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Tag: lecturers

  • OkoPoly rector to matriculants: resist lecturers’ extortion, shun cultism

    OkoPoly rector to matriculants: resist lecturers’ extortion, shun cultism

    Acting Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, Dr. Uche Onyegbu has advised newly admitted students of the institution to resist all forms of extortion by both lecturers and old students.

    He warned that his administration would not condone exploitation under any guise, just as he advised the students to shun cultism and other vices.

     Speaking on Friday at the 40th matriculation ceremony of the institution, Onyegbu also warned against any form of indecent dressing and behavior, insisting that decency and good conduct were part of the uncompromising culture of the Polytechnic.

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    He said, “May I passionately appeal to you to resist extortion by lecturers or even students under any guise. Report any such case to the Management.

     “The Management has come out with a dedicated phone line that will be for cases of extortion. This is in demonstration of our resolve to stamp out this dangerous practice. 

    “We are sounding a note of warning to all staff that this administration does not condone exploitation under any guise. Do not allow yourself to be used as an example.”

  • ‘Nigeria pays lowest salary to lecturers in West Africa’

    ‘Nigeria pays lowest salary to lecturers in West Africa’

    Within the realm of academia, Prof. Clement Olusegun Olaniran Kolawole stands out as a luminary, actively shaping the educational landscape with his profound expertise in Language Education, Reading, Curriculum and Instruction. Currently serving as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Trinity University, Yaba, Lagos, Prof. Kolawole’s journey is a testament to a life devoted to scholarship and leadership. A distinguished fellow of the Centre for Peace and Conflicts Studies (CEPACS), he is an illustrious member of various esteemed organisations, including the Curriculum Organisation of Nigeria (CON), Reading Association of Nigeria (RAN), and the International Reading Association (IRA). Beyond his impressive academic pursuits, Prof. Kolawole has demonstrated exemplary leadership in academic circles locally and internationally. In this interview, the seasoned scholar x-rays the state of university education in Nigeria and other issues. He spoke with Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF

    Assessing the state of university education in Nigeria

    University education in Nigeria is not in the best shape at the moment, going by the fact that certain things that are basic to a smooth system are not there. For instance, our tertiary institutions are not being properly funded by the owners:  the state governments, the government at the federal level, private individuals and agencies, because these stakeholders that I have just mentioned do not realise the enormity of the roles that the university plays in the social economic development of the nation. The university is the hub where research activities that engender development (scientific, technology, infrastructure and human capacity development etc.) take place; everything takes place through theory and practice in the university system. What we do in the university system is to actualise some of these findings to position us.

     So, because those in government are not aware of this, they are playing lip service to university funding. So, you get to most universities, you wouldn’t find the wherewithal, the infrastructure, office space, laboratories, top- notch and functioning libraries (both virtual and physical) and even the whole environment sometimes calls to question whether we are serious about university education. The idea of asking private individuals to come on board is an excuse on the part of the government to address its failure because if the government were to be doing what was necessary, private individuals have no business in university education because it is a social responsibility that the government owes the people. But because funding is not adequate, the university system in Nigeria pays the lowest salary to academic staff even in West Africa. So it is not a place where the best people can be attracted; the best researchers even today – our first-class students – do not want to stay because once they know the salary that is attached to it, they prefer to go into ICT, oil or the banking sector where they can make more money.

     Because there is no money, the infrastructure facilities that we need are not in place; we cannot attract global best practices; we cannot replicate them; we cannot bring quality scholars; even those that are home-grown that are doing their best are leaving in droves because we use our salaries to run the system. For example, I can tell you that in the last 10 years, the government has owed university lecturers what is called earned academic allowances. These are the allowances that they ought to have paid for the extra work that we are doing because we don’t have adequate human power; it is not that the adequate human power to be employed is not existing but the government has not recruited them into the system. So we do much more than we are supposed to do; so the government came up with the offer to pay for the extra work that scholars are doing. For me, as I’m speaking with you, the government is owing me over 10 years’ accumulative annual academic allowance. That is in the millions as an individual. So, most of our colleagues are leaving into other areas in other countries where their values will be appreciated and they will get things that are commensurate with their work. All of these problems I have mentioned, like I said in the beginning, the government has not demonstrated that it understands the value of the university education in the developmental trajectory of the country, and that is quite unfortunate.

    How to handle financial autonomy for the universities

    It is very easy. Easy because the government must come to the reality of the fact that it can’t eat its cake and have it. The government must face the reality that it cannot have it both ways. If there’s a challenge in adequately funding universities, and the government acknowledges this by granting full financial autonomy, it implies that universities can seek funding, operate independently, and adhere to guidelines. Granting full financial autonomy means universities have the opportunity to manage their affairs within regulations, including the flexibility to address challenges, and the government cannot simultaneously restrict their ability to charge tuition.

     So, once you grant full financial autonomy, you have given them the opportunity to fend for themselves as much as possible within regulations and spend the money to take care of their challenges. Recently, there was an argument as to universities paying 40% of the IGR to the government, which was nonsensical. Thank God the government woke up and realised there was no point. You have not funded universities adequately, you also want to take 40% from the little they are able to put together from municipal services. Where is the money coming from? It is like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

     Universities consume a lot in research and so they need money. Cleaning the campuses, there is a lot of money that goes into it; faculties, residence, buying the reagents in the laboratories, stationary and everything that it requires; universities should have money to meet those demands and once those demands are met, our universities will begin to be stable and run smoothly. For now, we are only on the basics.

    On incessant strikes by ASUU

    Until recently, I was an active member of ASUU. The agitations that ASUU engages in most times have put some sanity on the part of government; otherwise government wasn’t willing to do anything. But unfortunately, ASUU is misunderstood because most times we ourselves also under-report ourselves. As we also say in ASUU congress, for example, academic staff cannot go on total and indefinite strike going by the nature of what we are employed to do – research, teaching and public engagement. You can’t go on strike on public engagement and research, but you can suspend teaching. We have told our union to tell government that we are suspending teaching; that’s one of the most important aspects of our work. Once you suspend teaching, all students will go away but research goes on; community engagement goes on. By the time we tell government that we are on total and indefinite strike, that’s why government can do shakara that they do to us and stop our salary.

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    So, we also misinform the public and misrepresent ourselves. I have always said it in the congress of ASUU, “Tell government that we are withdrawing from teaching, a component aspect of our services.’’ If you do that, you will pay me for research and community engagement because each time we say we are going on strike we normally declare, we do research to improve our quality, to improve our visibility and improve the scope of knowledge. We do community engagement; we serve our communities; we serve committees of the university; we serve our students, and we write letters of reference for our students for job prospects and post-graduate studies outside this country and those things cost money and time.

     What government should have done is to cultivate ASUU. Let me give you an example of the TETFUND. It is the initiative of ASUU in 1996; ASUU already has packaged something about two years ago on how government can tap from technology service providers to get good money to fund education but for some personal reasons or ego, instead of sitting down with ASUU and ask how it is possible without creating problem. ASUU would offer suggestions and government can tap from it, but they missed the opportunity. So if the government sees ASUU as a partner in progress, some of the problems we have, we will not have it.

    How TSA ruins the university system

    TSA is not good for the university system. Universities are set up to do research and when you do research, you are free to look for funding anywhere globally. Most times we appeal to international donor agencies like MacArthur and others. When they give you money, you go there to argue out what you want to do, the time, the implication and the total package. So once you get the grant, the time begins to run; there are equipment you need to buy; there are some you need to import; there are some you need to create and there are people you need to employ, pay and things you need to do periodically. Usually, before TSA, when the money comes, it comes to the account of the university; the money will not be given to the individual for accountability sake because the name of the university is involved. So the university monitors how the money is spent. Once the principal investigator wants to use money, he or she will apply and it is processed by the bursary and the money is realised so that the work can be done. But TSA came and put everything together. So, once such money comes, it goes straight to the CBN; it became herculean to access. Before it became a public knowledge, dollar was no longer available in the CBN because the dollar was used for something else. Meanwhile, the person to whom you signed an agreement to carry out a research is waiting for progress report; he or she is waiting for the progress of the work to be done, while the money to be used to carry out the research can’t be accessed. The equipment you want to buy because prices vary; it is not stable. You may have quoted 5 dollar before and before you know it, it may be 10 dollar and you can’t go back to the funder. So, TSA made that basically impossible. There were several agencies that threatened to blacklist Nigerian universities that took their money and didn’t deliver. In blacklisting the university, they are also blacklisting the scholar that is involved but when they discovered that it was not a lie, that the government policy has made that impossible, most of these donors backed out.  And they went to other countries where researches can be done timeously and values can be added. Meanwhile, ASUU told government not to do it, that it is a minus to; it will destroy scholarship, destroy the stability of the university system but the government didn’t listen. Government can’t run university the way it runs ministries; that’s a mistake the government is making.

    Benefit Nigeria can drive from technology

    What the university exists to do is to advance knowledge, scholarship and make society better. There is nothing that is happening globally that didn’t start from the university system. If you go to Silicon Valley, Massachusetts, Oxford, Harvard and all those Ivy League universities, it is research. We have been told that some of the things going on in technology today started from campuses of universities and so back in Nigeria, our people have the knowledge base, the technical knowhow and what is required is to put some of these things together, but they are not given adequate support. There is nothing wrong in government saying, this is what we want to do, can you think it out for us and tell us how to go about it. That is what universities should be doing, but government doesn’t engage universities because some people in the ministries are in one corner trying to cut corner, with profit from the policy at the expense of the larger society. If the government puts its money where its mouth is, we will move faster than we are moving now. There is no aspect of human existence that the university scholars can’t research into but the government doesn’t give us the opportunity and the conducive atmosphere to run the way we are supposed to run. Many of our colleagues leave government universities to private universities and private universities are flourishing because proprietors release money timeously. You see them regularly monitoring what goes on and they want to satisfy their clients. Why is it that the federal government is not doing that? There is no country that can develop outside its universities. If Nigeria wants to fully develop, it should go back to its tertiary institutions where research drives development.

  • ‘Friendly lecturers impart knowledge better’

    Gazali Tanimu, 28, is the best graduating Ph.D student in Chemical Engineering at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Tanimu, who was the best graduating student in 2012 at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, and teaches at the same institution, tells ABDULSALAM MAHMUD, that some lecturers’ attitude negatively affect students’ performance.

    Tell us about your journey to King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM)?

    Well, I first got to know about KFUPM through some senior colleagues in 2012. Then I was still an undergraduate and in my final year at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria. But I later got to know more about the specialised Saudi university through my elder brother and one of our neighbours, who were both offered post-graduate admission by KFUPM. After I graduated from ABU in 2012, I applied and the university instantly offered me a scholarship. The scholarship is meant for persons, who graduated with either first class or second class (upper division) from some selected countries. Among other things, the scholarship covers tuition, stipends, housing, textbooks and healthcare.

    Can you recall some of your feats at KFUPM?

    To the special grace of God, I graduated with distinction after successfully defending my M.Sc. thesis in May 2016. Considering the outstanding grade, KFUPM offered me another admission to do my Ph.D. To the glory of Almighty Allah, I just graduated as the best Ph.D student in Chemical Engineering during KFUPM’s 2019 post-graduate convocation in March this year. Have you always been the best among your school mates?

    I don’t mean to sound pompous, but the truth is, I have always emerged tops among my classmates right from the outset. I was the best graduating student in my primary school. I replicated the same feat in my secondary school and then in 2012, I emerged as the overall best graduating student at the convocation ceremony of ABU. Personally, I think it is my creator’s doing. I thank him for blessing me with a razor-sharp intellect. The exceptional mentors I came across in my academic journey also contributed immensely to my accomplishments.

     Did you encounter language barrier since Arabic is Saudi’s lingua franca?

    The King Fahd University and most of the universities offering post-graduate studies in the Kingdom use English as medium of instruction. So, I and other foreign students at KFUPM did not encounter any kind of language barrier.

    What inspired you to study Chemical Engineering at ABU?

    Initially, I had two courses that were my priorities-Medicine and Chemical Engineering. This is because I was very good in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics, which are core science subjects. At that time, I approached my tutors and I was strongly advised to choose the one I prefer most. They were confident I could do well in both courses. I got to know that both Medicine and Chemical Engineering have bright prospects, based on the discussions I had with those studying them. So, it was really difficult to take a decision. But as fate would have it, I finally settled for Chemical Engineering, and there have been no regrets so far.

    What is your Ph.D research all about?

    The research I carried out in my PhD programme was titled: “Novel process for the oxidative dehydrogenation of LPG to high-value olefins”. The target of the research was to improve on the selectivity of olefins and diolefins from normal butane (N-Butane). So, what we were able to achieve was a catalyst designed base on commercially available metal oxides, which gave good performance (in terms of activity, selectivity and stability) for the desired products. And the desired products are ethylene, propylene and butadiene, which are the backbone of most petrochemical industries.

    What interests you about student-lecturer relationship at KFUPM?

    At KFUPM, the lecturers are very friendly, unassuming and hospitable towards students. The aspect of lecturer-student interactions is quite high and absolutely impressive. This is possibly due to the moderate ratio of students to lecturers in various departments. Also, the lecturers have office hours, which is an avenue for students to table their complaints before their lecturers. In return, they politely counsel their students. The lecturers and supervisors over there assist in proffering solutions to students’ academic problems. Lecturers in every tertiary institution should not incite fears into the minds of their students. They should avoid threatening students with carry overs. They should rather be epitomes of humility, kindness and compassion, who desire the best for their students.

    How come you performed brilliantly at KFUPM?

    I adopted no any special way of studying at KFUPM. It is just that the university had already provided a conducive environment for students to study efficiently. The only thing is that I was surrounded with erudite mentors that armed me with necessary advice and mentorship at every point in time. During my PhD research, I was lucky to receive proper guidance and instructions from the consultant professors at KFUPM Research Institute. I gained a lot from their rich expertise, which enabled me to have an excellent research output. Also, I cannot forget to thank my project supervisors for their tutelage.

    What is your next plan?

    I am a patriotic Nigerian. Therefore, the only plan I am nursing now is how to gather my luggage and head back to my country. I am passionate about contributing my quota towards the sustainable development of our fatherland. Furthermore, I want to contribute my quota towards the accelerated growth of science and technology in Nigeria.

  • Improve research for lecturers, students of Biotechnology, says don

    A professor of Biotechnology at the Ota, Ogun State based Covenant University (CU), Olawole Obembe, has urged the three tiers of government to further develop secondary and tertiary education.

    Obembe of the Department of Biological Sciences, is also seeking improved research in biotechnology, adding that the discipline should be based on long-term training rather than through seminars and workshops. This, he said, is in addition to aggressive funding of specialised biotechnology centres and agencies such as the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA); National Centre for Genetic Research and Biotechnology (NACGRAB); and Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), among others.

    Delivering CU’s 19th inaugural lecture at the university premises, Obembe, appealed to authorities across Africa to increase capacity for food production. This, according to Obembe, becomes necessary, particularly amid the grim prediction by the United Nations that an additional two billion individuals are most likely to be malnourished by 2050.

    Obembe, who spoke on the topic: “Subdue and dominate the earth: Plant Biotechnology for sustainable development’, admonished authorities to leverage plant biotechnology, which he described as the panacea for food, feed and fibre production.

    He said, “It is noteworthy that while the world’s population is increasing phenomenally in fulfilment of the mandate of creation, the size of the planet earth remains fixed and its resources also remain finite. This challenge has had its effect on socio economic development and the overall quality of life.

    “Plants are pivotal to the existence of life on the earth and in situations whereby population growth is exceeding food production, agriculture is as never before crucial to the economies and environments of the world.

    “Modern agriculture must meet the demands of the ever increasing population and expectation of improved living standards, in the presence of frightening harmful consequences of diminishing arable land and environmental pollution, plant biotechnology offers the world significant opportunities to subdue and dominate over the challenge of ever growing demand for food, feed and fibre production, as well as the need for good health and well-being, ensuring that more efficient use of the world’s limited resources and consequently contributing to sustainable development.”

    Obembe said Africa has the opportunity of profiting immensely from agricultural biotechnology because of its large population, rich yet uncultivated arable land which could be fully maximised.

    He continued: “African countries have the greatest potentials to benefit from modern agricultural biotechnology. This is due to the fact that about 70 per cent of the populations derive their livelihood from farming. The agriculture is the single largest employer of labour worldwide, providing income for 40 per cent of the current global population.

    “Agriculture contributes the largest source of income and jobs for poor rural households. Globally, 500 million small farms, most of which are still rain-fed, produce about 80 per cent of food consumed in major part of the developing world. It is noteworthy that 65 per cent of Africa’s workforce is employed by the agricultural sector, which also contributes 32 per cent of the continents’ gross domestic product.

    “Agriculture accounts for one third of Nigeria’s GDP and it is the leading employment sector, as it employs over two third of the country’s total workforce. Thus unlocking this sector holds the key to socio-economic transformation in African countries in general and Nigeria in particular. Africa is home to over half of the world’s uncultivated arable land and as such has limitless opportunities to leverage on new technologies.”

    Obembe noted that plant biotechnology may not directly play a role in attaining sustainable development goals (SDG4) which seeks to ensure quality and all-encompassing education for all, yet it can make indirect contribution by reducing hunger, poverty and improve health.

    “By increasing the wealth generating opportunities of the resource poor farmers in rural communities with provision of better crops, they (mall scale farmers) could afford to enroll their children in school, thereby increasing the percentage of school children.

    “It is generally believed that education is the foundation for improving quality of life as well as the key that will enable the achievements of several other sustainable Development Goals. With quality education, people can break from the cucle of poverty and can live healthier and sustainable lives, and in tolerance among other people thereby contributing to more peaceful societies.”

  • Osun varsity lecturers refuse to resume

    Lecturers of the University of Osun State Osogbo on Monday refused to resume academic activities following a directive by the institution’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    The institution was billed to resume on Monday with many students already excitedly looking forward to being back on campus.

    But a memo by ASUU’s branch chairman and secretary warned lecturers who resume will be accused of strike breaking.

    It reads: “If lectures and other activities should start today it would be regarded as an act of strike breaking and the union doesn’t handle cases of strike breaking with levity.

    “The union reminded the varsity management that the ongoing strike is total and comprehensive.”

    ASUU embarked on a nationwide strike on November over unfulfilled agreements by the Federal Government.

    The National President Biodun Ogunyemi told lecturers nationwide to be prepared for a long-drawn struggle.

    Ogunyemi, who charged members of the union to remain steadfast and resolute in the face of intimidation or antics by government through Vice Chancellors and Governing Councils to undermine the ongoing struggle, said: “Government is yet to change its keep them talking style and stance as all the meetings held so far with the Minister of Education are yet to resolve any of the demands of the union.”

     

    Attempt to get the official reactions from the varsity proved abortive.

     

  • Osinbajo cautions lecturers, varsities officials over unethical roles

    VICE President Yemi Osinbajo has said the present state of Nigeria’s and Africa’s education cannot be divorced from the unethical and criminal roles being played by lecturers and university administrators.

    He said many times, people blame the government, the parents and even the students for the decay in the system but often ignore the contributions of lecturers, workers and administrators of the institutions as important stakeholders in the educational sector.

    Osinbajo spoke at the opening ceremony of the 13th Regional Conference of Higher Education Research and Policy Network (HERPNET).

    The event, which was organised in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ibadan, with the theme, “Managing corruption in African higher education systems”, was held at NISER’s conference hall, Ibadan.

    The vice president, who was represented by a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Sadiq Radda, said corruption starts with basic things such as not doing the right thing at the right time to condoning unethical and criminal behaviour within the institutions.

    He said: “Perhaps the discussion here today may start with everyone accepting the fact that the responsibility of killing corruption from our institutions rest on us.

    “Many times, we pass the buck. We blame government for underfunding higher institutions and the students for not being diligent enough. We blame parents for the rot in our higher institutions while we ignore the fact that as lecturers and administrators, we contribute to the state of education in our countries.

    “Corruption starts with basic things such as not doing the right thing at the right time to condoning unethical and criminal behaviour within our institutions. Worst still, when we allow such to become the order of the day.

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    “If we must address the issue of corruption and find an enduring solution to it, we ought to pay particular attention to basic things such as the admission process, our commitment to students wellbeing; how we adhere to lecture timetable, examine scripts marked and when results are released, when students get their certificate after graduation, the employment process, promotion, training opportunities for academic and non-academic staff.

    “Relationship between students and the lecturers, effective complaint mechanism and the protection of the complainant, due process in the award of contract and so many other things.

    “These may appear basic, but are strong indicators of a functional educational system, which places any institution at an advantage to compete at the global level.”

    HERPNET President Prof. Olukolade Odekunle said the group is so sensitive to government laudable policies and programmes gear towards sustainable growth and how corruption can be effectively managed through the instrumentality of higher education.

    Director-General, NISER Dr. Folarin Gbadebo-Smith, who opened the conference, noted that although he was initially reluctant in hosting the conference because of paucity of funds, he was persuaded by the conference theme and his passion to ensure the development of research and educational sector and the continent at large.

  • Polytechnics lecturers accuse FG of intimidation, issue 21-day strike notice

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) is threatening to shut down the nation’s Polytechnics if the government allows  the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to continue to intimidate and force its members into the IPPIS payment platform without first securing their emoluments.

    The union is also accusing the government of not keeping faith with the memorandum of settlements signed with the union in 2017, while frustrating the renegotiation of its agreement with government which was supposed to have been concluded in December 2017

    National President of the Union, Usman Dutse said in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja that after all efforts to make the government implement its memorandum of settlement to no avail, they have no option than to give the, government a 21 day ultimatum beginning from 2nd of October.

    Key issues in the dispute between the government and the union are: The non-implementation of the NEEDS Assessment report of 2014; Non release of promotion arrears of members as well as persistent shortfalls in the personnel releases of Federal Polytechnics since 2016; nonpayment of negotiated allowances in polytechnics; nonpayment of salaries and other staff entitlements in many state owned institutions; non release of CONTISS 15 migration arrears; infractions in the appointment process of rectors in polytechnics; non passage of the amendment bill of the Polytechnics Act and  victimization of union officers.

    While saying that the government was trying to force its members into the IPPIS play platform for the payment of salaries of federal workers, Dutse  said “Our union has been on the discussion table with officials of IPPIS as well as NBTE on modalities for a smooth and safe enrolment of members into the IPPIS platform.

    “The last meeting which took place in march 2018 was postponed to enable the renegotiation committee conclude its assignment and provide the needed security in the capture of the totality of members’ emoluments.

    “However, in an apparent display of betrayal, the NBTE which has refused to commit to the successful conclusion of the renegotiation process is employing underhand strategies to force our members into the platform with or without our emoluments secured.

    “We are appalled that the NBTE had kick started this new arm twisting regime by convening a meeting with the IPPIS and the managements of polytechnics without the unions, where they resolved to force our members into the platform.

    “It is on record that the other legs of the tripod in the tertiary division of the nation’s education landscape are not facing such level of intimidation. This has strengthened our position that the future of polytechnics in the country indeed lie outside the regulations of the NBTE.

    “Following these observations, the meeting of the NEC of our union has been left with no other alternative than to return to the trenches to fight for the sector, our members, our students and indeed the Nigerian state.

    “We are therefore using this medium to issue a 21 day ultimatum effective 2nd October, 2018 for the government to address these lingering issues and call the NBTE to order or face an avoidable total and comprehensive shut down of the sector.”

    Dutse said further that “The memorandum of settlement (MoS) signed as a precursor to suspending the industrial action prescribed actionable timelines as well as a monitoring mechanism in the form of a rapid response team led by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education.

    “In August, 2017 the committee for the renegotiation of the FGN/ASUP 2010 Agreement was inaugurated by the Honorable Minister for Education. The committee was saddled with the responsibility of renegotiating the last agreement signed between the government and our union since 2010. This agreement was due for renegotiation by 2015 according to the prescriptions of the agreement and in line with ILO conventions.

    “The renegotiation process was expected to be completed by December, 2017 according to the design of the committee as well as the mandate of the Honorable Minister on the day of the inauguration. Our union made its submission to the committee in October, 2017.”

    He said added that “the NEEDS Assessment report of 2014 remain unimplemented while the government’s excuse of “searching for sources of funding” increasingly becoming watery in the face of reports of recent releases to a sister sector as revitalization fund, amplifying the echoes of discrimination.

    “Shortfalls in personnel releases still persist in some Federal Polytechnics while arrears of same shortfalls are still owed; allowances of our members are still owed in arrears and unpaid in many institutions without any effort at properly situating the responsibility of paying these negotiated allowances.

    “Salaries are still owed in many state owned institutions with some owed up to ten months arrears. Deductions of check off dues, pension, and welfare benefits of members are also unremitted in some state institutions.

    “Arrears of CONTISS 15 MIGRATION are still owed for the lower cadre with the government appearing rudderless on the issue, while the amendment bill of the Polytechnics Act is yet to be signed into law.

    “Our officers are still being victimized with new grounds of tyranny being broken in reports of purported proscriptions of our union in some states. This is well over the time lines specified for each of these items.”

    The union accused the government of not being interested in smooth implementation of the memorandum of settlement, saying “the rapid response team set up for the purpose of monitoring the implementation of the terms of the MoS operates in serial default of its own terms. The team was designed to meet on a monthly basis to assess the performance indices in the MoS.

    “Regrettably, the team has only met three times in nearly one year. This is despite letters written by our union aimed at jerking the team off its lethargy.  As a result, the monitoring mechanism has broken down, painting a picture of hopelessness in the successful implementation of the terms of the MoS.

    “The renegotiation of the union’s agreement with the government has stalled and is yet to commence in actual terms. The committee was designed to complete its assignment on or before December, 2017.

    “The committee had its last (and 3rd ) meeting in April, 2018 and is yet to reconvene despite letters from our union urging the committee to do the needful in view of the strategic importance of the process to industrial harmony across our campuses. We are therefore led be these to doubt the sincerity of the renegotiation process in its entirety.”

  • FUOYE celebrates lecturers

    The Federal University Oye Ekiti has lauded some of its members of staff who recently won international awards. The lecturers are Dr. Emmanuel Afolabi Bakare of the Department of Mathematics, who carted two awards: as Regular Associate of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Italy and the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship; Professor Sylvia Uzochukwu of the Faculty of Science; Dr. Adekoya; Dr.  Jaiyeola; Mrs. Idowu and Mrs. Adesemoye, who won participation in USAID partnership for enhanced engagement in Research Women in Science Mentoring Programme.

    In a statement, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Kayode Soremekun, said, “We are proud of this giant feat and wish them greater achievements. Dr.  Bakare’s giant stride attests to the fact that there is room for excellence anywhere and gone are the days when people sat down and complained of limited resources.

  • Sack, jail randy lecturers, says don

    EX-Sole Administrator of Delta State University, Abraka, Prof. Abednego Ekoko, has decried the upsurge in sexual harassment by lecturers.

    He attributed it to low morality and indiscipline.

    Ekoko urged the Nigeria Universities Commission (NUC) to enact policies to check sexual harassment and plagiarism.

    The don, who spoke in Asaba, Delta State capital, said ‘sex-for-grades’ had lowered academic standards and debased the value and honour of the girl-child.

    He advocated dismissal and jail term for culprits, saying it would restore the dignity of womanhood and academic excellence.

    Ekoko said the standard of education had fallen, describing it as abysmal and deteriorating.

    He urged universities to live up to expectation.

    The lecturer said plagiarism was rife, adding that discipline should be revisited, as “academics who plagiarise are imparting academic leprosy to students.”

  • Kenyan university lecturers strike again over low pay

    Kenyan university lecturers strike again over low pay

    Kenya’s public university lecturers have resumed a nationwide strike over low pay, nearly three months after ending a similar protest.

    Strikes by public workers in the East African country have become more frequent in recent years, often fueled by grievances over pay.

    The lecturers, who began the strike on Thursda, said in a statement they were also demanding services available to other public servants like car loans and higher quality medical insurance.

    “The union has exhausted all the possible options that were available to prevent the industrial action,” the Universities’ Academic Staff Union said in the statement.

    A strike over the same grievances ended in December after the lecturers said they had reached an agreement with the government for a rise in salaries.

    Some public workers accuse the government of President Uhuru Kenyatta of neglecting them and failing to curb widespread corruption that they say swallows money that could be used to raise their pay.

    NAN reports that in November 2017, lecturers in public universities launched a strike to protest against what they call the government’s continued failure to implement a March deal to boost salaries and housing allowances.

    The strike piled pressure on the government after a strike by nurses in public hospitals over the past few months has paralysed health care services countrywide.

    It also worsened the plight of more than half a million students in 31 public universities, since the lecturers ended a 54-day strike over pay in February 2017 and signed a pact with the government in March 2017.

    The agreement provided for a pay hike of 17.5 per cent and an increase of 3.9 per cent in house allowances. Government officials were not immediately available to comment.

    Kenyan public servants often strike over pay inequalities as the country’s members of parliament are among the world’s most highly paid, taking home around 1.2 million Kenyan shillings (11,571 dollars) per month, including allowances, says Justine Musila of the parliamentary watchdog website Mzalendo.

    By contrast, lecturers’ basic salaries range from 69,000 shillings to 200,000 shillings each month, before allowances.

    A newly-qualified doctor typically earns about 156,000 shillings a month. (Reuters.NAN)