As Nigeria is battling to
overcome the callous and infamous
dreaded Islamic sect called Boko Haram
which group has succeeded brutally
killing innocent Nigerians in the
Northern part of Nigeria with no just
cause. Over 5000 Nigerians have lost
their precious lives while property
worth millions of naira have been
destroyed in recent times. The sudden
sack of Inspector- General of Police
Hafiz Ringim and immediate replacement
of his intelligent and indefatigable
colleague MD Abubakar which the latter
promised Nigerians full protection of
life and property indicated the
political normalcy will eventually
returned to the Northern states. The
fear of living in the North has prompted
the NYSC authorities not to deploy
graduates to those troubled regions. The
alleged perpetrators being traced to
highly placed Northern elders and
leaders must not be overlooked rather
for the Federal government to do
properly investigation on the
allegation. Boko Haram members are not
spirit but human beings be regularly
remunerated by the so-called cabals in
Northern region to cause evil things and
nothing else .The Academic Staff Union
of Universities (ASUU) has been on
indefinite strike for one month and few
days which security challenge has
distracted the government from
concentrating on our striking lecturers
and helpless students.
The decaying education sector is
immensely contributing negatively to the
ASUU regular strike which the 2009
agreement of Deacon Gamaliel Onosode on
the need to review lecturers salaries,
funding of the Universities and
maintenance of the existing Universities
and others which the government have
abysmally failed over the years. The
proposed UNESCO 26 percent to fund our
universities is not yet to be considered
while the high brain- drain among our
Universities Lecturers and students is
at geometrical progression. Our students
and lecturers are now patronizing
neighboring countries for quality
education .The 2012 budget for education
being proposed by President Goodluck
Jonathan indicated the low money being
allocated to that sector which
invariably tells Nigerians that Nigeria
is not ready for her education. Most of
our leaders benefited from free
education being introduced by our
fore-fathers yet the sector is dwindling
in total failure. The minister of
education, Prof Ruquayytu Rufia has not
done any tangible progress to bring back
the lecturers and students to school
rather advising heads of these higher
institutions not to give honorary awards
to undeserved Nigerians who want to get
their certificates from the back door.
But it is welcome ideal at the
moment.Our universities,
polytechnics,colleges and schools are
underfunded despite that our President
was once a lecturer who strongly knows
the plight of the education system.
It is sad that our existing Universities
are yet to compete with International
universities while Nigerian students are
academically doing well in these foreign
Universities. No Nigerian university is
rated as the best 20 in Africa or the
World. Even foreign Lecturers are not
patronizing our schools anymore
especially the higher institutions in
Nigeria due to regular strikes and
corruption.The multiple bombings by Boko
Haram is not helping the education
sector. No country develops faster if
her education sector is not fixed.
Scholarships are gradually disappearing
from our schools which only few are
given the opportunity to study
abroad.The government has failed to
tackle the hike in various state
universities school fees which many
students cannot afford. LASU is a case
study which school fees for both full
and part-time students cannot be
affordable in all ramifications. Even
our private institutions are not left
out.The ASUU president is yet to dance
with the political gimmicks of the
government.If African countries like
Ghana, Libya, Togo and others can
sustained her education sector while not
Nigeria. Though most of our prominent
Nigerians children and wards attend
foreign universities which make them not
to pay attention the education sector.
Despite that Jonathan created newly 9
universities, yet the alarming rate of
jobless among our graduates is nothing
to write home about. The schools are
only producing graduates without
creative mindsets.The education sector
needs total overhauling which could be
comparable to international
universities. Jonathan must take
education seriously because no sector
works without fixing her education
sector.It is time for Nigerian lecturers
to considered the plight of students and
avert frequent strikes and devise other
means to negotiate with the government
with no qualms.
GODDAY ODIDI. PUBLIC
AFFAIRS
COMMENTATOR.08058124798,08063458693.20
oro street Ajegunle Apapa Lagos
Published
January 29th, 2012
