What has become a national problem is the rampant cases of suicide among students in the country. Why is this becoming prevalent? What is being done to address this? These are some of the questions bothering the minds of parents and guardians on what should be done to curb the incidences of suicide among students. As a quick remedy, parents and guardians have been urged to show affection and maintain close contact with their children and wards to stem the dangerous tide. The University Counsellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, Dr. Modesta Ofodile, stated this while featuring on FUNAAB Radio 89.5 FM live interactive programme, Boiling Point. Dr. Ofodile of the Guidance and Counselling Unit of the University noted that being unduly harsh with children and wards only produces children that are hardened.
She explained that such students normally became withdrawn from their parents and either sought solutions to their challenges on their own or from other sources outside the home, adding that this had led some of them to commit suicide. Listing other causes of suicide among Nigerians and their effects, Dr. Ofodile said psychotic challenge, personality disorders, impulsive acts, and genetic factors, among others, could trigger irrational behaviour and could lead to someone taking his or her life. She said some students might equally want to end their lives just because they were not making good grades in their studies, while some could do it because of disappointments by their lovers or perceived rejection by other family members due to financial demands. While suggesting ways to tackle the incidence of suicide, Dr. Ofodile advised institutions of learning to take the issue counselling seriously and appealed to students to see challenges in life as a temporary setback “As this could only mean there is room to do better”, she added.
On physical fitness and wellness among students, the Vice-Chancellor of FUNAAB, Prof. Kolawole Salako, has disclosed that the University is looking forward not to producing graduates alone but to produce great and talented footballers and athletes. He made this disclosure while declaring open the University intercollegiate sports competition at the University Sports Centre. According to him, nothing stops students, after taking a degree in agriculture and also engaging in football and other sporting activities. He stressed that the world was dynamic and people can show their potentials in many ways. The Vice-Chancellor, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development), Prof. Clement Adeofun, said it was not just enough to be in academics, but that there should be a time to exercise the body and brain.
The Acting Director of Sports, Dr. Samuel Olabanji has stressed that the primary aim of organising the competition was to bring out talents among the students and form a formidable team that would represent the institution at external University competitions. He added that the competition, which is targeted at the students to bring out the best and cuts across all colleges in the University, is called intra-moral activities. The Acting Director appreciated the Vice-Chancellor for approving the competition despite the University’s financial status and limited time before the commencement of examinations.
Looking at another issue bordering on the students, governments at all tiers have been charged to prioritise the interest of students and youths for the betterment of the country. This was the position of discussants that issues affecting the youth would automatically affect the development of Nigeria and the world at large. For instance, the Abeokuta North-West Secretary, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Comrade Kehinde Ademuyiwa lamented that governments had failed to create an avenue for youths to engage in decision-making by contributing their quota to national development. He said the problems facing youths were numerous, but that the most important one was unemployment. Comrade Ademuyiwa stressed that unemployment had made many youths engage in social vices. He equally identified under-employment as a major problem facing the youths due to poor remuneration, noting that “The government should give much credence to the youths” just as the President, FUNAAB Students’ Union (FUNAABSU), Comrade Michael Oloyede has called on the government to support youths to enable them to put their ideas into proper use.
He said one of the qualities of an active youth was to be able to stand alone when necessary and take responsibility. The student leaders decried the government’s lackadaisical attitude to addressing the problem facing students. Comrade Oloyede said FUNAABSU was able to organise a summit for South-west youth leaders where you know and they were able to educate the youths on some of the leadership qualities needed to contribute meaningfully to the growth of the country. Having examined the problems of suicide, fitness, and wellness as well as unemployment among students that form a reasonable percentage of the youth population, there is the need to do something differently fast by thinking outside the box and engaging in practical measures, to improve a lot of our students to make it possible for them to become highly productive and an integral part of development in Nigeria.
