By Aideloje Ojo
Minna
Former Vice Chancellor of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai ( IBBUL) Professor Mohammed Nasiru Maiturare has explained that productive engagement with students union leaders and deliberate policies to build students characters contributed immensely in curtailing drugs use, cultism and other social vices during his tenure in the university.
Professor Maiturare stated this while speaking with journalists in Minna on how his management built sustainable peaceful relationship with students and kept them away from vices that could ruin their lives in the future.
He said, ” we maintained a very closed relationship with the students. We had a very effective and functional students mentorship led by deanery, an eminent professor who was always with the students engaging them to know and solve their problems even before they escalate “.
Maiturare said that management kept eagle eyes on students in the hostels and classrooms while lecturers and students advisers were encouraged to carry out their duties effectively, adding that we also had the policy of training students leaders at the Obasanjo Leadership Centre while some were sent abroad for character development and capacity building.
According to him, ” some of these measures assisted in shapping the Character of students and assisted in keeping them out of drugs, thuggery and cultism in our campus”.
The former Vice Chancellor advised students to shun drug abuse and other social vices in order to become good leaders in the country.
He expressed concern that campuses are facing serious challenges in drugs abuse, violent conduct, intolerance in speech, and divisions among students, adding that student leaders should imbibe the spirit of dialogue in resolving issues.
