Oduduwa House emerges champion in FEDCOL 45th inter-house sports

Budding athletes at the Federal Government College (FEDCOL), Ijanikin, near Lagos showed their class at the school’s 45th inter-house sports competition on Saturday, with Oduduwa House coming tops.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oduduwa House beat six other houses in the school, clinching 15 gold, eight silver and nine bronze to lift the diadem.

However, Nnamdi Azikiwe House got 11 gold, eight silver and eight bronze to place second, while Moremi House won seven gold, 10 silver and seven bronze to place third.

Similarly, Macaulay House clinched five gold, nine silver and 10 bronze to come fourth while Danfodio House got four gold, five silver and six bronze to place fifth.

El-Kanemi House won four gold, three silver and three bronze to place sixth, while Jaja House won no gold but got two silver and three bronze medals to come last in the competition.

The competition, held at the school’s playground, is a yearly event to keep students fit and make them to hone their skills for future exploits in sports.

In the junior girls’ 100 metres competition, Onyinye Mbagwu, representing Macaulay House, came first in 13.88 seconds; Precious Okeke, also from Macaulay House placed second in 14.08 seconds.

Amarachi Nwadinma of Moremi House came third in 14.57 seconds, while Chizaram Njoku of El-kanmi House finished fourth in 15.10 seconds.

In the senior girls’ event, Gift Ogochukwu of Moremi House out-smarted others to clinch first position in 12.80 seconds, Olayemi Akanbi of Macaulay House came second in 12.81 seconds, while Alimat Ligali of Oduduwa House was third in 12.98 seconds.

Chikaima Nwanyanwu from Macaulay House came fourth in 13.01 seconds with Christabel Okeoma from Nnamdi Azikiwe House finishing fifth in 13.06 seconds.

In the junior boys event, Kehinde Bello from El-Kanemi House came first in 13.07 seconds while Daniel Mmakwe of Nnamdi Azikiwe House placed second in in a time of 13.07 seconds.

Yau Shuaibu from Macaulay House came third in 13.56 seconds; Victor Obilor of Moremi House was fourth in 13.75 while Anthony Okeke from Jaja House finished fifth in 14.12 seconds.

Speaking to NAN at the end of the competition, some of the participants expressed their desires to excel in sports in the near future.

Gift Ogochukwu, first prize winner in the senior girls’ event, said that she started preparing for the competition the same week the school opened for the second term.

The 13-year-old, said that going to represent the country at the Olympics was her dream, adding, “I want to be known in the world like Blessing Okagbare.”

Kehinde Bello, who elicited spectators’ admiration with his zig-zag running style, said that he planned to improve on his skills.

NAN reports that medals, certificates and trophies were given to winners at the interhouse sports, which featured different events.

Earlier, the Director/ Principal of the college, Ms. Tofunmi Akamo, while speaking at the event, urged parents not to discourage children from taking to sports as careers.

She described sports as a lucrative and quick-rewarding enterprise that young persons could embrace to make the difference in their lives.

Akamo said that the competition was introduced in Unity Schools by the Federal Ministry of Education as part of efforts to foster healthy minds in healthy bodies.

“It is also a way to enhance social interaction among students who come from different social backgrounds and it provides opportunities for relaxation, entertainment and recreation for our pupils,” she said. (NAN)

By Shannon Gwamna

Worried by lack of innovation in the country’s higher institutions, African University of Science and Technology (AUST), based in Abuja has launched a business incubation centre.

The AUSTInspire Business Incubation Centre, is meant to step up innovation in the university.

The Acting President of the University, Prof Azikiwe Onwualu, said the centre would help staff and students of the institution to translate their researches into problem-solving products and services.

“We have decided to take a step about taking our researches to the next level, bringing it to reality.

“We have excelled in the aspect of research and publications but we have told ourselves the truth, the researches and publications must translate into something tangible.

“Very soon, you will not only see our publications but also our products from the researches.”

Also speaking, Chief Executive Officer of CcHUB - managers of the Centre, Bosun Tijani, said the mission of the incubation centre was to leverage on science and technology to bring about prosperity to the people.

“We are looking at innovations that solve real problems not just in Nigeria but also in Africa.”

While speaking on the need for the Centre, the Practice Lead of Higher Education Initiative, CcHUB, Jude Adejunwon, said Africa can not enter prosperity until her universities sit up.

“They should start looking at our problems and start designing ways to solve them. People think the university’s role is just to train students and release them into the labour market but that is not true.

“It is only through a hub like this that we can move research to help people on the ground,” he said.

The Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society (AIS) on Saturday distributed N13 million worth of household items and business startups to 160 recipients in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the recipients included 150 Muslims and 10 Christians.

Speaking at the event held at the Al-Habibiyyah Jumat Mosque, Guzape, Abuja, the Chief Imam of AIS, Sheik Fuad Adeyemi, said the event was the 2nd National Zakat Day and 12th public disbursement of zakat to the needy.

NAN reports that zakat (compulsory charity/alms for the needy) is the last of the five compulsory pillars of Islam, for those that meet the designated threshold in cash and other forms of wealth in a one full lunar calendar year.

“The N13 million will be disbursed today inform of cheques for educational support and business startups,” Adeyemi said.

He said the items included deep freezers, sewing machines, grinding startup machines, fridges and barbing salon kits, amongst others.

According to him, this year’s programme was carefully established to sensitise everyone on the current issues and challenges on the payment and disbursement of zakat.

“It is a known fact that if all eligible Muslims pay their zakat (tithes), no Moslem would be poor, hence the theme of the event, “Practice to prosperity”, he said.

The renowned Muslim cleric said the society was working toward tackling three major challenges encountered by the Muslim ummah, which are ignorance, poverty and relationship.

Adeyemi said: “All our progmames are tailored toward solving the three identified problems.

“Zakat and endowment foundation, Do something Initiative, Ramadan Food Bank, Al-Habibiyyah Cooperative and many more programmes coming are targeted toward solving the problem of poverty.

“The mosque, Abrahamic mission, toward solving the problem of relationship, while the executive Quranic course are geared towards solving the problem of ignorance.”

The Imam also said the second Saturday of Sha’aban for National Zakat day was chosen because of its closeness to the month of Ramadan and the lecture will come up on March 26.