Nigerian Varsities Under Siege, In Shadows of Death – Omole

Pro-chancellor and chairman of the Governing Council, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Professor Ayodeji Omole, has decried the current state of the Nigerian Universities. Omole asserted that Nigerian Universities are currently under siege and “Working in the shadows of death.”

According to Omole, the university system had been captured and held hostage by many government policies which are inimical to academic culture especially since the advent of the so-called ‘Civil rule’.

The former chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), who made these assertions while delivering the 561 inaugural lecture of the University of Ibadan, entitled “Working in the shadows of death,” stated that unless something urgent is done to stop government attacks on Nigeria’s educational system, the system will die faster than anticipated.

“More than ever before, the Nigeria University system is under siege and therefore ‘Working in the shadows of death. If nothing drastic is done to stop the various attacks from the government and its agencies, the system will die faster than anticipated.

“The University system is captured and has been held hostage by many government policies, especially since the advent of the so-called ‘civil rule’”.

He took a swipe at various civilian administrations who he said foisted anti-intellectual policies on the education system in the country.

According to him, “Treasury Single Account (TSA) and Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS). IPPIS is a mismatch with the university work structure.

“It is incompatible with the academic calendar and a clear violation of the University Act. Therefore, it is illegal. Only in Nigeria is the database of scholars surrendered to foreign agencies in the name of cutting costs.

“The effects of this threaten the very existence of the University system in Nigeria today because it is now impossible for universities to recruit even cleaners.

“The proposed imposition of Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard (CCMAS) by the National Universities Commission (NUC) is another policy that will kill Nigerian Universities faster than expected”.

While expressing sadness that the University of Ibadan Senate also caved in from its stance on the CCMAS introduction, Omole lamented that the rigid standardisation would limit universities’ ability to innovate and design programmes to meet societal needs because local content and flavour are ignored.

Speaking eloquently before the mammoth audience under the chairmanship of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Kayode Adebowale and representative of the Governor of Oyo Stste, Governor Seyi Makinde who was represented by his deputy, Bayo Lawal, Omole held the Trenchard Hall, firmly under his grip with momentary salutations from the audience.

On the menace confronting the forestry sector, the forestry expert affirmed that “Challenge of insecurity in our forest estates is perhaps the only problem that has hitherto defied all strategic solutions in Nigeria. Nigerian forests can simply be described as one of the most threatened in Africa because of high population growth rate, forest conversion to subsistence and industrial agriculture, illegal logging and unsafe environment.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Unfortunately, it is pathetic that the military formations seem helpless in effectively tackling and eradicating this particular monstrous challenge. The monopoly of violence is no longer an exclusive right of the military but by the non-state actors. These security breaches are too numerous to mention.

Forests in the South East and South-south are not by any means equally exempted from the activities of these criminals. This development is a major challenge to forestry in Nigeria.

“Since 2013, when the Boko Haram insurgents found a safe haven in the Sambisa Forest, from where they launch their attacks on the Nigerian State, neither Nigeria nor the forest have known any peace. Unfortunately, the situation has grown from bad to worse and has continue to escalate.

Forest establishment is therefore directly affected or impeded as a result of the risk associated with planning and carrying out any planting operations in the forest areas.”

He added: “In some cases, farmers have lost their lives to the sporadic shootings of insurgents, bandits or unknown-gun-men in many parts of Nigeria; on their farms, highways and villages. This kind of situation has made practice of forestry a serious challenge in Nigeria, even though most of the attacks are in the northern parts, the ripple effects are felt all over the country.

“There is no doubt that all this would affect the economic growth, foreign exchange earnings and stability of the country.”

The University don advocated special funding allocation to support conservation and sustainable management of forests in the country noting that the measure will help combat illegal logging, land encroachment and other activities that lead to deforestation.