Coronavirus: Babcock Restricts Students’ Movement

The Vice-Chancellor, Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Ogun State, Professor Ademola Tayo has reassured students that his administration is working hard to keep off Coronavirus from the institution with the temporary restriction on students’ movement out of the campus.

Speaking at the opening of the institution’s 2020 career fair held recently and attended by over 74 firms, including banks, recruitment agencies and foreign universities, Tayo called for students’ understanding.

He said though the temporary restriction may not have gone down well with some students, it was in students’ interest to ensure that nothing came in between the planned June 7 graduation.

“If any student should travel home and return with the virus, the school will be closed down and as a result, June 7 graduation will be affected,” he explained.

According to him, once the school is shut, the ripple effect of the closure cannot be fathomed as NYSC mobilisation and many institutions would also be affected.

“This is more reason we are working hard to shut Coronavirus out of Babcock University. Anything that will not make June 7 a reality would be resisted by the administration and in a matter of weeks your semester exams would be over and you can fly like butterflies,” he said.

The annual event provided opportunity for the final year students to meet with employers of labour, foreign universities for further studies, among others.
The VC congratulated the students for making it to the final year and urged them to make use of the opportunity to interface with multi-national companies, recruitment agencies and make the best use of the programme.

Tayo, accompanied by all the principal officers of the university, described the programme as an eye opener, as it brings students face to face with employers of labour who may need their services after graduation, as well as opportunity to be trained on how to handle job interviews, package good CVs, meet foreign universities for further studies, among others.

“What you learn at school is quite different from what it is outside there. So you need to get yourself ready for the world of work or further studies. This kind of job fair is useful because the serious ones would use it to pen down institutions they would later seek, either for internship, work or further studies.

Meanwhile, cheques totaling N1 million from Babcock University unengaged alumni were presented to five alumni of the school with the best business proposals as part of the VC’s efforts to empower them.

The beneficiaries, who got N200,000 each, were Izang Nehemiah, Frances OrIbhabor, Constance Emmanuel, Adeyanju Omolola and Ogunsanwo Akinwunmi.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Emmanuel, whose business proposal was on bridals and event planning, thanked the institution for giving back and encouraging them to start their own businesses.

She said she would use the windfall from the university in expanding her business.

In another development, the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters, Dr. Adeyemi Dipeolu said the spirit of national sacrifice and patriotism was paramount if Nigeria is to compete with the world.

Speaking at the second distinguished personality lecture organised by the Department of History and International Studies, Babcock University, Dipeolu said Nigeria stood to reap maximum gains from the continental free trade agreement if it engages more in productive activities.

In his paper, ‘Continental Free Trade Agreement: The Benefits and Challenges to Nigeria’, he said the Chinese that people are talking about today were able to transform their country by producing.

The special adviser said he did not see anything wrong in Nigeria borrowing sincerely to put in place infrastructure for the long-term, adding that the country was not disadvantaged as it only needs to put its strengths to the best of its abilities.

He said for Nigeria to grow its economy faster, it must embrace agricultural production.

“I don’t think we need to feel sad, all we need to do is to buckle up and produce.”

He urged Nigerians to innovate and use the ICT sector to turn the country around rather than mourning because the world is competitive and nobody is going to come and help out.

In his remarks, the vice-chancellor said the essence of the lecture was to foster the ideals of better Nigeria and the world at large and be agents of economic transformation.

He said the university has provided the Independent Power Project (IPP) to ensure 24-hour power supply to provide leverage for productive activities and ensure synergy with the IT equipment while bolstering teaching and learning, as well as research and development.