RETROSPECTIVE VIEW OF 2014

The new year commenced on a wonderful note with the continuation of my role as a GSA barely 4 months to the completion of my tenure. In the course of that I was assigned the following roles, where I worked assiduously for the success of the task:

•    Chairman ULES INTELLECT Committee
•      Publicity Secretary Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) week
•    Team lead final year project

Last Google Sensitization Event on Campus

Amazing Google Students Club (GSC) Members

Chairman ULES INTELLECT Committee

As the head of the committee comprising 10 members I was saddled with the responsibility of organizing the University of Lagos Engineering Society (ULES) Prodigio and Orator competition in the faculty. This competition is an annual competition organised by this committee. Prior to my appointment as the chairman of the committee, I was the General Secretary of the committee in the previous administration.

The first major task was to organize the ULES ORATOR competition taking cognizance of the need to present a candidate to represent the faculty in the most prestigious university debate. At the inception, I had borne in mind that less than 8 of the members of the committee will be active in discharging the roles of the committee. From the weekly meetings I scheduled, I epitomized an upright head by being time sensitive and punctual. Sequel to 3 meetings held, I realized the ones that were ready to work and begun to assign responsibilities to them. I ensured that the PRO consistently communicated the progress of the committee to the faculty EXCO. After several deliberations on the modalities of the event, we finally resolved to make the competition a 3 stage event taking regard of the number of applicants.

Furthermore, the first stage of the Orator Competition had 28 contenders vying for the last 16 spot. The Panelist comprised lecturers with high proficiency in English speaking and writing also anchored by me. It was a keenly contested academic fiasco that produced 16 candidates for the next round of the competition. The same process was also applied in the last 16 before reaching the grand finale with last 8 all vying for the coveted top shot position. The panel of judges included lecturers from the faculty of Law and Art, an intense one hour and thirty minutes event with constructive and severe tackling among the debaters just to score points. The final finally emerged, thus an ordained female speaker with oratory prowess from the department of chemical who was billed to represent the faculty. Subsequent meeting after the Orator final, I suggested to the members of the committee to subject the representative to rigorous training to equip her ahead of the University debate. This yielded fruitful return as our painstaking efforts was not in vain; the faculty recorded a milestone as our representative emerged third among all faculties in the University of Lagos. It was indeed a celebration of excellence, hard work, diligence and commitment towards the successful pursuit of the committee lead by me.

PRODIGIO FINALE AWARD PRESENTATION

In addition, the preliminary of the ULES prodigio was also organized concurrently with the ULES Orator. It was made up of three stages and questions set spanned across quantitative, verbal and engineering knowledge. My roles were to ensure proper communication with the candidates, provided hitch-free venue for the competition, effectively delegated some members on some tasks that involve questions setting, provision of refreshments etc. Numerous challenges were encountered when some members default in their responsibilities, despite that I was well positioned to act as a cover in order to have a flawless event. The grand finale was contested among 5 intellectually upright students from the faculty. After several hours of an interesting contest, the overall winner finally emerged triumphing over others in a narrow outcome. The success recorded could be ascribed to effective planning, efficient time utilization, and support from the very few team members, hard work, commitment, resilience and desire to make positive impact.

Publicity Secretary Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) Week

There is a banal mantra that says “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” Irrespective of my assiduous effort towards academic success and my being desirous to outperform in any leadership capacity am being positioned, I have never for once compromised my inclination towards my social life.

Firstly, a committee of 5 was constituted with the aim of organizing a mouth-watering week for the final year students of the department to relish their final stay on campus. It was however envisaged that the most difficult challenge would be the money collection from the final year students in the class. I would have volunteered earlier to be a part of the committee but I was engaged in some faculty and departmental leadership and project assignment. Barely two weeks before the scheduled date of the week only 20 out of a class of 90 had paid the mandatory amount to be a part of the week. I single-handedly spoke to 2 other classmates to join the committee in this rescue mission in other to leave a legacy for the coming set.

ECE FINAL YEAR PARTY

Afterwards, I consistently coaxed people, called them routinely by allowing them see the objective behind this and assured them of accountability in the use of the money. Thanks to Almighty God within 12 days the number of students that paid rose to 60. However, this was just the first phase of the feat of the week as we needed to strategize for the week proper. I made contact with the paparazzi, assisted in selection of the sweatshirt, and was significant in the planning of the final year party.  Numerous people had doubt in the party because of being an engineering department and the high boy to girl ratio. I took it upon myself and delegated some influential class members to escalate the publicity in all social media and among all Unilag students. The day of the party came up and we experienced some hitches which I confidently handled like the transport, delay from the caterer and also from the participating students. We recorded massive turn up of girls in the party of bout 3:1 to the extent that students from school had to join the party late at night to just to be a part of it. Class members vowed never to forget that day as the lingering perception about Engineering students organizing parties of such has been quenched.

My interpersonal skills, amiable nature, desire for success and the ability to collaborate was influential in the success of the Electrical and Computer Engineering week (ECE).

Team lead final year project

 I was selected as the team lead in the analysis design and construction of a GSM JAMMER for both indoor and outdoor use. This project was billed to be showcased by the University in a communication conference in faraway Abuja. I led the team of 3 that initiated the extensive analysis and design of the project. We consistently garnered tremendous knowledge about different simulation software to expedite the project. My domain was the generation of the Jamming Signal, which I synthesized and passed on the person in charge of the tuning frequency of communication before finally sending it to the Antenna for transmission. It was a herculean task that seemed very vague from the outset, but I deemed it fit to be completed as I regularly bolstered the confidence of my fellow team members that despite the obstacle that seemed insurmountable, we all should endeavor to complete whatever we lay our hands upon. However, I cannot undermine the colossal effort we received from the project supervisor Dr A.A Ayorinde whose support was very influential all through the construction stage.

At this juncture, an excerpt from Johnnie Walker will suffice the above-mentioned roles undertaken that says “Keep Moving”. Thanks to Almighty Allah that has kept me this far throughout my sojourn in the University and also in my aim to emerge a First Class (Hons.)  Graduate of this prestigious University. The struggle has never been easy, the atmosphere was hostile, the disappointments were numerous, disloyalty was conspicuous, act of being generous to others was not left out, but I ensured I made myself self-illuminating by epitomizing glimmer of hope even in despair. I envisage myriads of prosperity as we transit to this coming fruitful year of 2015.