Varsity don urges FG to put permanent end to strike in tertiary institutions
By Jeleel Olawale
A lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Dr. Adebayo Obadiora has called on stakeholders in the education sector to put an end to incessant industrial action in the university system which is affecting the education sector.
Obadiora who is a lecturer at the Department of Arts and Social Education said there is a need to put an end to strike action always embarked upon by university teachers to ameliorate the challenges facing university education.
He made this known in an interview with Nigerian NewsDirect.
According to him, “Government should attach importance to the education sector and increase budgetary allocation to it. The allocation is too small considering United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO’s recommendation to education.
“The ASUU strike is going to have residual effects on the students and society. Society should prepare for the residual effects in the nearest future. We should try to do something so that it will not affect society too much. Whatever we know to arrest the situation, we should do it.
“Inadequate fund in tertiary institutions is one of the major issues ASUU is fighting for. Its strikes is to improve university education in Nigeria. When these institutions were established, they were not to house the large population we have now.
“There is also the problem of instructional materials to aid the teaching and learning process which is a serious problem. I am afraid of the products we are producing now to compete with their colleagues abroad, especially public universities. We don’t have materials to teach them especially science courses. So, no material to teach them,” he said.
Obadiora noted that there is a shortage of staff both academic and non-academic, the work overload would not allow quality delivery of instruction, saying that the understaffing is affecting lecturers’ productivity.
He said, “The welfare of staff is not being taken seriously. The salary has not been increased even though it was last increased in 2010 and the rate of inflation is alarming.
“They don’t pay the salary of promoted lecturers even the arrears and regular promotion. Our colleagues are not encouraged and there is congestion in classrooms and the hostels. Students are learning under unconducive environment. I pity the students, they are struggling to acquire certificates. The system made them exposed to dangers like cultism, prostitution, and things that endanger their life.”
He said the ranking of Nigerian universities has dropped drastically.
He said, “No Nigerian universities is in one of the 100 in the world ranking. The situation has made it dropped. The education sector in 2022 is stagnant. It doesn’t move forward, but is a bit backward because of industrial action. Although private universities are working by graduating students but cannot be as large as public universities. That is why I said it is a mixed blessing, some moved forward, some stagnant but the majority is stagnant.”
The university lecturer described the year 2022 tertiary education in Nigeria as a mixed blessing.
He stressed that many tertiary institutions were established to allow more applications to secure admission into the institutions, saying it gives employment opportunity to unemployed youths and aids economic development of the host community.
“The NUC is trying to maintain and improve the quality of university education. It improves the quality of tertiary education. The effect of COVID-19 has also improved teaching and learning in tertiary institutions, online teaching and learning.
“There is need for government to make funds available. We know what we can do to revitalise tertiary education. Don’t let us politicise it. Let all stakeholders play their roles. You will see lecturers working adequately well and remove the embargo on employment and employ more lecturers.
“There should be the provision of laboratory equipment and priotise welfare of staff. There is need to provide scholarships for students. Many students don’t want to go to school again, they want quick money. Students should shun violence and illicit acts,” Obadiora declared.
He called on government to provide security for students and staff so that teaching and learning can be done in a conducive atmosphere
