Amidst ASUU Strike: What I Missed on UDUS Campus as a Campus Journalist -By Abdulrasheed Akere

During this incessant ASUU strike by the Academic Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU), the students of each tertiary institution in Nigeria are missing distinct things about their tertiary institutions. Some missed going to night class, some missed hostel life, sports, Morocco, and popular foods on UDUS campus such as sweet potato, and soya cake (Denkeli and Awara) in the Hausa language that is well known on the UDUS campus. 

However, the UDUS campus journalists like me are missing our press boards, our editorial meetings, and the National Association of Campus Journalists (NACJ) congress. The great impacts of the boards and NACJ body make their convention worthy of missing by active and prudent campus journalists.

The Reason I am Missing my Press Board— PEN PRESS UDUS

PEN PRESS UDUS is the foremost and prominent press outfit that is known for feeding students, lecturers, administrators, UTME applicants, and outsiders with accurate information about Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. This press board houses miscellaneous award-winning journalists that always enlighten young journalists including me on how to thrive in journalism.

Every pen pusher would miss our Editor-in-Chief (EIC), Abdulrasheed Hammad, a cheerful man of excellence that leads with a good legacy. In his administration, he ensures perpetually that each editorial meeting is full of knowledge (actively and oration) to escalate the greatness of great minds. 

Furthermore, one would miss our Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Promise Eze, a man of wisdom, the Principal Editor, Hayatullah Abu Lubabah, a man of humility, the Managing Editor, Owolabi Khadijah, a versatile woman, Editor, Mazeed Mukhtar, a dedicated editor and committed creative writer, Sports Editor, Sherifdeen Olamilekan, competent and diligent journalist, Sub-Editor, Hakeem Smart (an enthusiastic and admirable honcho).

Before this strike, each of the vastly experienced editors elucidated distinct journalism themes for all PEN PRESS upcoming journalists to erect journalism virtuosity in their sanities. Togetherness and cooperation of all the editors and other PEN PRESS officials such as Secretary-General, Kabirat Olashehinde, Assistant Secretary, Shehu Muhammad Shehu, Publicity Secretary, Faruq Olaoti, Financial Secretary, Hamid Fatimah Omotayo (Pen Babe) drive PEN PRESS to move the train forward and helps to maintain her quality as the best press outfit on UDUS soil.

Lest I forget, I am also missing my co-pen members; ASUU shall call off the strike soon so that we can resume back to learning and grow together in the journalistic mainstream. So far PEN PRESS UDUS is already the best press board; if it’s not PEN PRESS it is not a press pen, let’s stand rigorous to uphold, reinforce and bolster the standard to dominate for eternity.

Missing NACJ UDUS Congress

The National Association of Campus Journalists (NACJ), is the mother body of all journalists in UDUS, it embodies the UDUS’s five prestigious press boards namely, PEN PRESS UDUS, News Digest Press, Vanguard, Gamji, and Interswitch. I’m often happy to attend the NACJ congress to meet numerous veteran journalists across the whole pressboard. At the conference, one would be optimistic as a campus journalist to get in contact with the Incumbent NACJ President,  Abiodun Jamiu, his Vice, Aminat Gambari, Secretary General, Abdulrasheed Hammad, Chairman of the Check and Balance Committee, Yusuf Balogun, Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, Abdulwasiu Olokooba, Abdullahi Tijani (News Digest’s EIC), Abdulrasheed Eleru, Ibrahim Ghazali, Sheriffdeen Sawe and other honchos that behold NACJ.

Anyone present in the convention would acknowledge the exertion of Abdulwaheed Sofihullahi, and Abdulganiyu Abdulrahman Akanbi in alliance with the whole body to reinvigorate campus journalism in the seat of the caliphate. Adequate attendees of this congress would miss the display of wisdom by skilled and competent UDUS journalists. The contribution of journalism to configure the status of UDUS and aid in her development is immeasurable which emboldens the saying that “if it’s not UDUS journalism, it is not journalism.”

Abdulrasheed Akere is a campus journalist in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto ( UDUS), he can be reached via abdulrasheedabdulkareem01@gmail.com, 09137207766