enable me to get the best from each of them .
He told me I needed to put in extra efforts in whatever I was doing . On my first day in school , when I got to SS 1 , my chemistry teacher called me and told me certain things about my goal. He told me no one had ever made nine As in the school. He said he heard an inner voice that I could break the record. I was just laughing when he told me . I had a note which I titled , “ My future WASSCE results . ”
I wrote down my results on the note , filling As across all the subjects I was to sit for. I prayed to God to help me achieve the goal. My friends who saw the note said I was going crazy. But I told God to help me . Another teacher that helped me a great deal was my biology teacher . She prepared a study timetable for me to follow . She told me to study at least two hours at a stretch . The two teachers (chemistry and biology ) told me my goal was achievable .
Have you always had an excellent result like this ?
By God grace , I have always excelled in my studies. My results were always among the best .
What did you say when you saw your outstanding result ?
I was overwhelmed with joy . It was a record - breaking result because no one had ever made that result in my school . On that day , I was sleeping . My brother came to wake me up and broke the news . When I saw it , I thought I was dreaming.
How many hours did you study daily ?
In our school , we were mandated to observe our preparatory classes for day students . From 2 . 30pm to 4 pm , I would go home to cook and do other things I needed to do till around 7 pm . From 7 pm till 10pm , I was always reading my books daily . Sometimes , I could set aside five or six hours to read .
How did you cope with the distractions from boys in school ?
I never had a boyfriend . One thing I learnt along the line was that once one is serious with one ’ s studies , it will be difficult for boys to approach one for a relationship. When I was in SS 1 , one day I entered the class . There was this male classmate of mine who was always disturbing me . I was reading my book . We had just finished the computer practical . Others were discussing while I was reading my book . Then the boy said , “ What’ s the problem with you ? Is it that you cannot rest, at least talk to people . ”
He said I didn’ t need to be reading every time . I was able to overcome the pressures of male pupils because I didn’ t entertain any unserious talks . They knew me for that so they avoided me . Also , I was a day student , so I spent most of my time in class . We had preparatory classes by 4 pm so I was always at home when I was not in school . This made it impossible for any boy to approach me . Maybe if I was in the boarding school , it would have been a different story. I am a quiet girl . Because I rarely had time to chat with others, they said I was a proud girl . But I taught a few of my classmates in my spare time .
What subject was the most challenging for you and how did you overcome it?
I think physics posed the greatest challenge. I always found it hard comprehending the subject. The situation changed when I got to SS3 . Our physics teacher always gave us tests every week . If you failed the test , he would cane you . I was afraid of his cane . I then made up my mind to study hard . Along the line, I realised that physics was not even as difficult as I thought . Mathematics was easy for me . God was just helping me at every stage . I found out that I understood what I was taught quickly . We had five mathematics teachers . While in school, mathematics was divided into five areas. We had separate teachers for arithmetic , algebra , statistics , geometry and vector . Each of these subjects was taught separately . The way mathematics was split into five areas really helped me to have a thorough understanding of the subject. I usually excelled in my mathematics examinations even without studying . I love the subject so much .
How did you feel meeting the Enugu State governor ?
I thank God for the privilege to meet the governor at my age . I am grateful to God for making it possible . Thousands of pupils in our state would like to meet the governor . For me , it is one of the most memorable moments of my life as I shook hands with the governor. The governor congratulated me and said the commissioner for education would reach out to me .
Later, I was told that the governor had given me a scholarship to study in any university of my choice in Nigeria and a prize of N 1 m . I felt overwhelmed . I never believed that I would be a beneficiary of a scholarship. I appreciate the government for this noble gesture .
What role did your parents play in your success?
My dad is an English teacher . He always encouraged us . He taught us English after school hours. He made sure I didn’ t use a mobile phone . Once I got to secondary school, I neither used a phone nor had access to any gadget. It was a serious offence at home . It really helped me because if I had a mobile , I would have been distracted. I might have spent less time on my studies. My mum always encouraged me too . She told me that when she was my age , she excelled in her studies too. She emphasised that I could break the record . When I was in primary school , my father supported me with extra lessons at home . He also got part- time teachers for me .
Do you think you are a genius ?
I don’ t think I am one . I think anyone who studied hard and relied on God can make a similar feat.
What is the next step for you ?
I want to study medicine . I chose medicine because I believe it would enable me to save lives . It is also a noble profession .
What did you score in the UTME ?
The UTME was out before I took WASSCE . I scored 266 . I was discouraged when I saw the result because I felt I should have got above 300 marks . The good thing is that they also use the WASSCE result to select candidates . They grade prospective candidates , using 60 per cent for the UTME and 40 per cent for the WASSCE result. When I saw my UTME results, I was just praying to God to excel in WASSCE result a wonderful one. When our principal saw my UTME result, he didn’ t believe that it was my result because he expected more from me . UTME was very easy for me and I was disappointed when I saw the score .
Which schools did you apply to ?
I applied to the University of Nigeria , Nsukka and Ebonyi State University. The universities have not started issuing admission letters. They have started uploading the results . The cut off mark for medicine is 290 or so in UNN last year . I checked my result and it was 319 . 6 , so I am hopeful I would be admitted .
Why don’ t you study abroad instead ?
I want to study in Nigeria first . I guess I am too young to study outside the country all alone . But I would like to do postgraduate studies abroad.
Was cramming part of your studying methods?
I am not good at cramming books. I develop many codes to remember what I read.
What are the most remarkable lessons you have learnt from your success ?
I think the most important part of my success story is to do one’ s best and to trust in God . I always believe that it ’ s only God that can enable me to fulfill my destiny .
http://punchng.com/i-didnt-use-phones-other-gadgets-they-are-distractions-enugu-girl-who-made-9as/

EducationRe: My Own Little Way Of giving back: 10k each for lucky Nigerian students by Orezy5(m):
.
EducationRe: 15000 Each For 6 Students. by Orezy5(m): 2:05am On Jul 10, 2017
Orezy5:
Obafemi Awolowo University(OAU)

200L
EducationRe: 15000 Each For 6 Students. by Orezy5(m): 2:04am On Jul 10, 2017
Obafemi Awolowo University(OAU) 200L
EducationRe: Please Someone Should Help Me Confirm by Orezy5(m): 7:19am On May 23, 2017
Please oo should knows where I can get the e-pin? Will it still be available in the banks?
Nairaland GeneralLagos, Nigeria's Mega City Where Shrines Compete With Churches, Mosques by Orezy5(op): 6:43am On Feb 18, 2017
He moved the wooden bench in front of the shop to another location where he could have a better view of the vicinity .
It was his first time in Lagos , and based on the many things he had heard about Lagos , Nigeria ’ s commercial city , Adebayo Abayomi, 19, savoured every moment since his arrival in the country few days earlier .
To satisfy his curiosity and numerous expectations, he made sure he followed his aunt to her shop inside the popular Ipodo market, located at the heart of Ikeja, the capital city of Lagos State .
Time was 10:09 am that Thursday when the weekly environmental sanitation had just ended . From where he sat in front of the shop, he kept admiring the way business activities were gradually coming to life ; the exchange of banter; the noise from nowhere increasing very rapidly ; conductors in commercial buses few metres away calling passengers and both young and old struggling for space on the busy street. All these fascinated him .
That was one part of Lagos he had heard so much about . He told his aunt , who later told our correspondent, that while coming from home at Isale Eko , around Idumota, the tall buildings , the flashy cars on the road , the many churches that line the roads, the busy nature of the city, the crowd and the experience – different from what he had been used to all his life – amazed him .
While Abayomi kept observing everything around him from where he sat , he suddenly saw a very small ( about 1. 5 metres above ground level) block work , with semblance of a small house – at a junction in the market, where ‘ Ojubo Esu’ ( the shrine of a deity called Esu) was boldly written . He soon realised it was a shrine. On the small ‘ house’ were different inscriptions , including the drawings of masquerades on it . It was a stone’ s throw from his aunt’ s shop, while there were people around it carrying out their business activities .
Apparently shocked by what he saw , his sudden exclamation and the way he made a dash for the door of the shop attracted everyone around there . It was obvious to anyone looking at his direction that something just scared him .
Abayomi would later explain that he was shocked to see a shrine not just in Lagos , “ with all its civilisation ” , but at the heart of Ikeja , which is one of the topmost commercial locations in the state.
He said , “ I was shocked and even scared to see a shrine in Lagos . Lagos ! Ha- ha !! How did it get there , with the level of civilisation? Lagos is about the centre of civilisation in Nigeria . I thought such things would only be found in remote villages or rural hinterlands , and anyone like me would think that once you enter Lagos , its goodbye to traditional religion. ”
But unknown to Abayomi, in spite of its enviable commercial nature , technological advancement , civilisation and urbanisation , Lagos remains a typical Yoruba state, where indigenous religion is still being practised .
Also , unknown to him , around the place where he lived with his aunt , there are shrines scattered across where people still go regularly to worship . “ I was shocked to know that these things also happen in Lagos , ” he added .
Metropolitan Lagos, a shining example
True to Abayomi’ s thoughts , the urbanisation of Lagos could make it easy to assume that the coming of Christianity and Islam had pushed traditional religion into oblivion . Such assumption could even be fuelled by the fact that Lagos is said to have the highest number of churches and denominations, and a sizeable number of mosques, spread across the city . Beyond these , many of the big churches in Nigeria have their headquarters and campgrounds in Lagos and its environs.
Thus , people could assume that with all these – urbanisation and huge presence of the two main religions – things like shrines would no longer exist in Lagos . But that is not the case .
Our correspondent found that in almost all parts of Lagos , including Lagos Island which is the headquarters of many corporate organisations , traditional religion is still as present and being practised as can be imagined , as there were shrines for the worship of Ogun ( god of iron) , Sango ( god of thunder ) , Esu ( a god known as Elegba) and all kinds of masquerades.
When our correspondent visited Ipodo Street in Ikeja , the Ojubo Esu shrine was a centre of attraction , more so that it is located at a junction . But that shrine was just a tip of the iceberg . Tucked somewhere inside the street was a collection of shrines. One of them , a pure white hut , was labelled Ojubo Aje ( meaning shrine for the god of huge trade ) , while there are several others in another location , where they are all being manned by a man, called Olori ( the head ) .
The location was like an enclave , comprising many shrines and the numerous masquerades, all of whose images were neatly engraved on the walls of the premises .
Even though Olori declined talking to Saturday PUNCH about the shrines, as he politely referred our correspondent to the Regent of Ikeja whose permission he would need before he could talk or before our correspondent could be allowed to take photographs , our correspondent made some interesting discoveries from some elders in the community.
Our correspondent gathered that in Ikeja , the capital city of Lagos , there are three festivals , namely Eegun ( masquerade) , Oro ( a patriarchal traditional festival ) and Ogboni ( an indigenous fraternal institution in Yoruba land ) and they have their shrines, images and elements conspicuously displayed at the enclave .
This implies that while the churches and mosques dot almost every street in the state, coupled with the corporate organisations, the high rise buildings and high level commercial activities, the traditional religion remains vibrant and alive in the heart of the city . And according to findings , each of the festivals , when the time comes, costs millions of naira to celebrate because of the preparations and celebrations that go into it.
It seems interesting that in a population of over 20 million people, most of whom believe in Christianity and Islam , coupled with the ( prominence) war waged against the indigenous belief by the two dominant religions , it is still very much around and still standing.
Suffice it to say that the traditional religion has been very resilient and has been able to survive the industrialisation , technological advancement , civilisation and urbanisation that have all made Lagos a cosmopolitan and metropolitan city.
And as much as religion has been known to unite people , the traditional religion is also performing this function as the worshippers of these deities always come together to celebrate or worship at the appropriate time.
Interestingly, Ikeja is not alone . Other areas of Lagos , including Ojuelegba, Ojota , Egbeda , Idimu, Lagos Island, Agege, Iyana Ipaja , Ikotun and many other parts of Lagos have shrines in their communities.
In other states of the federation, there are very many shrines – some located in the forest and some in open places – where traditional believers still worship, but in Lagos , the shrines are located in open spaces where people could see them freely .
For example , at Ikotun, a very busy, commercial town in Alimosho Local Government Area, the roundabout at the centre of the town is as popular as the town itself . But right in the middle of the roundabout is a shrine. It ’ s a small red brick work with a semblance of the deity, covered in black, shooting out of it.
The shrine, which is said to belong to the community , is always locked with a padlock unless the worshippers come there to worship it . As our correspondent gathered , people, including the priests , come there to worship the deity from time to time, even at daytime .
Their coming often aggravates traffic on the ever busy road , which would also show all who care to look that it is indeed a shrine. “ It used to be in a mud house until they refurbished it sometime ago , ” a shop owner , who had been in the area for about seven years , said .
The shrine is opposite the Area headquarters of the Christ Apostolic Church , and some metres away from the Synagogue Church of All Nations , among other churches around . This shows that the traditional religion has been able to survive civilisation and modernisation.
Also at Ojuelegba, a busy commercial community that connects Lagos Mainland to the Island, one could easily be carried away with the numerous business activities , but close to the junction that leads to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital ( on Itire Road) from under the bridge , there is another shrine. The small, white block work ( about 1. 5 metres high) , is located just by the road with Ojubo Esu written on it and different masquerades drawn on it.
Interestingly, people around it , including a restaurant , carried on with their trading activities as if there was nothing to worry about .
The community had yet to have a Baale ( community head ) but one of the titled chiefs , the Basorun of Surulere , Alhaji Raheem Durowoju , who spoke to our correspondent , explained that the shrine was for Esu and that no matter the civilisation, the shrine would always be there .
He said apart from the fact that the Esu protects them from harm, it is their benefactor and that is why August 20 of every year has been set aside as the Isese Day to go there to worship it and celebrate .
Durowoju , who appeared to be in his 80s , said , “ Yes , civilisation has swept off many cultural and traditional practices, especially in a place like Lagos , but there are things that can’ t be swept off . As civilised as Lagos is, there are people – across the social class ; rich, average and the poor – who would never abandon the religion, and that explains the reason why our traditional religion has not faded out, in spite of the massive attack against it by the other two religions .
“ As Christians focus on Jesus Christ, Muslims on Mohammed, traditional worshippers also focus on any of Esu, Orunmila , Sango or Ogun, and we won ’ t trade our religion for anything. That is why the religion is still alive. So , regardless of civilisation, everybody has their own belief. Esu is our benefactor and that is why people still use it to name their children, like Esubiyi, Olonade, Dosumu , etc . ”
In spite of their efforts to keep the religion alive, he , however , admitted that civilisation had affected their population and their activities .
Durowoju , accompanied by his son , Fatai, said , “ In the past, we used to go there to worship Esu regularly , like every month, but due to civilisation and the boom in the other religions that has absorbed some of our members , unless there is an emergency, August 20 is the day set aside to go there . The new religion has affected us . Those who should be doing it have accepted new religion. Those who were devoted to it at that time , when they died and their children were supposed to take over , they had rather accepted the new religion. Some have even become Imams or Pastors . So , we have fewer members unlike before.
“ And the essence was mainly for protection . That is why it is always at the border ( entrance ) of the community, so that any evil coming into the town would be repelled by the Esu. But now , things have changed .
“ Surulere used to be known as Abule Elegba ( Elegba means Esu) , but due to civilisation and to avoid calling it Abule Esu, it was named Surulere . Just as Ojota is oju ota . Ota is Esu, so Ojota is Oju ota ; where Esu is being worshipped .
“ We have our own version of names too . Christians say Michael, Muslims call it Mukalia, while we call it Sango. Esu has many names and people celebrate it every year , because they believe it helps them . So , the religion will always be there . ”
In other parts of Lagos visited by our correspondent, the story is the same. Descending the Iyana Ipaja Bridge towards Agege, there is another Ojubo Esu, and on Karimu Street in the neighbourhood, there is a shrine where Ogun is being worshipped .
The worshippers, who gathered that Tuesday evening , revelling in some shindig, told our correspondent that worshiping Esu and Ogun was their own way and no level of urbanisation could make them throw away their native religion.
One of them said , “ We have Ogun here ( pointing at the shrine) while the one beside the bridge is Esu. Ogun and Esu are friends and they don’ t stay far away from each other. Few days earlier , we still celebrated here and many people witnessed it.
“ While you Christians and Muslims keep to your own belief, we keep to our own . Some of those who should be among us have accepted the religion brought to us by foreigners, making our own indigenous religion to be like a wicked one , but it is ours and we will continue to promote it. ”
Daring the odds to survive
Also at Orile Agege, there are many shrines spread across the community. From the popular Agbotikuyo junction to Old Ota Road, to Aiyepe Street and Olabua area , different shrines dot the entire area , and findings showed that there are more in different homes.
At Okunola Road in Egbeda , Alimosho Local Government Area, there is also a shrine for Ogun on one of the streets off the main road .
On entering the street, one would see a tree on the left , with palm leaves tied round it . It stood like an ordinary tree , but it is beyond being ordinary . The tree symbolises the Ogun that is being worshipped , and according to the Baale of Okunola , High Chief Tajudeen Adeyemi Fasinro, people come from far and near to worship the deity.
“ The deities are like channels through which worshippers talk to their god, ” he added , noting that the items used to worship the deity could include goat, dog, ram , etc . , as specified by the Ifa divination .
He added , “ We do Ogun, Eegun and Osu festivals on August 20 of every year. People come from far and near . We invite musicians. If you ever witnessed it, you would understand that our native religion is still as popular as before. People come from outside the country to witness it. Those who couldn ’ t come , including pastors , could send money. Everywhere would be filled up. It ’ s usually a memorable moment . ”
He admitted that they had lost some of their members to Christianity and Islam , but that it would not be sufficient to send the religion into extinction .
He added , “ Ogun ( the deity) helps us to prevent evil occurrences – like kidnapping and illnesses – and protect the community against danger. In the past, our forefathers used this same religion to deliver women of their babies with ease. There was nothing like Caesarean Section.
“ But these days, people no longer eat concoction , yet it works . By consulting the oracle, our forefathers could tell the gender of a baby in the womb. Yoruba has a rich culture but we have thrown them away because of imported religion. The President ( Muhammadu Buhari) has been urging us as a nation to embrace things made in Nigeria . Our traditional religion is also made in Nigeria and we should embrace it. ”
Fasinro, who said he is an Alhaji who had been to Mecca , stressed that if Oro ( a traditional festival ) was still being celebrated till date , many societal ills would be non -existent . He said Islam , his religion, only forbids that a faithful bows to an idol, which he said he would not do .
He said there are people who have become pastors or imams who still recognise the role of traditional religion, and during the festivals , they send money to them as their contributions .
He added , “ China and India are big economies but they have their traditional beliefs and they promote them . Are they not successful ? Civilisation and local culture development should be at par . We won ’ t throw away our own religion because of civilisation . I ’ m proud of Ogun and my root . It is true that there is God but it is the deity that we send to God because we can’ t see God himself.
A native religion and its survival instinct
No doubt, Nigeria has rich and enviable cultural and traditional heritage . It was also for this reason that the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture was held in Lagos , Nigeria in 1977. FESTAC ’ 77, which afterwards became a household name in Nigeria , witnessed people coming from all over the world to celebrate the African culture in Nigeria .
The event , which lasted one month, was the largest pan-African gathering at that time , and it was an avenue to display everything African , including music, art and religion, to the world and promote black unity through cultural festivals .
It is noteworthy that at the opening ceremony of the festival on January 15, 1977, it was a Sango ( god of thunder ) priest that set the festival bowl ablaze , which symbolised the commencement of the programme and the freedom and unity of the blacks .
But years after the festival and with the growth of Christianity and Islam , it was as if there was a massive attack on the traditional religion to the point that anything indigenous was tainted as evil .
For as many that believe in the indigenous tradition, they are doing everything possible to make sure the religion stays alive. Interestingly, there seems to be a resurgence of the religion and gradually, people no longer feel ashamed about it, as they now meet regularly and have gathering points for worship.
In fact , some believers of the native religion now sponsor programmes on the radio to reach out to a large audience , with the aim of educating the public on the need to embrace their indigenous religion.
Meanwhile, an Ifa priest and social commentator , Dr . Aderemi Ifaoleepin , said till the end of time , Ifa would always be alive . He said even though people have shifted their attention to the religion introduced by foreigners , the native religion would always stand , regardless of civilisation .
He said , “ Just as Christians have the Bible and Muslims have the Quran, the Ifa is the unwritten language of God about life. It is something you learn . Also , people need to distinguish between native religion and black magic. They are not the same . ”
He said it was misconception and misinformation that makes people to see the native religion as black magic. He added , “ You hear people calling Ogun the god of Iron and Sango the god of thunder , but those deities do not have English names. As long as there is life, our native religion will continue to be. ”
On what the Lagos State government feels about the continued existence of the shrines, the Head of Public Affairs Unit , Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr . Ganiu Lawal , said the government recognises and respects the shrines that are indigenous and have traditional value , noting , however , that some are not genuine and are not registered with the government .
He added , “ Some communities decided to institutionalise a deity or have a shrine, so , you find that sometimes , when the state government is doing a project , they could bypass them to show respect and sensitivity to their existence and their owners.
“ Infrastructural development , like roads, met some of those shrines where they are , so they have traditional and historical values and the state government respects that. If you go to some places , you would see that the road would have to bend because of them ( shrines) because of their traditional value . I mean the real , indigenous ones and they are registered with the government . ”
He said since they are recognised, they are required to notify the government when they are to have any of their festivals , so as to have police protection and have their activities regulated, more so that some of them are crucial to tourism in the state.

http://punchng.com/lagos-nigerias-mega-city-shrines-compete-churches-mosques/

Nairaland GeneralLady Bites Off Boyfriend's Testicles During Argument by Orezy5(op): 7:09am On Feb 12, 2017
A man had to have his testicles reattached after his girlfriend bit them off during an argument when she returned late from church .
The savage attack happened in Botswana with the victim , a 33-year- old unnamed man, required emergency intervention to sew his privates back on . The couple were said to have fallen out after the woman said to be 32 arrived home a day late from church , according to Mirror UK .
Officers arrested the woman after they were tipped off by medics treating the man in hospital.
According to a top Policeman , Goitsemodimo Molapisi, she would be brought before the court when paperwork on the man’ s medical condition was finished
He said : “ Currently she is facing a grievous harm charge and the doctor ’ s report will determine the final charge. It can be lesser or remain as it is. ”
Another senior policeman , who wished to remain anonymous , said : “ They exchanged harsh words with the man demanding to know where she had been . She tore and left the testicles hanging . He is very lucky because she nearly cut them off from the body . ”
http://punchng.com/lady-bites-off-boyfriends-testicles-argument/
HealthLack Of Medical Supplies Forces LUTH To Postpone Surgeries by Orezy5(op): 12:42pm On Feb 11, 2017
Patients who have been scheduled for various surgeries at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi -Araba , have expressed their displeasure at the hospital ’ s management .
Those who spoke with our correspondent on Monday complained that their surgical operations were cancelled because the hospital had run out of some essential medical supplies and consumables .
An aggrieved patient , who spoke to our correspondent on Monday , said this was the third time that her surgery would be postponed in the last two months when she was admitted to the Ward C1 unit of the hospital.
She said , “ The first time I was to be operated upon , they cancelled it because doctors were on strike. The second time, I was told that the machine had not been washed . Now they are saying they don’ t have consummables .
“ This is a surgery I have paid for since last year . I am tired and I don’ t know when they will perform the operation . ”
A cancer patient , who lamented that it was the second that her surgery would be postponed, feared that her condition would have worsened by the time she was rescheduled for a breast removal surgery .
She said , “ The first time , I was told that they could not do the operation because their radiotherapy machine , which I am supposed to use after the surgery , was not working . This time , they are saying they don’ t have some medical supplies .
“ The cancer is spreading and my doctor says I need to be operated on as quickly as possible . If not , I may not survive. Are we saying people should die because the hospital does not have a N 500 surgical face mask ?”
Doctors, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity for fear of being sanctioned by the hospital ’ s management on Monday , decried the slow pace of services at the tertiary hospital in the past two months .
According to one of them , there is no reason why LUTH should be postponing surgeries this time as patients have paid for this procedure and doctors are available to attend to the patients.
He said , “ Surgeries were cancelled last week because there were no surgical face masks and jackets to wear during surgery . Let ’ s not forget that these are elective surgeries not emergencies. It means that they have been paid for and the hospital has had enough time to prepare for them .
“ It is also a frequent occurrence in this hospital . That is why we are worried because patients are really suffering. Many have travelled as far as Plateau State to Lagos and they are now stranded . ”
Another doctor at the hospital told our correspondent that the dialysis centre at the tertiary hospital had not been functioning optimally in the last one year due to the lack of consumables needed to run the procedure .
According to him , most patients that come to the centre for treatment are often referred to other facilities in the state.
He said , “ We don’ t have to wait till the system collapses to cry because things are getting worse. The excuse that there is no money can no longer be tolerated because the hospital generates money and also receives budgetary allocations from government . ”
When contacted on Tuesday, LUTH’ s Public Relations Officer, Mr . Kelechi Otuneme , however , said that the hospital had not run out of medical supplies and there was no official announcement that surgeries were postponed.
He said , “ There are many reasons why surgeries are postponed and it is usually on a case by case basis , not for all patients. If the consultant feels that a patient is not stable enough to go through a procedure , he or she may decide that it is best to shift it for a later date to ensure that the operation is successful . I will, however , investigate these claims . ”

http://punchng.com/lack-medical-supplies-forces-luth-postpone-surgeries/
Nairaland GeneralWeird: Smoker Calls Police, Complains Of High Cost Of Marijuana by Orezy5(op): 11:28am On Feb 04, 2017
The Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services in Australia has revealed that a woman called recently to complain about the high cost of marijuana in her locality.
According to the unnamed woman, her drug dealer asked for far more money than she was used to paying. She couldn’ t bottle her anger and so called to complain to the police, according to reddit.com.
“ Completely offended , the woman demanded that police investigate this ‘ outrageous ’ price hike . When asked for further details , she hung up , ” a police officer said .
The police said the call was “ unusual” but offered to assist others facing the same problem.
“ If you know a drug dealer who is ripping you off , give us a call, we ’ d love to help, ” they stated.

http://punchng.com/smoker-calls-police-complains-high-cost-marijuana/
HealthOAU Teaching Hospital Records 14 Successful Open-heart Surgeries In 2016 by Orezy5(op): 11:23pm On Jan 17, 2017
No fewer than 14 successful open heart surgeries were carried out at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife in 2016.
The Chief Medical Director of the institution, Prof Victor Adetiloye, who disclosed to newsmen in Ile-Ife, said the success story of the surgery operation was recorded based on the competent doctors they have on ground.
Adetiloye explained that the routine surgeries that people travel abroad to perform have been successfully handled at the lesser cost in OAUTHC.
He appealed to Nigerians who are of the opinion that until they travel abroad, they can’t get any solution to their health challenges, that it can be easily done at OAUTHC, Ile-ife.
In the same vein, a Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Doctor Uvie Onokpoya stated that hole in heart which has three sections of surgery, that people travel abroad to perform with over N6 million in India, has been attended to by our medical experts with less than a million naira.
He added that people should first visit their hospital to examine the degree of their ailment whether it could be done in Ile-Ife teaching hospital, if not, such patient can now get referred to abroad for such.
He explained that OAUTHC has modern equipment, coupled with well trained and high skilled professional medical experts.
“We will strive to do more of the open heart surgery this year, as it has been scheduled to begin very soon in OAUTHC, Ile-Ife.”
He said, “What we are doing here is to save people from financial and emotional embarrassment, wear and tear of the body for the people who travel abroad for such treatments.”
“For instance, people go abroad for minor surgery like anoraphy which is very common and can be successfully handled here in OAUTHC without much stress with little amount.
Meanwhile, Dr John Okeniyi, a Paediatric Consultant Cardiologist, explained that hole in heart ailment is acquired over time by adult.
The management eulogised the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Sen Iyiola Omisore, Dr Themo Edmund, Dr Ramon Adedoyin and Feature Hope Foundation, based in UK, for their gesture toward the development of the hospital.
The hospital authority called on good people of Nigeria to collaborate with the government to provide more modern equipment and to give training and retraining of medical personnel to alleviate health challenges that make our people to run abroad.

http://leadership.ng/news/567128/oau-teaching-hospital-records-14-successful-open-heart-surgeries-in-2016

EducationRe: Mass Failure Recorded In PHYSICS 105 @ OAU. by Orezy5(m): 8:59pm On Dec 24, 2016
INTERMAN:
no B had been seen not to talk of A.
I had a B-62
Science/TechnologyOAU Researchers Win Prestigious IEEE Outstanding Paper Award by Orezy5(op): 1:23pm On Nov 25, 2016
A paper written by three researchers in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering – Prof. Lawrence.O. Kehinde, Dr. Kayode.P. Ayodele, and Dr. Isaac.A. Inyang – has been adjudged one of the three outstanding papers published by the IEEE Transactions in Education in calendar year 2015. The paper, titled “An iLab for Teaching Advanced Logic Concepts with Hardware Descriptive Languages”, described the design and development of a remote laboratory which allowed students from anywhere in the world to conduct laboratory experiments on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) device located in OAU. The studies, on which the paper was written, were conducted in Ile-Ife between 2012 and 2014, and provided scientific evidence of the effectiveness of iLabs as pedagogical tools. The award, which has never previously been won by African researchers, was presented at the IEEE Frontiers in Education conference at Erie, Pennsylvania on October 14, 2016.
The letter of the President, IEEE Education Society reads in part:
“As President of the IEEE Education Society, I am pleased to inform you that your IEEE Transactions on Education paper “An iLab for Teaching Advanced Logic Concepts With Hardware Descriptive Languages” has been judged by our selection committee as one of the three outstanding papers for Volume 58, calendar year 2015. We congratulate you for your outstanding research and for the resulting improvement it should lead to for engineering education around the world and in the future.”

http://oaukilonshele..nl/2016/11/oau-researchers-win-prestigious-ieee.html?m=1

EducationOAU Researchers Win Prestigious IEEE Outstanding Paper Award by Orezy5(op): 6:51pm On Nov 24, 2016
A paper written by three researchers in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering – Prof. Lawrence.O. Kehinde, Dr. Kayode.P. Ayodele, and Dr. Isaac.A. Inyang – has been adjudged one of the three outstanding papers published by the IEEE Transactions in Education in calendar year 2015. The paper, titled “An iLab for Teaching Advanced Logic Concepts with Hardware Descriptive Languages”, described the design and development of a remote laboratory which allowed students from anywhere in the world to conduct laboratory experiments on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) device located in OAU. The studies, on which the paper was written, were conducted in Ile-Ife between 2012 and 2014, and provided scientific evidence of the effectiveness of iLabs as pedagogical tools. The award, which has never previously been won by African researchers, was presented at the IEEE Frontiers in Education conference at Erie, Pennsylvania on October 14, 2016.
The letter of the President, IEEE Education Society reads in part:
“As President of the IEEE Education Society, I am pleased to inform you that your IEEE Transactions on Education paper “An iLab for Teaching Advanced Logic Concepts With Hardware Descriptive Languages” has been judged by our selection committee as one of the three outstanding papers for Volume 58, calendar year 2015. We congratulate you for your outstanding research and for the resulting improvement it should lead to for engineering education around the world and in the future.”



http://www.oauife.edu.ng/2016/11/obafemi-awolowo-university-researchers-win-prestigious-ieee-outstanding-paper-award/
CrimeOgun Man Arrested For Killing Stepdaughter For Rituals by Orezy5(op): 6:18am On Nov 16, 2016
A 63-year-old man, Korede Odubela, has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly killing his 16-year-old stepdaughter, Amudat Oshimodi, for ritual purposes.
The suspect was said to have connived with another accomplice, Lekan Lawal, to commit the crime at Imosan village, in the Odogbolu Local Government Area of the state.
The two suspects were among the 12 suspects paraded at the command headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, on Tuesday by the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, for various offences, including armed robbery, burglary and stealing.
Iliyasu said Odubela, who was the leader of the gang, connived with Lawal to strangle Oshimodi, after which they sold her head and hands to ritual killers.
The police commissioner said the men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad received information about their activities and swooped on them on Monday, November 7, 2016.
Odubela said he connived with Lawal to kill his stepdaughter because the 16-year-old girl was always stealing her mother’s money.
He said, “The mother said we should kill her as a sacrifice for other children she had. She (Oshimodi) normally slept by the outside door. On that day, around 12 midnight, I invited Lekan Lawal, and he held the girl by the neck and strangled her while I held her legs.”
Odubela said he sold Amudat’s head to his son, Seun, a herbalist who paid him N3,000, as part payment.
However, Odubela’s wife, Fausat, denied asking her husband to kill her daughter.
Iliyasu said the case was still under investigation, while the corpse of Amudat had been deposited at the morgue of the Ijebu Ode General Hospital.
The command also paraded suspected robbers –Tochukwu Njikonye, Abdulahi Abdulamid and Obinna Mbam – who were said to have been arrested on Monday, October 3, 2016, in the Ogbere area of the state. The police said they were arrested while robbing motorists of their valuables.
Iliyasu said the suspects were armed with two pump-action guns and one locally-made pistol, adding that they usually blocked the road with either truck or wood to “perpetrate their nefarious activity.”
Six other suspects were equally paraded for burglary and stealing. The suspects were said to have burgled the computer laboratory of the Egba-Obafemi Community Grammar School, in the Obafemi-Owode Local government Area and carted away 95 tablets (computers) and their chargers.
Iliyasu said the school principal, Mrs. Ajiboye Olaide, reported the matter at the Owode-Egba Police Station on Wedneday, November 9, 2016, and the Divisional Police Officer and his men swung into action.
He said two suspects were arrested in the bushes around the school, which led to the arrest of the gang leader, Oluwagbotemi Ojo.
Iliyasu said the alleged receiver of the stolen computers, Sunday Olufemi, was also arrested in Ibadan, Oyo State, while all the computers were recovered.
Ojo, however, said the school’s security guard, Saheed Adamu, gave him information on how to burgl e the computer laboratory.
The CP also disclosed that his men received information that some armed robbers used a house in Egbe village in Ijebu Ode as their hideout, adding that one Gbenga Olowolafe was arrested with one pump-action gun and one double-barrelled gun.
The suspect, however, said he was the coordinator of the Oo’dua Peoples Congress in the Egbe area.


http://punchng.com/ogun-man-arrested-killing-stepdaughter-rituals/

EducationI Hate Reading — Oyindamola Badejo, Bells University Best Graduating Student by Orezy5(op): 11:38am On Nov 15, 2016
In this interview with SAMUEL AWOYINFA, the best graduating student 2015/2016 session at the Bells University of Technology, Ota, Miss Oyindamola Badejo, with 4.89 CGPA in Bio-medical Engineering, speaks about the secrets of her success
What was your strategy for reading?


That is funny because there is an irony about my reading style.
First, I will say that I am not a ‘reader’. I do not like to read or study. So, I definitely wasn’t a library head or someone that would stay up all night studying. My strategy for studying was built on self-evaluation and analysis. I know I’m a kind of person who gets it in class. So, I made sure I attend all my classes once I didn’t have to be unavoidably absent.

So, reading afterwards was just to brush up. Additionally, I have a strong level of understanding and perception, so I don’t have to spend hours reading. I only spend a few minutes reading and I am good. As a matter of fact, I would only start reading a week or a couple of days before my exams.

How would you have felt if you fell short of first class and you did not make the current CGPA?
Well, in all honesty, I don’t think I would have ever fallen short of a first class degree. I started pretty strong and I definitely wouldn’t watch myself go down. But if in a parallel universe it did happen, it would be sad but it would not have been the end of the world. I mean it is nice to have a good degree but that is not all life has to offer. So, if I didn’t make it, it would have been a very bitter pill to swallow but I would have swallowed it all the same.

Why do you think students fail?
I think most students fail for a number of reasons, among which is lack of preparation on their parts. By this I don’t mean that students don’t read. What I mean is that there can be lack of preparation in the light that students do not do proper self-evaluation. Some people don’t even know how their brains work.

Another reason has to do with lecturers. Some lecturers derive joy from the pain of students. Some like to see students beg and cry before them so they can feel like demi-gods. I don’t know if this is an ego ride for them but this is another common reason for failure. How can a lecturer give you a textbook and just appear in class on a few occasions and tell you to read the entire book on your own? In as much as we don’t expect to be taught everything within the four walls of the school, we do expect to be taught something valuable; that which triggers your thirst for more information.

Students also fail because of some learning conditions. Who wants to go to a class on a very hot afternoon with no fans and about 100 students in a very tiny space? Even lecturers are uncomfortable. Yet some fail because they are simply lazy.
Was there anything in your background that helped you?
Not really. I’ve just always been a goal-oriented and focused person though I am also playful.
Have you always been a brilliant student from your primary school?
My primary school never awarded positions. Rather, it graded us in percentages and I was always between 80 and 90 per cent. But I don’t even remember ever reading in primary school. I hated reading and I still do. In secondary school, however, I had to try a little bit so I would not fail. In junior school, I was always between 1st and 3rd positions and in senior school I always came first or second in class. That time, I had a very strong contender. So I would like to believe I have always been academically strong.

Bio-medical Engineering as a course is relatively new in Nigeria and at Bellstech. How did you cope with the course in terms of getting textbooks and qualified lecturers to handle the course?
Through the Internet! Everything you need is on the Internet. All hard-copy books can be found on the Internet, so getting books wasn’t a problem. The university’s library has some books as well but I personally prefer using the Internet.
Concerning qualified lecturers, I’m in no position to answer that. All I know is that the college and school by extension do a very good job in hiring lecturers at least in my programme. Eighty per cent of my lecturers were either doctors or professors. We even had a professor that would come all the way form Enugu for classes, Prof Okoye.

Could you list other Awards you won as the best overall student?
I won the Best Graduating Female Student with Outstanding Academic Performance and Leadership Qualities; Overall Best Graduating Student, Best Graduating Student in the College of Engineering, Best Graduating Student in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Department, Dr Oluyombo Adetilewa Awojobi’s Prize for Best Graduating Student in Biomedical Engineering and the Bells University Student Association’s Student of the Year.

Were you in a relationship in school or you saw it as a distraction?
Yes, I was in a relationship. Something is only a distraction when you want it to be; when you lack focus. Relationships should not mar success. It’s part of this ‘adulting’ thing. You have to learn how to juggle your personal life and work/school or business relationships.
Do you have any regrets?
No regrets. Everything I have done in the past was the right thing to do in that moment. It was what seemed right at that point and maybe not everything ended up being advantageous on the long run.

http://punchng.com/hate-reading-bells-best-graduating-student/

FashionRe: Mr Nairaland 2016 - Grand Finale by Orezy5(m): 3:09pm On Aug 06, 2016
I vote Fynestboi
Cc: NLJega
Goodluck
FashionRe: Mr. NAIRALAND Contest 2016 - Semi-final by Orezy5(m):
I vote :

Fynestboi

Ichommy

Falconey

Iamkingzlee

Princeakins


Cc: NLJega
FashionRe: Mr. Nairaland Contest 2016 - Elimination Round 2 by Orezy5(m): 10:22am On Aug 02, 2016
Franchise21:
pls modify. It's Franchise21 not Francise21
Done
FashionRe: Mr. Nairaland Contest 2016 - Elimination Round 2 by Orezy5(m):
I Vote:

Fynestboi

Ichommy

adewumiopeyemi

Falconey

Iamkingzlee

Kenneth205

Franchise21

Photoshoot

Cc: NLJega
FashionRe: Mr. NAIRALAND Contest 2016 - Elimination Round 1 by Orezy5(m): 10:18am On Aug 01, 2016
I vote:

Fynestboi

Kenneth205

Ichommy

Falconey

adewumiopeyemi

Franchise21

Iamkingzlee

Cc: NLJega
EducationRe: 2016/2017 Obafemi Awolowo University Aspirant by Orezy5(m): 6:33pm On Jul 19, 2016
druxy:
tell me something...you mean my first course MUST NOT be the one i chose in jamb?
The first course(i.e the one you chose in jamb) is already there. You'd only choose a course as second choice.
EducationThe Politics Of University Admission In Nigeria by Orezy5(op): 3:01pm On Jul 19, 2016
Niyi Akinnaso
When I applied for admission to the university in the 1960s, I knew nobody. There was no godfather or godmother. Neither my parents nor my older siblings could assist me, because they were all stark illiterates. As the first person in the entire Akinnaso lineage to ever go to school, I was virtually on my own. Without any guidance whatsoever, I applied for direct entry admission to the University of Ibadan and the University of Ife, after passing the required General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level) papers at the end of my first year of the Higher School Certificate class. I was admitted by both institutions, each one acting independently and without recourse to a superior authority. Ife, then, was a regional university, while Ibadan was federal. I chose to go to Ife to read English. The rest is history.
I told my admission story to a senior female civil servant, who approached me last year for assistance in getting her daughter admitted to study law at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko. She listened attentively to my story and replied: “That was then, sir. The country has changed. You have to know somebody who knows somebody in order to get things done.” I’m sure she did not like my next statement: “It’s people like you, who beg around, that caused the country to change”. She was not done: “No sir, it’s the system”.
There really is plenty of blame to go round, just as there are many sharers of the blame, including the students and their parents; the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board; the universities; the Federal Government; and the society at large. But my focus today is the government, which is now like that wild elephant, reported in the media recently, which killed an admirer who wanted to take a selfie with it.
The Federal Government has been known to be the enemy of quality tertiary education in this country. It has earned that status by (1) over-centralising the institutions, procedures and regulations governing the activities of the universities and then starving them of the resources needed to carry out those activities. Even where some resources are available, such as the tertiary education funds, the procedures for accessing them are again over-centralised.
In a distinguished lecture, titled ‘Education sector in crisis’, given by Professor Ladipo Adamolekun at the Joseph Ayo Babaloa University in 2012, over-centralisation was one of the three major causes of the crisis in the education sector, the other two being implementation failure – due largely to inadequate funding – and the de-emphasis of the value of education, including quality decline in the teaching profession.
Adamolekun gave five examples of over-centralisation, namely, the Universal Basic Education programme; the establishment and operations of the unity secondary schools; the centralisation of the labour unions; the establishment of the National Universities Commission with its centralising functions; and the allocation of the lion’s share of the nation’s resources to the Federal Government.
Adamolekun rightly traced these developments to over 30 years of military dictatorship, which began its stranglehold on the nation’s universities by federalising erstwhile regional universities. Today, however, perhaps the most controversial centralising agency is the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, empowered to conduct the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations and oversee university admission. Enough controversy was generated recently between the Director of JAMB, Professor Dibu Ojerinde, and the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, to send significant ripples through the university system.
There are three knotty issues. First, who or which institution should admit students to the university? It normally should be the Senate of the university, which often delegates the authority of processing the necessary papers to the admissions office located within the Academic Affairs Unit in the Vice-Chancellor’s office. That was the case when I was admitted to the university.
Today, however, JAMB has taken over this function, while the admission offices of the various public universities are being used as clearing houses. After weeks of controversy as to how this function should be performed, Ojerinde issued this clarification recently: “The public and all tertiary institutions should note that admission will only be approved by the board after appropriate screening of the candidates by the institutions”.
Yet, the Education minister still believes that this does not “in any way affect the statutory role of the Senate of any university or the academic boards of any tertiary institution conducting its admissions.” It would appear that what the minister understands as the role of the Senate is reduced to shortlisting. According to him, the universities will shortlist the candidates, using the agreed guidelines and return the shortlisted candidates to JAMB for verification of compliance to the guidelines. JAMB will subsequently issue admission letters to the shortlisted candidates.
The said guidelines appear to be the minister’s main target and it is the second knotty issue. According to him, the admission exercise rests on the tripod of merit, catchment area and educationally disadvantaged states. The last two criteria are intended to trump merit so that low-scoring students from particular localities or states could be admitted. This is not only an affront to the Senate’s ability to control standards in its admission; it also questions the business of the Federal Government in the admission of students to state universities. What should my state government care about admitting low-scoring students from another state because that state is educationally disadvantaged? How is educational disadvantage measured and who measures it? Wasn’t this kind of admission policy the killer of the unity secondary schools, where standards plummeted because many under-performing students were admitted?
The third and final knotty issue is university autonomy. The Federal Government and two of its agencies, namely, JAMB and the National Universities Commission, have killed whatever is left of university autonomy. The truth is that it is JAMB which admits students, while the NUC regulates everything else from the accreditation of courses to curriculum guidelines and the classification of degrees. The Federal Government completes the process by appointing Council members and ratifying the appointment of Vice-Chancellors. Little wonder many a Vice-Chancellor spends substantial time in Abuja these days.
To the extent that Nigerian universities are run like extensions of the ministry of education, to that extent will they continue to rot away like that ministry where there is neither institutional memory nor policy consistency. True, this problem is not peculiar to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Nevertheless, there are genuine concerns that his administration has yet to have a grasp on education.
This university admission is the administration’s second major foray into education. The first, the school feeding programme, has yet to take off. With the lacklustre handling of this year’s admission procedure so far, it is unclear what the future of education holds in the administration. Certainly, the present Minister of Education has yet to begin the bend in his learning curve.
http://punchng.com/politics-university-admission-nigeria/


Cc: mynd44, Obinoscopy, lalasticlala
EducationRe: Top Ten Medical Schools In Nigeria(2016) by Orezy5(op): 2:29pm On Jul 19, 2016
1. University of Ibadan (UI)
At the moment, UI is yet to have a rival in the list of best schools to study medicine in Nigeria. This university is one of the best in Africa and also when compared to some other non-African countries. UI has close ties with international institutions, including the Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in the United States that sends its medical students to UI’s teaching hospital. The major challenge here is that you need to work extra-hard in order to make it to the admission list as there is usually untold competition.

http://buzznigeria.com/about-to-study-medicine-you-must-see-these-best-10-medical-schools/2/

Cc: Fynestboi, Obinoscopy, dominique, Seun , lalasticlala, mynd44

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