Counselling in the Covid 19 Era the New Normal

Seember TARKA*

Not many saw CORONAVIRUS (Covid-19) Pandemic coming in our world and taking the front row. Covid-19 has surely changed our lives. The operational activities of the entire world shifted and is yet to adjust to the new ways of going about our lives; imagine the advent of face masks, social distancing, elbow shake, etc - our ‘new normal’. Is this way of living here to stay and for how long?

The counselling community that has hitherto encouraged social inclusivity is now compelled to seek novel ways in human stress management. There are several benefits of ‘face to face’ Counselling: • It pays due diligence to verbal and non-verbal cues to ascertain correct interpretation of the client’s state of disposition before prescribing appropriate therapy. • It allows for physical presence that gives clients, the stability and confidence to enhances their motivation and energy as well as decrease levels of anxiety. The unavailability of face to face counselling especially in the Covid 19 era has brought to fore the use of telephone, e-mail, and video online counselling; whereas these may be able to fill the gaps, there are still many limitations.

In recent times, Research has shown that ‘online therapy’ appears more effective than ‘face-to-face therapy’ because: the deployment of robust technology improves access to cognitive behaviour for various mental health challenges especially depression; removal of barriers that mental health sufferers encounter in receiving care and reduction in the stigma attached to seeking face to face appointment with a Counsellor or Therapists. Whether this recent research finding will be embraced or not remains an illusion, however, the Covid-19 Era needs the quickest intervention for those in need of mental health services and it should be available, accessible and affordable to forestall further mental and emotional instability.

In view of these development, the Student Support Unit also known as the Counselling Unit at Baze University has had to quickly shift to the solution-driven approach of online and telephone counselling. Telephone Numbers have been advertised through various online platforms such as the Google class, Whatsapp groups, news column on the University’s Website and emails. Despite this unusual approach during this period of LOCKDOWN, only few staff and students requested intervention for guidance and counselling via these platforms.

The world has definitely changed with this pandemic and as we grapple for the solutions of a lasting cure and hopefully eradication; Counsellors must continue to position securely for new ways and methods to reach those that matter most; clients that require care and intervention to overcome various challenges. Nothing stays forever; Covid-19 will become history someday to humanity. Students and staff will eventually resume, live, and work side by side but the constant need to find a wholesome environment that promote stability (mentally, emotionally, and physically) will always be the Counsellors/Therapists pre-occupation.

Before then, as we navigate this Covid-19 Era, let us do our part and stay safe by obeying the general Rules of Hygiene. God preserve us all. SSU...touching lives!

*Mrs. V. Seember TARKA is the University Counsellor and Head of the Students Support Unit.

BAZE FOCUS INTERVIEW WITH THE BEST OF THE ACES

Anthony Ekpo OKON BU/16C/BS/2077 2019 First Class Economics & Best Graduating Student 2019 VALEDICTORIAN

but I am from Cross River State. I obtained my First Calabar, where I obtained my High School Certificate. I 2014. In 2015, I was admitted for a Bachelor of Science in

What is your Career aspiration? your field of study?

many social problems to which I was seeking solution.

If you had to choose another field of study, what would you have done instead?

Apart from Economics, I would choose Finance since I also hope to be a Financial Expert.

What was your favourite course at Baze?

I did not exactly have a favourite course, however, I was intrigued by courses that were mathematically inclined.

Which lecturer motivated you the most?

The Department of Economics as a whole were really supportive and always willing to assist whenever their intervention was needed. However, Dr John Chizea was more of a mentor to me.

What impact do you hope to make in the society with this Degree?

In the coming years, I hope to contribute my quota in tackling the economic challenges faced in Nigeria (unemployment, poverty) by advocating constructive policy making, etc.

Do you have any plans for further studies?

Please introduce yourself. highest levels possible, this will enable me to obtain highMy name is Anthony Ekpo Okon, I was born in Lagos er Academic Degrees and professional qualifications. School Leaving Certificate from Estate Nursery and Prima- How is life after school? ry School, Calabar, and proceeded to St. Patrick’s College, The experience has been amazing so far. also attended ACCESS Higher College, Calabar, where I What are your experiences in the labour market? obtained a Cambridge Advanced Level (A Level) Certificate Well, I want to further my education before getting into and the Northern Consortium of United Kingdom (NCUK) the labour market. However, I got some job offers alInternational Foundation Year Program Certificate all in ready, so I can say it looks favourable. Economics at Central University, Ghana and completed my Is there anything you wished you had done differFirst Year but transferred to Baze University Abuja in ently while in school? 2016. In 2019, I bagged a Bachelor of Science Degree in No, I was able to strike a balance in everything I did in Economics. My hobbies are watching movies, tutoring, school and I think my academic results attest to that; problem-solving and shopping. things turned out perfectly well.

Which Department did you graduate from at Baze How do you cope and keep going in difficult situaUniversity? tions?

I graduated from the Department of Economics in the People! I had a small group of friends that I could always Faculty of Management and Social Sciences. run to whenever I needed advice or guidance; they were

I hope to be a renowned Development Economist or a top Which countries have you visited? -rate Financial Analyst. Well, I am not really into travelling, however I have visited What was your biggest motivation in the pursuit of to explore new places in the near future.

From a young age, I had always wished to one day find solutions to common problems faced by humanity; poverty, poor living standards, unemployment, etc. This is the reason for my passion to major in a field that aids the understanding and portends solutions to these problems. As I grew up the field of Economics ignited my interest when I discovered that it offers a reasonable explanation to the What advice would you give to your juniors at Baze University, who are hoping to face life soon? I encourage them to remain focused in achieving the goal that got them enrolled in Baze University. Their performance in the University will greatly influence the rest of their lives. Definitely, I hope to explore the field of Economics to the always supportive and motivated me. Ethiopia, South Africa, and Ghana, in recent years. I hope

BAZE FOCUS INTERVIEW WITH THE BEST OF THE ACES

Mohammed ABBA AJI BU/16C/LAW/2016 2019 OLDEST GRADUATING STUDENT

Please introduce yourself.

I am Senator Mohammed Abba Aji, from Borno state. I attended many schools. I have a Bachelors and Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Florida International University, Miami Florida USA; a PhD in Government from the University of Manchester in England and now an LLB from Baze University, Abuja. I have five children. My hobbies are reading and playing Table tennis.

What motivated you to pursue another Degree and why L.L.B?

I was a Senator at the National Assembly and having been involved in lawmaking, I fell in love with Law. At that time I was convinced that it is a very, very noble profession and I that I would study it, if I have the tme. I am now retired and do not like idleness, so I chose to study Law.

What your favorite course while at Baze University?

Jurisprudence! It is the philosophy of law; it takes you to the origin of law. I find it the most interesting.

Were the experiences provided suitable for a “mature student” like you?

Very very conducive, the classes were air conditioned, the class sizes were not too big, everybody knew everybody, and you could call everyone by name. And there were quite a few mature students in every class.

Do you have any suggestions on how the experience provided could be made better?

Uhmm! I give credit to Baze University, they are much better than some Universities outside the country. I think there is only one thing lacking in Baze; that is, a Common Room. Presently you can only either be in Class or the Library. There should be Common Rooms where students can sit down, have coffee and discuss, you can’t discuss in the library. You find that students are forced to use the classrooms for that purpose and most times there is a class scheduled so the lecturer will come and kick you out. Although there are Restaurants and Eateries, nobody sells coffee on campus. I am a coffee man, so I find myself having to go to school every day with my coffee. It turned out I was not the only one crazy about the beverage because during breaktime many people will come to ask me “have you come with coffee” so that means there is need for it. I tried to convince the restaurants to incorporate coffee into their menu, I do not know if they have now.

What were your most memorable or difficult moments at Baze University?

At Baze University, was there any difficult moment? Nothing particularly stands out as being difficult. But every moment, all the classes, the teachers, the students, all my interactions with them were very pleasant. I did not have any bad experience. Uhmmm! There was a time I forgot my laptop in which had a lot of things at Block C Auditorium and I thought I would never get it back. Someone told me “no, there is a lost and found Desk at the Gate”. When I went there, I found it, I was extremely impressed.

Did you ever consider quitting the programme, while at Baze University? If so, Why? What motivated you to conclude your programme?

No, I never took one semester off. I will not say that I never missed class but these were very few.

Did you make any friends while at Baze University? Who were your closest supports?

In my class, I tried to change the term which you have used now, they were calling themselves “mature students” so I said to them, No, there is implication. You are telling others that they are not mature, and this is also their own class too and their own generation. Why not address us as what we are “older students". The older students, all of us got along very well, there is Florence, Mike, Bayo, Ezenuwa, this group I am mentioning started together, I came the following year and joined them. There was a lady from Gambia, Hadijattu, then there was Paul, who left to run for Governorship, which set him back, but he is back now. Paul and Ezenuwa, we left behind but the rest of us went on to finish Law school together.

How did you cope with school life? (e.g. making friends with your younger classmates, taking lessons from young lecturers).

I found my younger classmates to be different from the classmates during my time, this generation is completely different. I was telling people that in my years in Baze, I never saw two young men or women fighting; during our time it was a daily occurrence. I never saw anybody smoking outside the buildings except once, behind the Brims Restaurant near the Hostel and I told him, “I have never seen anybody smoking on this campus, you are the first”. He apologized and immediately put it off and he said he will never do it again. I found the younger students to be well behaved, well-motivated and very respectful of elders. 70

BAZE FOCUS INTERVIEW WITH THE BEST OF THE ACES

You appear to have acquired several degrees over the years, can you list them? What is the drive behind a Degree Bank?

Well, I just like reading I think you can never stop learning, there is always something to learn, I enjoy learning, I like attending classes, I like reading. Even now, that I finished school, many times I would wake up by 4am and go to my study and start reading, so it is something that I enjoy doing.

Were any of your parents responsible for this drive for academic qualifications? Did they have western education?

Well, my father did quite a bit of reading but not as much. Their time was a very different time, but he would read the Quran every day, every morning.

Which lecturer motivated you the most?

Uhmm! They are all good oo, all of them are very very good, but to tell you the truth, I find Remi Famodile to be number one. I also find Nyako fascinating, Alheri Nyako would teach any class by heart. He is very objective when it comes to Student Assessment, actually any Grade he gives you that is the Grade you deserve, he is a very objective man, no favouritism, no victimization, no punishment, nothing! And he will teach any class off the top of his head, I even told him he should pursue a PhD, I consider him a person that rightly, really deserves to be a Professor. Alheri Nyako is a very fine, bright, young man. There are exceptionally good teachers; Ernest Ojukwu SAN is very good, Sani Adam also very good, Sam Amadi, excellent! He is from Harvard, and Esu Asuko is also an excellent teacher and Dr. Jibril Zuhair (proceeds to mention almost all the lecturers). You have good teachers there oo, very very good teachers. Uhmm that Faculty is excellent, I believe Baze University is blessed with excellent faculty members in Law.

Where do you currently work?

I am awaiting the law school results, the results were supposed to be published in February and be called to bar in March but COVID-19 came and now even the results have not been released. And also, this lockdown will not allow one to do anything. But my plan is to establish a law firm in Maiduguri. (NB: He has now been called to Bar)

What impact do you hope to make in Nigeria with your Law Degree?

My plan is to establish a pro-bono Law firm in Maiduguri that will provide free legal services to all indigenes but I cannot do any of this until the results are out and we are called to bar, because you can’t practice law without being called to bar.

Do you have any further academic plans perhaps a Doctoral programme in Law?

Maybe, actually I am considering an LLM, I have not decided where to do it due to COVID-19, but I prefer to diversify. Currently I am taking an online course with Harvard University on Justice. If I get a conducive atmosphere, I would nit mind doing an LLM.

What advice would you offer to “mature students” that would like to continue their education, or to the young ones who are just starting their academic life?

My advice is, “it is never, never too late to learn, never!”, and the learning becomes a very pleasant experience when you’re doing it at a latter age because you’re not doing it for the Degree or a job, you’re just doing it out of interest, so that makes it more interesting. Nobody is pushing you. The younger ones, some of them are being pushed by parents, “you must study law!” But the older ones, you select what to study, you make the time for it. It is something that you enjoy otherwise you will not even start it. To the younger ones I will say, they have to work doubly, they have to work harder than the older students because they’re trying to build a career for themselves and in their generation just because you have a pass does not guarantee you a job. During our time before you’ve passed out, jobs are lined up for you but now Companies will say they are looking for a First Class, so let them aim to make distinction cause their generation is a very competitive one and they’re also competing with technology. Technology is threatening many jobs including Law and Medicine, because almost everything is available online. This is their own generation, all generations come with its own challenges so whatever you are doing you have to keep in mind the relevance of technology, and IT will continue to define our lives and many things will change. This COVID-19 has proven that many people can work from home.

Would you recommend Baze University to other people?

I will definitely recommend Baze University because it is far ahead of many Universities. I have friends who have attended Government and other Universities and they tell me about how many of them are in a classroom and the quality of their facilities. In Baze we have air conditioners in all our classrooms, while in some other universities they don’t even have fans.