Following the recent approval of the establishment of Medicine and Engineering Programs in Federal University Lokoja(FUL), by the Senate of the institution at its just concluded 61st (Special) meeting held on Thursday, 27th May, 2021, at the Senate Chamber Adankolo campus, Comrade Jacob Abraham Damilare has expressed endless joy and satisfaction with the institution and has also described the Vice Chancellor Professor Olayemi Akinwumi’s led Administration as a purposeful, result oriented and foresighted administration noted that within the Vice Chancellor’s few months of resumption into office, the institution has recorded nothing other than commendable achievements ranging from uplifting students and staff welfares, academic standard improvements, speed of light infrastructural developments to mention but a few.

Comrade Abraham while commending the foresightedness of Professor Akinwumi and the Senate of the institution, pointed out part of the benefits these newly approved programmes will attract to the institution and the State in general.

According to him, upon the commencement of these programs, Federal University Lokoja will in no doubt be seen to be one of the world class matured Tertiary Institutions.

Medicine and Engineering are one of those programs that helps a university to be ranked with the world class standard. Hence, Federal University Lokoja, will in no distant time enjoy this same ranking privilege amongst leagues of Universities in Nigeria and around the globe.

“Professor Akinwumi has further proven to us that his appointment as the Vice Chancellor of the over 10 Years Old Citadel of learning is not a misplacement of priority instead it is a perfect definition of the phrase “Putting a round peg in a round hole”.

“The Vice Chancellor’s forethoughtful nature upon assumption of office has been nothing but impeccable, commendable and highly fruitful to say the least”.

As a Unionist, Comrade said he must commend Prof. Akinwumi for his drive to take Federal University Lokoja into meeting up with the league of mature Universities.

It takes only a man of deep passion for greatness to push such a drive and get it achieved particularly within a very short time frame.

Judging from the recent remarkable achievements recorded so far, Comrade Abraham urged the members of the Senate, students and government at all levels to join hands with Professor Akinwumi in actualizing his already approved 5 years Action Plan for the institution whilst expressing optimism that those plans will in no doubt spur the institution into an enviable peak amongst leagues of matured Universities.

Comrade also appealed that the Senate and Prof. Akinwumi’s led Administration of Federal University Lokoja, should also look into the approval of “The Faculty of Law in addition to the already approved programmes”.

According to him, this will complement the movement of the institution into meeting with matured Universities. “When this institution have the combination of Medicine, Engineering and law added with the already existing faculties, you can imagine what Federal University Lokoja will metamorphose into in the nearest of time; It will be one of the best things that could ever happen to the students community.., offering of opportunities across various fields of disciplines”.

He also applauded the presentations made by the two eminent scholars at the floor of the Senate; Professor Ozovehe Mike Ogirima, a Professor of Medicine from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and Professor Abdulateef O. Onundi, a Professor of Engineering from the University of Maiduguri who were invited on sabbatical to co-ordinate and anchor the two programs for the university and whose brilliant presentations precedes the approval of the programs by the Senate.

“This great development will give greater opportunities to our Kogi State indigenous students to pursue their dreams in the study of Medicine and Engineering without necessarily leaving the State judging from the current state of insecurity in the country and with Kogi State being the second most peaceful State in Nigeria. This is just the perfect time for these programs to come to fruition in the State”.

Kehinde in an exclusive interview with our correspondent on Wednesday, said the ASUU strike has turned him into an emergency newspaper vendor just to survive with the harsh economy of the country.

Kehinde who is from Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State told our reporter that his parent fed from hand to mouth just to see him through school, in a bid to pursue his academic dream of becoming a great computer scientist.

According to him, his hopes of graduating from the University in his four years course in 2020 has been dashed away by the tussle between the Federal Government and the Academic Union.

He pointed out that he decided to venture into newspaper business in order not to seat at home or engage in any social vices, as the strike has impacted negatively to his future.

He described the over nine old ASUU strike as unfair, appealing to the aggrieved bodies to sheath their swords and allow students return to the class room.

” The last nine months have been a living hell for me. I thought I would be saying goodbye to the university by the end of 2020, but that hope has been shattered. Can u imagine, ASUU and the government are treating Nigerian Students as if we are not part of this country.

” You would recall that, most of the people that participated in the #EndSARS protests are students. This is because they were idle, and are tired of staying at home. There are some students I strongly believe has been engaging themselves in some social vices such as armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, money laundering, and many more. This is because they are idle.

“There is a well known saying, that an idle man is a devils workshop. Am not trying to give them any discount for perpetuating such evil act, but is important to state here that we are tired of staying at home.

” As for me, I won’t blame our leaders for treating us like trash. How many of the big men and the top government official has children in a public Nigeria University. Please mention it for me, because I don’t know any one. It is either they move all their kids to expensive private university or move them to study abroad. While we that our parents are extremely poor and could not afford two square mills a day would be left to suffer for no reason.

” Our leaders should always put this at the back of their minds that their is a day of reckoning. A day that every one of us will give account of our stewardship to our creator. I would like to borrow the words of late Dele Giwa, who said and I quote. Any evil done by man will never go unpunished, if not now, certainly later, if not later, certainly by God.

“As for me, I will continue with my newspaper business, with the hope that the Federal Government and ASUU will come to a truce. I don’t want to drag the name of my family into the mud, so I decided to do this business. Although, some of my friend have been mocking me, including some of my course mates that I am selling newspaper, I still don’t care. It is better to do a legitimate business of selling newspaper, than engaging in armed robbery, or kidnapping, just to satisfy my immediate needs” he stated

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