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OAU has the best campus journalism body in Nigeria if not in Africa

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For more than a week now, there have been several rumours with respect to increment of school fees in Adekunle Ajasin University. Yet, none of the institution student journalist have been a able to come up with in-depth report as regard that.

In University of Benin, Medical students have been evicted from hotels when exam is fast approaching, no report on that.

In Lagos State University, the students often complain about the tyrannical tendency of the institution’s Marshal, no detailed reports.

University of Lagos students are presently living under pitiable condition. Yet, they have journalism body.

In University of Ibadan, I’m scared we may never have people like Kunle, Haleem and others again. They now so much enjoy the Facebook post of the Vice Chancellor as news report.

In Federal University of Abeokuta, any media outfit must register under the SU PRO.

It is important to make it known here that OAU is not the only school suffering from decay infrastructures development and other irregularities. But, we have got men who the words of Henry Anatole Grunwald that: “Journalism can never be silent: that is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.”

You don’t find OAU in the news every day, every month and every year because the practitioners want to be popular. We are only find pleasure in Helen Thomas’ words that: “We don’t go into journalism to be popular. It is our job to seek the truth and put constant pressure on our leaders until we get answers.”

I have seen campus journalists justify their ineffectiveness. Some will tell you they really need to graduate, some will tell you that they only want to multi task and most are scared of victimisation. Yes, I used to know a radical journalist in OAU whose headline has changed to “OAU Amphitheatre Full To The Brim As Students Attend Olamide’s Show”. Why? He was threatened by one of his lecturers, got his phone damaged by the department and other molestation. God forbid some of us will keep quite when the news got to us. We did not disrespect the lecturer but we made him realise his mistakes and very sure he won’t do such mistake again.

“You know that I am still a student”, the argument of some. Yes, we are all mindful of the management but then, “Journalism without a moral position is impossible. Every journalist is a moralist. It’s absolutely unavoidable. A journalist is someone who looks at the world and the way it works, someone who takes a close look at things every day and reports what she sees, someone who represents the world, the event, for others. She cannot do her work without judging what she sees”, says Marguerite Duras.

The change to transform your campus begins with you.

Truth be told, OAU is one of the safest campuses in Nigeria because the pen will always speak. Before the management makes decision, they consider the response of the press for they know that some persons understand the best way to fact check authority.

Let’s continue to assert the strength of pen in our institution. It can be done.

*Adejumo Kabir
Student Journalist, writes from Obafemi Awolowo University*

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BREAKING: Iran President, Ebrahim Raisi And Others Confirmed Dead After Helicopter Crash

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The Iranian President, Raisi has been confirmed dead alongside others in a helicopter crash.

The body of the President however could not be identified due to burns beyond recognition.

President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi

According to information, A foreign minister was also involved in the crash and a list of others. They are; Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province Malek Rahmati, Tabriz’s Imam Mohammad Ali Alehashem, The Pilot, The Copilot, Crew Chief, Head of Security and Bodyguard.

The rescue team were at the crash site of the helicopter carrying the president and the discovery came after a long night of searching in freezing conditions.

Shortly before the discovery, Iranian Red Crescent Society head Pir-Hossein Kolivand said the situation was “not good.”

According to Reuters, the helicopter was completely burned in the crash.

Additional and Unfortunately, there is a possibility of martyrdom of all the passengers of the helicopter.

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The Peruvian Government Has Officially Classified Transgender, Nonbinary And Intersex People As “Mentally ill”

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According to the country’s ministry of health, the controversial decision was made to ensure the country’s public health services could “guarantee full coverage of medical attention for mental health” for the trans community.

It also categorises “dual-role transvestitism,” “fetishistic transvestism,” and “other gender identity disorders” under the same bracket of mental illness.

The new law will change language in the Essential Health Insurance Plan (PEAS) to reflect the view of trans and intersex people as a mental health disorder.

Trans groups across Peru have loudly condemned the decision as a step backwards for the country’s already complex relationship with LGBTQ+ rights.

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Math Teacher Accused Of Having Sex With 2 Students And Getting Pregnant For One Tearfully Reveals The Baby Was Taken Away From Her

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The UK teacher who had a baby with an underage student while on trial for having sex with another teenage boy broke down in court after revealing her newborn baby girl had been “taken away” from her.

Manchester math teacher Rebecca Joynes, 30, sobbed to jurors over how her baby was taken “24 hours after being born” this past January — and now she only sees her for nine hours a week, Joynes told jurors on Monday, May 13, according to the Manchester Evening News.

“At the moment I have contact with her three times a week for three hours and that’s it,” she said through tears.

Joynes was arrested and released on bail on orders not to have unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 after allegedly grooming her pupil, known as Boy A in court, by buying him a $430 Gucci belt before bringing him to her apartment for unprotected sex.

She was suspended from school and eventually fired, but soon after, she began having a relationship with a 15-year-old boy, known in court as Boy B, whom she had a baby with in January.

Joynes, who has denied having sex with either boy when they were underage, told the court that when she learned of the allegations against her she had gone to the second boy in a “panic” and he deleted all of her phone’s content.

The former teacher denied having a sexual relationship with the second boy until after he turned 16 and she was already suspended from teaching.

According to her narration,

She said he had added her on Snapchat twice, which she only accepted the second time because she thought he “wanted to tell her something.”

Joynes said a friendship developed and he quickly became her “best friend” even though the boy would make flirtatious and sexualized comments toward her when he was drunk.

She told jurors that it wasn’t until after his 16th birthday that he messaged her saying “I’ve left school now” with a winky face.

After she received notice that she had been dismissed from her job, he went to her apartment, where following an emotional conversation, they had sex.

The two then entered a relationship that Joynes described as “quite toxic” telling the court how the teenager was “very controlling.”

After discovering she was pregnant, Joynes hid love notes for the boy to find around her apartment.

The notes eventually led to a piece of baby clothing that had the words “I love my daddy to the moon and back” written on it.

The court was told that she gave birth to their baby girl in January, but following an emergency court hearing, the newborn was taken away from Joynes.

Joynes has denied two counts of sexual activity with Boy A; two counts of sexual activity with Boy B; and two counts of sexual activity with Boy B while being a person in a position of trust.

Her trial is ongoing.

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