Daily Independent (Lagos)
Abubakar Jimoh
30 June 2009
opinion
Lagos — As a Nigerian student, I write to draw Your Excellency's attention to the ongoing strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which could lead to disruptions in the country's education sector.
It may be recalled that during the era of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, an ad hoc committee was set up to look critically into the problems of ASUU. The committee was to report to the Federal Government. But its efforts proved abortive as a result of the non-cooperative stance of the government. This in return led to the three-month strike inherited by your administration.
In your campaign, prior to your election as the President, you promised to bring to an end the problems in the Nigerian education sector and provide the nation with standard education. Supported with the fact that you had served as a lecturer in a higher institution, these were the major considerations of many students who supported your candidacy with their votes.
While assuming office as President of this nation, you communicated at once your vision to the people through the "Seven-Point Agenda." The agenda was viewed by the people as a pragmatic programme that would bring to this nation vibrant development since it comprised the major sectors of the economy such as education, agriculture, health care, infrastructural facilities, industrialization, etc.
Sincerely speaking, sir, Nigerian students are yet to see the fulfillment of your promises, especially the ones on the education sector. Rather, the system is being mutilated. This ranges from the inadequate learning equipment in schools, and insufficient textbooks including academic journals through which students could be adequately educated on their various fields of specialization. Our laboratories are full of dusty, old-fashioned equipment while the libraries mainly stock outdated reading materials. This has so far resulted in poor academic performances and negative attitudes of youths, which are major issues now confronting the nation.
Annually, our universities produce thousands of graduates who strictly depend on their lecture notes throughout their studies. Among these are practical courses where students learn nothing practical but mere theories. due to non-availability of learning tools.
Even if we manage to graduate and pass our various examinations in the universities under these terrible conditions, how competitive are we in the global market? What can we give in return to our beloved fatherland in appreciation of being educated? What can we offer the challenging world?
Another issue that requires immediate attention is the low salary scale of university lecturers. These are the people who have dedicated their entire lives to imparting knowledge and wisdom, training and developing leaders for the society. They have dependants: wives and children. Their present meagre pay cannot take care of them.
All the strike actions embarked upon in this country so far have not yielded positive results. The students and lecturers have remained disenchanted and occasionally take on the wrong side of social norms. Nigerian students and their education need immediate and maximum attention .Now is the time to address the problems.
Abubakar Jimoh writes from the Department of Linguistics, University of Abuja.
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