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Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Over 4000 Nigerian students stranded

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Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Over 4000 Nigerian students stranded

Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Over 4000 Nigerian students stranded

Nigerian students in Ukraine say they are confused and feel abandoned by their country amidst the escalating war between Russia and Ukraine. There are over 4,000 Nigerian students studying in Ukraine.

Newsmen reported how Russian forces attacked major Ukrainian cities Thursday morning in what President Vladimir Putin described as a “special military operation.”

Russia says it is targeting military installations in Ukraine but there are fears many civilians have been killed in airstrikes.

Amidst the confusion in Ukraine, Nigerians studying in the Eastern Ukrainian country say they feel let down.

A Nigerian student at Lviv National Medical University, Ukraine, Anjola Philips, told newsmen, on Wednesday, that although the Nigerian embassy was ‘responsive’, students had no information on what to do should a full-blown war ensue.

“We do not know what is happening, we see other nations organising flights for their people. I think it will be good to know if we have a place of convergence, we have no idea and people are asking if they should start returning home.

“The embassy is responsive anytime we reach out to them but it is the same response every time, which leaves me wondering if there are no plans for the worst-case scenario,” Mr Philips, the president of the Nigerian students union in Lviv, said.

He noted that the situation on the ground is one of great uncertainty. “No one knows what is our fate as Nigerian students here. We just get things online and we try to feel the pulse of the school administration and the locals. Lviv is pretty safe, everybody is going about their business…”

“Some days ago, the school sent out information that students could go back to their houses with the exception of students who had professional examinations. We are still trying to get further clarification from the school on why this group is exempted.

“The issue is we do not have any direction from the Nigerian embassy, I reached out to them and was told to keep checking the website for information. They said they will update us with more information if they receive any. The last update on their website was on January 26, asking us to call the embassy in case of emergency,” he said.

Newsmen reported how the Nigerian embassy in Ukraine Thursday released a statement saying Nigerians in Ukraine should essentially defend themselves.

“The embassy urges Nigerian nationals resident in Ukraine to remain calm but be very vigilant and be responsible for their personal security and safety,” the Nigerian Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine said in a statement shared on Twitter by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).

Felix Ogunlade, a recent graduate of Ternopil National Medical University who lives in Kyiv awaiting his medical licence examination, told this newspaper that between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. Thursday morning, he heard three explosions go off.

“When I heard the first explosion, I thought I was hallucinating due to the panic and then there were multiple explosions, it sounded like fireworks. I was not sure until my housemates confirmed they heard the same thing.”

Mr Ogunlade noted that as residents were scampering out of their apartments in fear, he tried to find his way out to Lviv or anywhere in the western part of Ukraine which is still safe but there was no means of transportation out of the city.

“There was no Uber or train available this morning when we first checked. But we found a train for tomorrow that had 300 seats when we checked but before we could mobilise other Nigerians and return to the book, it was filled up. This was about 20 to 30-minute interval,” he said.

He said, “some affirmative message or communication (from the Nigerian embassy) would help his confidence at the moment.”

Mr Ogunlade spoke minutes before the statement by the Nigerian embassy.

In Ternopil, a six hours drive from Kyiv (Ukraine’s capital), Jessica Orakpo, president of Nigerian students in Ternopil National Medical University said the embassy “has basically said we are on our own.”

Speaking to newsmen Thursday morning, Ms Orakpo said “we received a letter a few minutes ago asking us to remain calm and before today when the threats started, I called the ambassador and he said he could not ask us to go home but people who wanted to could but he would not be quoted as asking Nigerians to go home.”

According to Ms Orakpo, a lot of Nigerians are now stuck in Ternopil because earlier on when some foreign students were appealing for online learning given the rising tension, the school said it could only do that if the foreign embassies wrote them (school) asking for such for their citizens.

“We reached out to our embassy to put pressure on schools but our embassy said they could not do anything saying they could not help our school make that decision. Now the case has become worse, we cannot travel, most airlines have cancelled flights, the embassy is not saying anything. We are literally fending for ourselves.”

She noted the ambassador said he could only provide relief funds but could not intervene in the school’s decision making.

“India brought their letter but Ghana and Nigeria’s letters were not issued and that was when I called and they said they could not infringe on the decision-making process of our school, that it has never been done.

“And if our school wants that kind of letter from them, our school should write to them. It became a game of diplomacy, nobody wants to take responsibility for asking Nigerians to go home.”

Although Ternopil is relatively safe, the panic in the air is palpable as schools have been shut, residents are panic buying and flights cancelled, she said.

According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science in 2020, of the 76548 international students in Ukraine, 4,227 are Nigerians, the fifth-highest international student population.

As world leaders condemned and issued sanctions on Russia, Nigeria has not stated its position and has remained quiet in offering any form of clear advisory to its citizens. The most it had done before the Thursday statement was the January statement asking Nigerians living in Ukraine to take their safety seriously and avoid travels to identified hot spots in Eastern Ukraine.

Newsmen visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja on Wednesday but got no response on what or if there is a plan for Nigerians living in Ukraine.

The ministry was as calm as it could be with different events happening and staffers going about their activities as though the world was at its most peaceful state.

On the same day, newsmen contacted the ministry’s spokesperson, Francisca Omoyuli, she said she could not respond immediately as she was at a two-day event in Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

An official of the ministry who spoke to newsmen in confidence said students who wanted to be evacuated would need to notify the embassy of their intentions to return home adding that the students should also be able to prove the security situation in their location was dire and deserving evacuation.

She added that as of Wednesday, the Nigerian embassy in Kyiv had yet to notify the ministry of any alarming situation or need to evacuate Nigerians.

Residents of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv are trooping out of the capital, moving west in search of safer havens.

India is evacuating its students from Ukraine while U.S., Canada and Australia have evacuated most of their citizens from Ukraine.

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Education

2 DIVISION COMMAND SECONDARY SCHOOLS HOLD QUIZ, DEBATE COMPETITION 2024/2025 ACADEMIC SESSION

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2 DIVISION COMMAND SECONDARY SCHOOLS HOLD QUIZ, DEBATE COMPETITION 2024/2025 ACADEMIC SESSION

By: Polycarp Okoye

Headquarters (HQ), 2 Division Nigerian Army (NA), organised quiz and debate competition for Command Secondary Schools within 2 Division Area of Responsibility (AOR) for 2024/2025 academic session. The event was held at the Division’s Auditorium from, Monday 18 – Thursday 21 November, 2024. It afforded participating schools and students the opportunity to compete amongst themselves, featuring varied questions from different academic fields, including Information Communication Technology (ICT), current affairs and general Knowledge.

While declaring the one week event open, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division Nigerian Army (NA), Major General Obinna Onubogu, noted that exposing students to quiz and debate competitions amidst their academic activities, remains a major driving factor that challenges their thinking mechanism, while redoubling developmental processes with appropriate and effective career prospects for achieving desired result. He said that, quizzes and debates, are empirically proven to reinvigorate continuous and effective education system that give students a break from the normal traditional classroom learning, and prepare them to excell in practical and realistic circumstances. He added that the academic competitions would serve as strong interactive and motivational platform for students to imbibe team spirit, acquire knowledge, and embolden their speech and communication skills.

General Onubogu, further said, that the competition was aimed at exposing students to critical thinking, and make them appreciate the importance of extensive research for improved innovation and intelligence. “This event, is therefore another forum through which schools can expand their students’ frontier of knowledge; making them even famous amongst their peers”, he said. He implored all students to utilise the opportunity to develope themselves, and as well earn glory to their respective schools and families.

The GOC, expressed deep appreciation to the Acting Chief of Army Staff (Ag COAS) Lieutenant General Olufemi Oloyede, for his unwavering support towards the competition; while applauding the Director, 2 Division Education Services (DDES), Colonel AO Sofoluwe, as well as teachers and organisers of the event for their priceless contributions to human capacity development. He
urged the panel of judges to be fair and firm in order to ensure a balanced, honest and realistic result.

The participating students at the competition, represented Command Secondary Schools (CDSS) Odogbo, Mokola, Akure and Ijebu – Ode. Others were, CDSS Ede, Esan – Ekiti, Saki, and Ibadan. Students in the senior category, competed in English language, Mathematics, Phisics, Chemistry, Biology, General paper, and current affairs; while those in the junior category, slogged it out in English language, Mathematics, Basic Science, Basic Technology, Agricultural Science, General knowledge, and current affairs. After three days of intense intellectual battle, winners in the different categories emerged.

For the junior category, CDSS Akure and Ijebu – Ode came 3rd and 2nd runner ups with 139.95 and 141.1 points respectively; while CDSS Ede came first with 143.65 points. In the senior category, CDSS Mokola and Odogbo finished 3rd and 2nd positions, with 73.61 and 73.70 percentages respectively; while CDSS Saki, took the day with 77.50 percent. Winners in the two categories were duly rewarded with appropriate trophies, awards, and cash prices to motivate them, and increase commitment for improved future performances. Their teachers and organisers equally received cash gifts as appreciation for the efforts they invest in training the children.

The DDES, who delivered vote of thanks, appreciated God for sustaining the committee in its various engagements towards preparing for the event. He further thanked the GOC for his unwavering support; saying the competition was inspired by his (GOC’s) burning interest to ensure that NA schools across 2 Division AOR, and beyond, are well positioned to meet up global standards. Colonel Sofoluwe, also appreciated the Schools Commandants, organising committee members, panel of judges, and teachers for their contributions towards the success of the event. Principal Staff Officers, Units and Formations Commanders, as well as Officers and Soldiers of the Division’s HQ witnessed the competition.

2 DIVISION COMMAND SECONDARY SCHOOLS HOLD QUIZ, DEBATE COMPETITION 2024/2025 ACADEMIC SESSION

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Shettiman Fika establishes school for marriage education in Potiskum

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Shettiman Fika establishes school for marriage education in Potiskum

By: Yahaya Wakili

Abdurazak Abdullahi Usman. Shettiman Malamai Fika Emirate Council. A proprietor of Shettiman Malamai School for Marriage Education (SMSME), Potiskum, Yobe State. Abdurazak explains the aims and objectives of the establishment of this great school.

Alhamdulillah, the aims and objectives of this school can’t be overcounted, but I will shortlist at least five to six major and basic aims and objectives that I can list right now. As I always reason why our community settlers are so rop, we are very immoral in our businesses, labors, and public activities; even in our religious aspects, we are not morally sound. So where the problem is, I used to ask myself all the time where the problem is since we belong to the same and single homes, all of us. So my answer is that from that particular place we are missing morality, so we have to go back and settle that particular house that we come from; maybe, Insha Allah, after settling and addressing such cases, we would reproduce a moral community or moral citizens in our localities.

“As I am saying, when you look at our people around the nation, you will see widows, divorcees, and the young child moving around without a standard of living; this brings them to the hardship of living, and this pushes many people into immorality, so they may become something that is not good. So we intend to address such cases in our localities, calling the attention of our religious leaders, traditional rulers, the government itself, and other individuals to come and join our hands together to address these cases. When we address it, we would minimize the number of divorces and the problem of orphans and all the problems around us, this case of banditry, kidnappers, Boko Harams, thieves, and all the problems that we are encountering in this nation when we address the case of matrimonial cases and domestic problems. Insha Allah, by Allah’s will, all the things will be solved.

“Adding that, you will see a woman coming to you seeking assistance. She will say even if you will use her, just settle her problem; she will give you herself. This is very unfortunate. Our Prophet, Muhammadu Sallallahu Wa Sallam, said that when the issue of “Zina” becomes an unavoidable thing in society, wait for the Allah discipline and the consequences, so we are in the consequences now. So we have to come back and sit down and think twice about why these problems are increasing. Not even to stop at how they are, they are increasing, so we have to at least stop the problem even if we can’t declare all the problems we have to stop them as they are because we didn’t know the new generation would happen to them since we see what is going on right now.

So this and many reasons push us to the establishment of this school, to call it Shettiman Malamai School for Marriage Education at this Yobe, and even in Borno, Taraba, and Adamawa, there is no school like this one; this is the first one to be established in this 2024 year. We hear about Bauchi and Gombe; there was something like this some years back, but it did not even function well. We think and we are seeking Allah’s assistance to make this school stable, standard, long-lasting, and helpful to the community, to our government, to our nation, and even to the globe at large, Insha Allah.

About the challenges, As you already know, nothing is going without money. Our challenge is money; we have no huge amount to render all the services we intend or we want to deliver to the society. We have the “Zauren Sulhu, which is a guidance and counseling committee that will sit every week, twice a week, to settle the issues of couples or the issues of divorces, widows, orphans, and all the problems of matrimonial homes, so you have to give them something to ease their coming to the office and bring them back to the house, and this will not be without money.

Abdurazak maintained that, and after all, the school that we are going to give teaching and entrepreneurship skills to the women because we have many problems with the marriage is money, when the husband can’t afford his responsibility, so the more challenge will come from his wife:Give me, give me, you have not, you have not, so the shetan or devil gets the access to come and make problems in your matrimonial living, so the money is our more basic challenge to this education, but with Allah’s help, everything is possible, because we see the hands of our government come into these initiatives.

Shettiman Fika establishes school for marriage education in Potiskum

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BOSU VC PROMISES TO PLACE ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES ON AUTO GOVERNANCE

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Acting VC Prof Dikwa during the handing over session

BOSU VC PROMISES TO PLACE ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES ON AUTO GOVERNANCE

By: Bodunrin Kayode

The second Vice Chancellor (VC)of the Borno state university (BOSU) Professor Babagana Gutti has said that he would hit the ground running by placing all academic activity in the University on auto governance.

Prof Gutti said during a recent briefing with newsmen that it was his desire for the University community and the general public to be able to see what their wards are doing on campus at each time.

“We shall work with partners and the media to achieve this because the media is part of the University and it is my intention to ensure that this University is one of the best in this country by the time my tenure ends.

“We will use the auto governance system to monitor what the students or members of the University community are doing at every time. I will ensure that technology, research and learning go together

” I expect students to register real time for their programs from any part of the country or the world. The truth is that most Universities do not have such facilities which makes the work very easy to handle for both management and the community.

“We shall present minute by minute development in the campus for the whole world to see.” Said Gutti shortly after taking over the reigns of activities from the acting VC Prof Haruna Dikwa.

Earlier acting Vice Chancellor Professor Haruna Dlakawa said he was excited and grateful to the visitor Prof Babagana Zulum for giving him the opportunity to have served the University in an acting capacity on the exit of the pioneer VC Professor Kyari Sandabe.

He asked the University community to forgive him wherever he had offended any of them during the period of acting capacity as the Vice Chancellor.

Unveiling his report card, the second VC noted that the young University which started with just 30 programs have graduated it’s first set of graduates cutting across all the facilities..

“As at today, we have 835 staff employed directly by BOSU while 270 were absorbed from the Kashim Ibrahim College of Education. And because of the memorandum of understanding we have with the University of Maiduguri 193 staff are on visiting appointment.

” Also, the University now has 19 Professors on sabbaticals while the student population has risen up to 7,398 in the campus.

” I want to report to you that 26 physical development project has been executed so far on campus while some of them have been stalled temporarily and I will be calling on the second Vice chancellor to look into these projects.”

BOSU VC PROMISES TO PLACE ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES ON AUTO GOVERNANCE

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