So much ado about examination tension in ABU, over academic calendar
By Muhammed Salihu Maigoro
The students of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, were flabbergasted as faculties begin to paste examination timetable at the notification board. It was recently two weeks ago that the, Faculty of Social Sciences shocked students by pasting an examination timetable at the evening hours when final outgoing students were having their cultural/MACOSA week on Friday 18th August 2023.
This is followed after a comprehensive meeting led by the senate committee of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, on whether to adjust the proposed academic calendar or do it the way it was initially proposed. Tension by the students were as a result of expectation of increment/extension of some weeks over the already approved academic calendar, describing and lamenting that the semester is seemly short compared it with the habitual semester of five months which ABU is doing that had even become her culture of academic learning, which has been accustomed by it’s students.
This reminded me of a statement that led to argumentative comments on the write up of the academic guru, written on his Facebook page in October 2022. When ABU announced the resumption date as January 2023 after ASUU resumed from the suffocated strike. Students were expecting ABU to resume in that particular October and round off the backlog semester before January 2023 and initiate another complete second semester in January 2023. Suddenly, just seeing that the school wouldn’t resume until January 2023 for the fresh session. So, this become a topic of discussion by the ABU students and non ABU students. This issue led to a special post by Professor Abdelghaffar Amoka, a professor of physics, Faculty of Life Science Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Said, “the slogan of ABU entitled as so great so unique, and naturally ahead is not by the hasten of academic calendar or otherwise, and every student is eager to graduate doesn’t mean that ABU will be rushing to graduate students, and those who felt bad with the calendar they would surely benefit from it because, there is wisdom in it, he said.
And for those who are blackmailing ABU is naturally behind or ABU is moving on the past glory must be students from TETFund built up universities who can’t be able to score jamb well and ABU post UTME to get entry into the prestigious ABU. He then recently posted on his Facebook page that, stay there and continue saying ABU is harvesting on the laid past glory while ABU students are there winning an international competition, but you are there battling with an inter-departmental competition in your institution which can’t take any brand popularity across the nation.
This quote was as a result of Huawei ICT competition won by ABU students in China for 2023 computerisation award. Jokingly, the Professor asked the other universities students who mocked ABU that, are their universities not in Nigeria? When the competition was made known publicly So, why can’t they enroll in an international competition and then use their past glory to win it like ABU.
Now I have seen the wisdom asserted by the Professor, since we are busy reading and doing assignment like we have never confronted examination before. Both undergraduates and postgraduate students are not in their normal mood just for the preparation of the ahead examination.
I appreciated the Professor really, for being simple and interactive with his students on social media.
And even educating us a little bit about his undergraduate degree in ABU and MSc and also his PhD which took him abroad by sponsorship of TETFund scholarship.
Indeed he was such a nice mentor!
Returning back to my initial discourse. As such even though, ABU is seeing such short semester as welcome development which will help them to recover the backlog semesters that they left behind during Covid-19 and the 8 months of ASUU strike.
Meanwhile, it was two weeks ago that the ABU finished writing post UTME test for the forthcoming students who showed interest to study in the prestigious institution. I think it’s the reason why ABU is rushing to round off the semester and set for the new academic session. To a large extent there’s wisdom and wise in the arrangements.
In an attempt to set the records straight I Interviewed my counterparts and realised that most of them are willing to go with the semester and are happy with it as it is, while others seeing like it shall touch their CGP for lacking sufficient time to read ahead of the class, and thus, it is not like the other regular semesters but, a proverb said. No food for a lazy man, and it is true. At the time you begin to develop confidence on matter you put ahead it’s a sign of laziness and it will lead to failure if care is not taken. So, I am encouraging my fellow colleagues, students to feel courageous and face the semester with full hope and zealousness.
“The source emphasized”
What a funny caution by my Mass Communication HOD, a recently promoted lecturer to the rank of Associate Professor Malama Adama, said during her last class with us that you were busy doing MACOSA week but we pasted the timetable at the same time. Never be distracted by the departmental weeks, it’s just a matter of days. Focus on something that will make your future better.
Conclusively, despite the several appeal to the ABU management and academic planners. There is no sign of adjustment to the academic calendar, and examination is commencing on Monday 11 September 2023.
Muhammed Salihu Maigoro, is a student of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Department of Mass Communication.
May God an omnipotent make it easy for us ABU students
Masha Allah! May the Almighty Allah continued be ours guide and make us understand what we are learning from the mentors at the various institution ameen.