By Michael Orodare, HNDII MassComm

The Ikorodu campus of Lagos State Polytechnic, LASPOTECH was brought to a standstill last Wednesday as Film Students of the department of Mass Communication held a rally to campaign against campus corruption.

The rally was in commemoration of the annual costume day tagged ‘Against Corruption Together: Stop Corruption on Campus ACT Now!’

Vehicular and pedestrian movements on the campus was brought to a halt as the students, who were dressed in different professional, cultural and religious attires, danced round the campus with different placards, flyers and stickers bearing several anti-campus corruption messages.

The students, led by their course lecturer, Steven Anu Adesemoye, commenced the rally from the department of Mass Communication and moved round different faculties, to the Rector’s office and back to their department, dancing, singing with all kinds of demonstration, calling on fellow students, lecturers and all stakeholders in the education sector to join hands to kick out corruption on Nigerian campuses if they are truly desirious of ending the brain drain, dearth of intellectualism among others in the nation’s education sector.

The rally attracted the attention of students, staffers, traders and other members of the Polytechnic community. At the School of Environmental Studies and School of Engineering, the rallying students were joined by fellow students who troop out of their classes to solidarise, dance and take pictures with their colleagues and also lend their voices to the anti-campus corruption campaign.

According to the organizing committee, the theme of this session’s costume day was borne out of the need to put a stop to the endemic corrupt practices which has eaten deep into the nation’s education sector and has therefore put the education sector on a snail movement.

The Course Lecturer, Mr Steve Anu Adesemoye noted that corruption in the nation’s education sector is not limited to the tertiary institutions, but it starts from the primary level.

He therefore advocated for proper enlightenment for lecturers and students to rid Nigeria education sector of corrupt practices, from the primary level to the tertiary level.

Adesemoye said “We are not looking for saints, we only need those who are ready to change and drop the bad in their hands in order for us to have a better society.”

One of the students, Olowe Temitope described the rally as a success. She however said “we strongly hope that those concerned or affected by our campaign message will take necessary action to address the menace of corruption on our campuses in order for us to have a better academic society”

The President of the Mass Communication Students’ Association (MACSA), Omoniyi Joseph on his part described the procession as a creative and resounding effort towards fighting against corruption in our higher institutions.

Ominiyi said if everyone and every sector in this country can take the bull by the horn by acting against corruption in all sincerity, the whole nation will be better for it.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that, effective from January 1, 2016 Nigerians will buy a litre of petrol for a reduced amount of 85 naira.

Although Nigerian have faced with the challenges of buying fuel higher than its present official selling price of 87 naira with over two months of unbearable fuel scarcity across the nation.

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Emmanuel Kachikwu, made the announcement of the reduction in pump price of the petrol at the Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC), where he spent Christmas inspecting the revamped plant.

Asked when the Federal Government would release the new price template of the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulation Agency (PPPRA), the Minister said he approved the new price for the agency on Thursday.

“Like I said, we have done a modulation calculation and it is showing us below N87”, Mr. Kachikwu said. “I imagine that if PPPRA publishes it today, it will become effective immediately. But the 1st of January that is when we are looking at”.

Dr. Kachikwu explained that the new price template will convince Nigerians that the pricing modulation that the Muhammadu Buhari-led government promised to embark on a few days ago was not a trick.

He noted that following analyses and research, government realized the country could fluctuate fuel price in accordance with the crude oil market fundamentals.

Justifying government’s reasons for scrapping the Petroleum Support Fund otherwise known as oil subsidy, the Minister pointed out that government could no longer afford to subsidize the petrol following the fraud that has marred its operation.

He added that it had become clear that government earnings were dipping on daily basis.