The Benue State University (BSU) Makurdi has unbundled its Department of Mass Communication into six new programmes and established a new Faculty of Communication and Media Studies to enhance specialisation and professionalism.

Leadership reports that the new faculty has Prof (Rev Fr) Vitalis Torwel as dean while the programmes include Broadcasting with Prof Michael Kombol as head of department, Development Communication with Prof Andrew Ijwo as HOD and Public Relations with Dr Tyotom Keghku as acting HOD.

Others are Advertising with Dr Maria Onyilo as acting HOD, Strategic Communication with Dr Caleb Chile as acting HOD and Journalism/ Media Studies with Dr Kevin Alom as the acting HOD.

The programme had been run as a department since the varsity was established in 1992.

Nigeria’s universities regulatory body, the National Universities Commission (NUC) had directed the unbundling of Mass Communication departments beginning from 2021.

Credit: Leadership Newspaper

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A student of the Benue State University (BSU), Makurdi, Ende Terkuma Dominic has completed a journey of ‘over 62 Kilometres’ on foot in honour of his lecturer, John Otor Ogi, who received him warmly at the department complex upon arrival.

Dominic, a 200-level Mass Communication student of the BSU, Tribune gathered, trekked (walked on foot) from Tarka Local Government Area of the State to the university campus in Makurdi, the Benue State capital city.

Dominic who was welcomed and cheered by a crowd of students said he embarked on the journey as a sign of respect for the lecturer who he says is his boss and role model.

According to him, John Ogi is a lecturer with a difference. He said he first met the lecturer on social media platform, Facebook even before obtaining admission into the school and has since then, kept contact with him.

Dominic said right from when he met the lecturer online and through his stay in the school, he has closely watched the lecturer and concluded that Ogi is one who has so much passion and sympathy for humankind.

He however added that the reason he embarked on the journey was not for affluence or for any endorsements by any brand but because he was genuinely interested in showing his maximum respect for Ogi.

He said; “It is a privilege to be alive today and to meet my outspoken lecturer who is not only a lecturer but a senior lecturer. I am grateful to God for keeping all of us here alive.

“The essence of why I embarked on this journey is not for affluence, it’s not for any compensation, I’m not looking for anything. I don’t want any brand to promote me and I don’t want to promote any brand.

“I want to tell all of us here that it’s nice to appreciate people’s kind gesture when there is need.

“John Ogi is a man I call my lecturer, my father, my role model, and a man I want to be like when I grow up. He is a father in the Department of Mass Communication, Benue State University, Makurdi, and a senior man in the department and society at large.

“I said the society at large because while online, I met him helping the less privileged people. Someone who should have been thinking of how to put his life in order and achieve all he has been planning all this while. He has been paying people’s school fees, trying to make sure that people who don’t have enough are helped.

“So I’m here to show my respect and pay homage to my boss and lecturer.”

Receiving the student, Ogi in company of the President of Mass Communication Students Association (MACOSA), Ulian Fred, amongst others, acknowledged the show of respect to him while promising to sponsor all five unpublished manuscripts of the student who is also a writer.

He said he was humbled by the show of love urging Dominic to work hard to achieve academic success as he would not receive any preferential treatment regardless.

He further promised to take the student on a vacation over the weekend.

Tribune Credited

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By Joseph Joy

In a bid to curb riding cases if sexual assaults withing its pricinct, the management of Benue State University (BSU), has announced a ban on dreadlock hairs, make-up, skirts above knees, leg chains, sagging, dyeing of hair and other certain dress codes it deemed inappropriate and immodest.

The task force committee set up by the university disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday warned that the institution would sanction any student found violating the approved dress code.

The statement specifically pointed out various types of dressing that would henceforth be prohibited in the university by both genders

“BOYS: No sagging, No Make up, No dreading of hair (dada), No dyeing of hair (coloring of hair), No wearing of shorts/three quarter trousers to Lectures, No leaving of hair uncombed, No wearing of armless shirts, No wearing of earring, No plaiting of hair, No keeping of heavy beards, No wearing crazy trousers, and other indecencies.

“GIRLS: No body hug, No wearing of armless clothes, No dyeing of hair (coloring of hair), No wearing short, No exposure of sensible parts of the body, No Leg chain, No Nose ring, No putting of multiple earrings (only one earring is allowed).

“No folding of shirts on a trouser or skirt, only black and brown color attachment is allowed, No wearing of crazy trousers, No wearing of skirts above the knees, No wearing of leggings without long top (shirt) and other related indecencies.

“Students should adhere to these rules, failure to comply shall attract sanctions from the university Management,” the statement reads.

A number of Nigerian universities have in the recent past announced dress codes and uniform wearing among the students. The Enugu State University of Science and Technology ESUT, championed this in late 2000s, the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN adopted it.

Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU Ile Ife, and the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko introduced dress code for their undergraduates recently.

In August 2023 the OAU announced the imposition of a dress code on its students by banning any skimpy dress or one that covers faces.

The school management had said sexually provocative dresses would no longer be allowed in the school.

The university had also banned sagging of trousers or knickers for males and females, hair braiding for males, nose, mouth, eye or extra rings, crop/jump tops, unconventional wearing of caps, tattoo/indelible markings for males, multi-coloured braid for females, haircuts with inscriptions, T-shirts with obscene inscriptions depicting immorality, hooliganism, etc., heavy make-ups, rumpled and dirty clothes, and hair plaiting or weaving by male students.

The introduction of dress code or uniform wearing among students is considered on e of the approaches towards averting cases of sexual assault rampant in the tertiary institutions.

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