The newly launched on-campus job scheme for students of Bayero University Kano (BUK) has opened a multifarious window of opportunities to ease the hardship of students, promote their welfare and relieve them of financial difficulties and challenges faced due to lack of adequate support while pursuing their studies.
The job scheme, which is the first of its kind in the university, has started changing the lives of students, as well as creating mixed feelings of joy and appreciation by some students who have applied and got selected for part-time work at the university.
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It was gathered that some of the works to be embarked on by the beneficiaries include: monitoring and supervision of university’s facilities; surveillance to ensure a secure environment; cleanliness as well as other menial jobs to enable students earn a living with a reasonable amount (N15,000 per month) that could cater for some of their expenses and necessities while on campus.
One hundred and twenty-five students have so far been employed by the university from various faculties and departments under the scheme to help them earn a legitimate sum of N15, 000 monthly by rendering some of these services to the university.
The university management said out of over 2,000 students who applied for the job scheme, only 948 students submitted their applications within the deadline and out of which 125 were selected. Also, the management has made a reserve list for the replacement of students who may quit the scheme for one reason or the other.
Reacting to this development, some students especially the beneficiaries have expressed excitement over how the N15,000 monthly stipends could help in changing their lives amid the economic hardships they face as students of Nigerian universities.
Some of these beneficiaries told Daily Trust on Sunday that the university’s effort to have initiated this job scheme for all students regardless of which part of Nigeria they come from is commendable and recommendable for other institutions because it will go a long way to make the students more productive, enhance their bonds of unity, as well as create a peaceful atmosphere of learning with fewer crimes and theft cases that usually happen in the hostels.
Bilkisu Isah Salihu, a level 400 student, said she applied for the on-campus job scheme without any hesitation, bearing in mind that she could assist her parents by taking care of some of her own expenses without requesting from them.
“I am not the only child in my family and we are not rich. Also, I have so many financial issues because I need so many things to take care of myself as a student. Even though there were so many rumours earlier that the N15, 000 is per semester not monthly, I was already satisfied with the salary even before I applied for the job. Now that I know it is N15, 000 per month, I am super excited because I can do so many things with the money like purchasing handouts, photocopy, group projects and taking care of other little expenses,” she said with a smile on her face.
Isah Salihu, another beneficiary, added that since it is a part-time job where the beneficiaries are divided into groups, and each group has an allotted timetable for their work, it will not affect students’ academic schedules or activities.
A Lagos State indigene studying at the university, Abdullahi Abdullatif, who is also a beneficiary, explained how he intends to manage his timing and academic schedules to ensure that he works diligently to earn the N15,000 which is more than enough for an orphan like him.
“As an orphan, who comes from a poor family background in Lagos to study at the Bayero University Kano (BUK), I applied for the on-campus job scheme to be able to take care of my upkeep, buy food, handouts and other necessities because I have no one to ask for these things,” he said.
“I have been the one supporting myself and now this is an opportunity which I cannot afford to miss while studying. I can also use my time productively to earn a living,” he said.
Asked if he was comfortable with the amount to be paid, Abdullahi said he has no one to support him or give him the sum of N15,000 monthly, and having got a chance to earn that same amount in the most legitimate way by doing a part-time job in the university he studies, the amount needs to be appreciated because the kind of jobs they will be engaged in has been designed in such a way that they would not disrupt the academic schedules of students.
Harouna Umar and Shamsuddin Musa, both final year students and beneficiaries of the on-campus job scheme, shared similar views regarding how they intend to spend their earnings as students in their final year projects.
They said they will use the money for photocopying and printing of chapters of their final year project, as well as other group-based projects.
They further noted that only someone who has financial issues could understand that N15,000 is a very big amount especially when you have no one to give that same amount to you every month.
When asked whether the job schedules could affect the academic studies, they said the university knows they are students and therefore they are very confident that whatever the university initiated for this job scheme, will not disrupt their academic activities.
While many students are thinking of how to take care of their financial issues, Zainab Abubakar Goggo said she applied for the job in order to continue her charity work and salvage other people with more financial issues than hers.
She also said: “Whether the salary is monthly or per semester, I am very satisfied with it because no one will give that same amount to you just like that. There are so many people who need even less than that amount to put a smile on their faces and keep them going. I will use the money to improve my business which I have been using to run the charity works I do to assist others.”
Vice-Chancellor of the Bayero University Kano, Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas, while launching the scheme last week, said the scheme was the first of its kind introduced in the university as part of his commitment to improve the welfare of students as well as help them earn legitimate money by rendering some services to the university.
He, however, drew the attention of the engaged students to do whatever they could to protect the interest of the university, being the pioneer beneficiaries of the job scheme. He also announced that plans were underway to establish a free student’s skills acquisition centre in the university to allow interested students to learn some trades such as tailoring, make-up, as well as other skills that will help them become self-reliant after graduation.
On his part, Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Danja, an academic staff in the school, commended the Vice-Chancellor for initiating the job scheme which he described as an opportunity for these students to be self-reliant in different fields while at the same time earning a reasonable income that will supplement what their parents are giving to them in order to help them cater for some of their needs while on campus.
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