Abdulrasaq Kamaldeen
In the bustling heart of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, there is the Faculty of Management Sciences Students’ Association (FAMSSA) that mandates monthly faculty sanitation to maintain campus cleanliness and hygiene for students well-being, initiated by its former executive members in 2023.
To maintain the existing code of conduct, students of the faculty of management sciences were seen under the scorching sun, cleaning and sanitizing the dirties littering the Faculty vicinity at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, on Sunday, 28th April 2024.
The sanitation exercise had the participation of both students and the executives of FAMSSA, including the Business Administration’s Head of Department. Amidst the striving students, there was Sidiq Olamilekan, a 400-level Business Administration and the current president of the association, who spoke to the Harbinger about the development.
“The main reason for organizing this sanitation is just to make our environment clean. It was initiated by the previous executives and we want to continue the initiation. It is a monthly task and it has been done every Sunday that ends the month,” Sodiq narrated.
The low exhibition of students during the sanitation caused a sense of dejection to him, as awareness had proliferated in all the faculty social media groups, urging students for their full participation.
“I think maybe in the next coming one there will be more students. We make a lot of awareness to publicize. We even release our memo to reach them and we see a low turnout,” he lamented.
He also stated that financial constraints battling the association have been a hindrance to the proper execution of many programs in the faculty. “The association within the faculty normally faces funding problems, there is not much allocation coming from the school to the faculty which is supposed to be, but we do have funding problems and I think that is the major problem we have.”
The Faculty of Management Science is renowned in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, with different departments such as the Department of Accounting; Business Administration; and Public Administration, and known for its cleanliness which the students aim to maintain.
According to Calibre Cleaning, protecting the environment should be a priority for every individual because of its importance to our health. The environment is responsible for providing us with clean air, water, and land which we need to survive.
“Some may argue that the environment has little relation to our health, as there are illnesses and diseases caused from other factors such as lifestyle choices or genetics. While environmental issues may not always be directly linked to physical health, they can have a huge impact on psychological well-being by increasing stress or limiting access to recreational activities,” it read in parts.
Participants React
Usman Taiwo Rauf, a 300-level student and welfare director II of FAMSSA emphasized the cruciality of the program, stating the need to expand the legacy beyond its realm.
“This is a legacy we need to continue, to make our faculty clean because they say cleanliness is next to godliness, so I am very happy to be part of this and I hope to continue this till I graduate from this faculty,” he said.
Another student, Sodiq Habeebah, a 400-level student of Business Administration and the welfare director of the association expressed her downcast due to the morsel turnout of students despite the large population of students in the faculty to our Reporter.
“It is only the executives and two or three UG 1 students, so it is unfortunate. Because our capability has not been able to finish all these things. We have more than 700 students, we now see a minimum of 20 students here. It is unfortunate, we use this avenue to call our people next [time]. We call on them, they should try to come out so that we will be able to make our faculty clean at once,” she told our Reporter.
Speaking with Bello Kifayat Adenike, a 400-level student of the faculty and the General Secretary of FAMSSA affirmed the reason behind the low turnout to be the virtual publication, rather than physical awareness and the day being for Christian worship.
In her words, Adenike said; “I don’t think there is anything because we broadcast this message, I think students just don’t want to do something like this, but if it is something else like an occasion and sharing things, there will be many more people in the faculty. So, we understand that the Christian students are not around because they went to their church service,” she narrated.
“You Don’t Need to be Rich to Make An Impact”– Dr Shaba
The Head of Department (HOD) of Business Administration, Dr. Yakubu Shaba, who participated in the sanitation exercise, maintained that contribution to cleanliness does not necessarily require the affluent to make an impact in the society. “You know we think mostly being rich will make us make an impact. However, you see it, there are some ways you can make an impact,” he said, adding that “we need to contribute to the faculty with our little deeds by cleaning and keeping the environment very clean.”
He further expressed his excitement over the participation and stamped the duties of sanitization to be a humanitarian service that should not be restricted to students, lecturers or researchers but to everyone. “I am employed to lecture, research, and also do community service; this is part of the community service, but nobody will use this for promotion and I am so happy that I am doing it for the sake of my faculty”, he said.
