Good afternoon everyone. Trust we are having a great day. I'd like to appreciate @campusconnectng @pricelesspresh @alphafx and @brightobias for this thought provoking and inspiring contest and opportunity.
My name is Rutthy from from Anambra state Nigeria. I am a 500level student of Agricultural Economics and of University of Uyo, Akwa IbomState, Nigeria.
University of Uyo is a Federal University established in the year, 1991 and it is located in the heart of UYO, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. It runs a Multi Campus System and they are; The Annex Campus,the Main Campus and the Town Campus which are located differently. It has 10 faculties at present.
To ensure proper Electrical wiring and good connection in the school with standard materials:
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W4 hostel on fire
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prefab hostel on fire
The picture above is a picture of Uniuyo hostel (W4) and Prefab hostels respectively on fire and this is as a result of wrong connection in the school. The connections in the school are very wrong which as a result of using sub-standard materials to wire the entire campus. The fire incidences happened few years ago, in my 100level and 300level respectively, but there are also previous cases prior to this one. This wrong connection has led to the loss of many lives, properties and students important credentials and the funny thing is that when this fire incidents occurs, the VC will look for a way to blame it on the innocent students and say its because they used something they that is not supposed to be used in the hostel, that was why it happened. The last fire incident that happened, a student lost her original credentials to the fire incident and she wept bitterly. Such a thing has already rendered the student incapacitated except she has measures to retrieve back those documents. Its really a pity!
To put a stop to the sale of textbooks and materials by Lecturers.
It has become a norm in Uniuyo for lecturers to sell textbooks to its students and these textbooks sold to students are not even for reading but it serves as a benchmark for passing a particular course which is so appalling. These lectures go ahead to publish a textbook and mandates students to buy it and in return award marks to those who buys the textbooks, even if you had a senior colleague or sister that passed from the same faculty and you want to make use of his or her own, it won't be accepted, you must but your own in order for you to get your own mark from some of these lecturers. This has resulted in so many vices such as stealing, prostitution in order for students to meet up with the demands of buying it. Some of these students that bought these textbooks and are awarded marks will even end up not being able to defend this certificates, why? because they did not deserve the result they were given, they just bought a textbook and they passed. Incredible!
To ensure prompt release of student's results and early release of students for NYSC:
Early this year, an incident happened in Akwa Ibom state which involved a Uniuyo student that was murdered in cold blood by some ritualists when she went in search of a job. She graduated since 2019, in the process, covid 19 came, after covid-19, ASSU strike came too, then after all these, she was expected to leave for NYSC that month, but her and other of her course mates were not shortlisted due to late release of result and clearance issues, the lady then decided to go and look for a job to avoid being idle, and that was where she met her untimely death. When the result was finally released, it was discovered she was the best graduating student in her set. What a pity!. So many students has been continuous victims of this late release of results in school. Imagine a student in 400 level have not seen some of her 200 level results?. Some are even confused about their stand because they don't even know their cumulative grade point Average (CGPA) as it stands now. Okay, tell me how a student will register for a new course if she has not seen the previous ones she wrote to know if she passed or not? Quite pathetic!
To bring back the cooking culture in Uniuyo hostels:
Cooking is a very vital part in student life. Whoever that made this rule of "no cooking in uniuyo hostels", no matter how good his/her intentions are has really done more harm than good to students. We all know that cost of living in Uyo is very high and same also goes with the costs of feeding too. Students are not allowed to cook in the hostels and they end up buying virtually everything they consume in school,which is very bad. The destinies of these students are left in the hand of these food vendors in school and some of them don't even cook hygienic food to sell to students. I could remember an incident that happened when I was in 100 level after I finished eating rice from one food vendor, I ended up purging through out the day that I ended up at the health center. quite sad! Some students have resorted to eating junk foods as a result of this. So many Nigerian parents love to give their children food stuffs from home when they are coming back to school, but in a situation whereby the school doesn't cook,what will you do? You end up leaving all the food stuffs behind and resort to eating junks and living at the mercy of food vendors. Another after effect of this is that many female students has used this as an excuse and they do not know how to cook.
To ensure that strict security measures is put in place:
As we all know, security is one of the major need of any student. A student will want to be able to sleep at night with two eyes closed. But in Uniuyo, we have been witnessing so many life threatening security situations. For example, when I was in 300level, armed men came inside school premises at night and attacked students that went for night class and carted away with their valuables like phones and laptops. This particular incident led to so many carry overs for students because some were left shattered after the robbery because their reading materials were inside those stolen items. I'll ensure that hostels are opened everyday by 6 am instead of 4:30 am which is too early as this has caused so any robbery incidences in Uniuyo. I'll also construct security doors in the hostels as well as construct reading rooms in the hostel as this will reduce the number of people going for night classes.
To Ensure the university admits adequate number of students yearly within its capacity:
I was a victim of this in year one. During that time, we normally sit on bare floor just to listen to what the lecturer was teaching sometimes, when u even seat on the floor, u will not be comfortable because people will just be stepping on you as they are passing. I'll ensure we admit the optimum and adequate number of students which our capacity can carry at a given academic session to avoid over population and mass failure in the schools system.
To Build more hostels to accommodate more students and reduce the number of illegal occupants (squatters) in the hostel:
Uniuyo has a very large population of students, but can you imagine that it has only 1 male hostel and only 7 female hostels which are all bungalows with a very little space unlike other universities that has up to 10-12 hostels which are all 4- story buildings. I'll make sure to increase the capacity of the hostel to ensure it accommodates students because these students that are not accommodated in the hostels ends up squatting with other people and discomforting them. And I'll also make sure the process of getting a bed space in the hostel is free and Fair for all. I have once been a squatter and it was not funny at all because it affected me both mentally and academically.
To provide Public Address System (PAS)to all faculties:
The issue of public address system in Uniuyo cannot be over emphasised because it has done more harm than good to students. Imagine a class of over two hundred students and the lecturer will be dictating note to students, not all the students can capture it because he may not be audible enough and this may cause incomplete notes and failure for students.
To improve on health care facilities in the school:
It has come to my notice that anytime a student falls sick in uniuyo and visits the health center, they mostly write out the drugs and tell you to go outside the school and buy them. Meanwhile, we are supposed to enjoy access to free medical care as our students rights in school. Some of these drugs are very expensive to purchase outside the school, but the students have no other choice than buying them outside with with their own money. I'll ensure I stock the university medical center with adequate drugs at the beginning of every academic year to ensure smooth and safe academic year through out the session.
my 9-point agenda as the 24 hours Vice Chancellor of my school
Image made with Corel draw
uniuyo image source