The Nation Newspaper

Tag: lecturers

  • OOU recalls 100 lecturers, others

    No fewer than 100 workers, including 50 lecturers of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, who were relieved of their jobs under the Dr Alex Onabanjo-led Governing Council, have been recalled.

    About 825 teaching and non-teaching staff lost their jobs between 2009 and 2010 in manners the victims and various labour unions in the institution described as “arbitrary, witch-hunting, illegal and destructive.”

    A breakdown of the sacked workers showed that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had 150 of its members relieved of their jobs when Onabanjo, who was appointed by the administration of Gbenga Daniel, was in charge; while 100 others left on their own because of the harsh academic climate.

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) had 265 of its members sacked in the downsizing blizzard while the rest were spread between Non-Academic Staff of Educational Association Institution (NASU) and one other union.

    The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adejimi Adesanya, announced the recall of 50 lecturers and 50 non- academic staff at the main campus following the recommendations of a “broad-based committee” set up by the university management to review the case.

    Adesanya, who made this known at the opening session of a two-day regular Universities Trade Group Council meeting of NASU, hosted by the OOU chapter, added that more would be recalled as soon as the financial status of the university improved.

    Over 200 NASU delegates from states and federal universities attended the meeting.

    The Ag. VC spoke in reaction to an appeal by the NASU OOU branch Chairman, Comrade Rahman Adewole, to the management to “give the staff and students’ welfare its deserved priority, to hasten the recovery process presently taking place in the university.”

    Adewole said: “We appreciate the fact that, the university is gradually picking up and as long as the union is striving not to exert much pressure on the system, we want to trust that the University Management as well on the Governing Council will demonstrate utmost good faith in their dealing with the Union.”

    The NASU boss also urged the university to address the issue of non-remittance of its 7.5 per cent share of the contributory pension fund.

    “It is most disheartening to note that up till today, staff in the University that voluntarily agreed to join this Pension Scheme in 2008 are yet to know their fate on the retirement benefit with the continued refusal of the university to remit the 7.5 per cent counterpart funding expected of it.

    “Although it is a state wide problem, we appeal to the university’s Governing Council to give this very important aspect of staff welfare the priority it deserves. Moreover that our sister University in Ogun State (TASUED) had been paying both legs fully since inception.”

     

  • OOU recalls 50 lecturers, others

    OOU recalls 50 lecturers, others

    No fewer than hundred staff, including 50 lecturers, of  the Olabisi Onabanjo University(OOU), Ago – Iwoye, who were unjustly relieved of their jobs by the former  Governing Council of the institution were recalled last week by the institution.

    About 825 staffers comprising of teaching and non – teaching staff of the university lost their jobs between 2009 and 2010 in manners the victims and various labour unions in the institution viewed as “arbitrary, witch – hunting, illegal and destructive.”

    A breakdown of the sacked staff shows that the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) had 150 of its members relieved of their jobs during the past administration of Gbenga Daniel while 100 others left on their own following the harsh academic climate prevalent then.

    Also the OOU’s Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities(SSANU) had 265 of its members sacked in the downsizing blizzard while the  others were  Non – Academic Staff Union of Universities(NASU) and one other union.

    But the Acting Vice – Chancellor, Prof. Adejimi Adesanya explained that the  recall of the affected staff followed the recommendations of a “broad based Committee” put together by the university management to review the case of “disengage staff” and offer advice.

    Prof. Adesanya who made this known at the opening session of the two days regular Universities Trade Group Council meeting of Non – Academic Staff of Educational Association Institution(NASU), hosted by OOU chapter, added that more would also be recalled as soon as the financial status of the university improves.

    Over 200 Representatives (delegates) of NASU members from states and Federal Universities in Nigeria attended the meeting.

    The Acting Vice – Chancellor spoke in reaction to NASU OOU branch Chairman, Comrade Rahman Adewole, who appealed to the institution’s management to “give the staff and students welfare its deserved priority, to hasten the recovery process presently taking place in the University.”

    Adewole who lauded the management for the initiative, urged it not to relent in its chosen course and to also ensure that the remaining disengaged staff are gradually recalled.

  • Varsity lecturers should supervise WAEC exams

    Varsity lecturers should supervise WAEC exams

    SIR: What transpired in various centres in the recent West African Senior School Certificate Examinations shows that examination malpractice in the country has snowballed into an unimaginable proportion. If the ugly trend is not drastically checked, the aim of making education a sublime phenomenon and affordable to every Nigerian by the year 2015 would be a mirage. The scenario is now depicting a different ball game as teachers and supervisors are grossly involved in the heinous act.

    Students pay for signing fee to supervisors and invigilators before they could sit for their exams, while the invigilators reciprocate by allowing the teachers assist their students in the hall. On most occasions, the invigilators supply the answers themselves.

    Secondary education plays a very important role in the lives of students for it is the only forum where their characters could be moulded in order to place them in the right perspective for further academic pursuit. Government should therefore source another means of arresting the situation if the target to attain the 20:2020 status is in their master plan.

    The story in our tertiary institutions is not different. Students are now tied to the apron strings of some unscrupulous lectures who compel them to read only the text books authored by them if they must sail through in their exams. In most cases, assignments are not submitted without money changing hands between student and lecturer. The practice of confining students to only pages of their self-authored books would drastically affect their reading culture as they would no longer have the zeal to make research to improve their educational standard.

    However, in order to bring the unwholesome act currently going on in WAEC examinations to an end, the authorities concerned should adopt Professor Attahiru Jega’s formula by engaging university professors in the supervision of WAEC exams.

    I believe this measure would help in no small measure to bring the trend to minimal.

    • Nkemakolam Gabriel

    Port Harcourt

     

  • VC warns lecturers, students against sexual harassment

    VC warns lecturers, students against sexual harassment

    Prof. Oluyemisi Obilade, the Vice-Chancellor, Tai Solarin University of Education(TASUED), Ijebu-Ode, Ogun, has warned lecturers and students against sexual harassment.

    Obilade gave the warning while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ijebu-Ode.

    The vice chancellor said the management of the university was passionate about the issue of sexual harassment and would evolve relevant regulations to tackle it.

    “Sexual harassment is a no go area for both the students and lecturers of this noble institution.

    “We will not tolerate such attitude.

    “ We will not in any way cooperate with the harassers and we are going to make sure that we invoke all regulations in the university against sexual harassment,’’ she said.

    Obilade said as part of measures to check the menace, a Centre for Human Rights and Gender Education has been established in the university.

    She said any persons being harassed sexually should report through e-mail to the centre for the management to investigate and take a prompt action.

    The vice chancellor further said: “ This is part of the thing that we do. We know sexual harassment is not limited to our university alone.

    “ But we don’t want to pretend that it does not happen because where men and women interact, you will see some men who will not abide by the normal codes of decency and behaviour in the society.

    “ But when such cases are reported, management will not hesitate to take a very serious action against the offenders.

    “ We are also trying to look at the different types of sexual harassment, whether verbal, touching or by comments about somebody’s physical attributes.

    “ You know when the hand shake is going beyond the elbow between a person in position of authority and a person at a lower position and it has sexual motive, that is sexual harassment.

    “ These are the different areas we are looking at.’’

    Obilade also said the university, being the only education-biased institution in the country, had become a reference point in terms of academic excellence.

  • Oyo college lecturers threaten strike over officers

    •Give govt 21-day ultimatum 

    The Academic Staff Union of the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education (EACOED) in Oyo has given the state government a 21-day ultimatum, beginning from April 5, to provide substantive principal officers to manage the institution’s affairs.

    It threatened to go on strike if the government fails to meet its demand at the expiration of the ultimatum.

    In a statement after its congress yesterday, the union’s Chairman, Dr. Olugbenga Ayena, said: “Based on the indefinite nature of the ‘Stand-in’ arrangement that should have ushered in a substantive management within a pre-determined time, the arrangement has outlived its usefulness and become illegitimate, boring, frustrating, and unproductive. It has been in place for about 20 months now.

    “The stand-in officials have no specific terms of reference, tenure and cannot act in a substantive capacity. Other problems include the non-release of capital grants for the 2011\2012 academic session, gross understaffing of some academic departments, both at the main campus and the Lanlate campus, as well as infrastructural decay.

    “The Governing Council has failed to act on these issues, despite persistent complaints. We urge the government to act fast.”

    The union affirmed the state government’s achievements in the education sector and the improvement in the performance of pupils in public examinations.

     

  • OOU to recall sacked lecturers, others

    •Certificates ready for 6,403 graduands

    Thousands of graduates of Olabisi Onbanjo University (OOU), Ago – Iwoye, who left the institution since 2005 without certificates following tardy procedures can now heave a sigh of relief.

    The acting Vice – chancel-lor, Prof. Sabur Adesanya, said no fewer than 6, 403 of them would be conferred with degrees, higher degrees and diplomas of the university and they will soon get their certificates.

    Adesanya made this known to reporters ahead of the institution’s 22nd convocation slated for Tuesday.

    He assured other categories of graduands particularly the none – regulars (part- timers) whose names may not reflect in the current convocation and said they should not entertain any worry.

    According to him, the matters affecting their academic records are being sorted out with dispatch to ensure that they collect their certificates soonest with others.

    He said the school was already upgrading its transcript process to enable graduates pursue further education in other universities.

    To achieve this, the vice chancellor disclosed that the university had started the computerisation process so that graduates could easily access their transcript via internet.

    Adesanya said the school’s management, in conjunction with the Senate had approved results from the 2004/2005 academic session till 2012/2013 academic session.

    The acting VC also pledged that about 2,000 students would be provided with hostel accommodation on or before December.

    This, he said, is part of measures towards gradually phasing out of off – campus policy.

    Adesanya revealed that the institution currently enjoys full accreditation of all its 56 academic programmes by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    He, however, lamented that the school was still facing the challenge of staff, adding that some lecturers disengaged by the university authorities would soon be recalled.

    He said: “We have challenges right now about staffing and we, in the next few months or days, will be recalling some of our staffs that were disengaged sometimes ago.” back to work.

     

  • UNICAL dismisses five lecturers

    … Demotes 10 others

    The Governing Council of the University of Calabar has announced the dismissal of five of its academic staff and the demotion of 10 others.

    A release issued by the Secretary to the Council and Registrar of the Institution, Dr. (Mrs.) Julia Omang and made available to The Nation in Calabar on Friday, disclosed that four of the dismissed academic staff were involved in plagiarism while one was a case of financial fraud.

    The release also added that the 10 academic staff that were demoted chose to publish their works in fake or cloned journals and proceeded to submit same and obtained promotion in the process.

    Those that were dismissed for outright plagiarism are, Dr. Azubuike Iloeje and Dr. Maurice Bisong of the Department of English and Literary Studies, Mr. Oden Ubi of the Department of Marketing and Dr. Paulinus Noah of the Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies.

    According to the release, Dr. Damian Agom was dismissed for salary overpayment, thereby enriching himself to the tone of N7, 268,044. 95 over a period of 11 months.

    The demoted lecturers are – Prof. Udoayang, Dr. Asuquo Akabom, Dr. Sunday Effiong and Dr. C. O. Udoka, all of Accounting Department, Prof. Molinta Enendu Department of Theatre and Media Studies and Dr. E.S.Akpan of Banking and Finance

    Also demoted are – Dr. A.I. Afangideh and Dr. Francis Okpiliya of the Department of Geography and Environment Science and Dr. K.B.C Ashipu of the Department of English and Literary Studies.

    Professors Udoayang and Enendu were demoted to the rank of senior lecturer, while Dr. Okpiliya, Dr. Afangideh and Dr. Ashipu have now moved down to position of lecturer 1.

    Besides their demotion, they are to refund all monies earned from their unmerited promotion and barred from promotion for the next six years, the release stated.

     

  • Osun lecturers to continue strike

    Osun lecturers to continue strike

    Striking lecturers in the four state-owned tertiary institutions in Osun State have vowed to remain at home until the government yields to their demands.

    The institutions are: The State Polytechnic, Ire; Osun College of Technology, Esa-Oke and the Colleges of Education in Ilesa and Ila-Orangun.

    The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Council of Academic Staff Union of Tertiary Institutions in Osun State, Mr. Dotun Omisore, said the lecturers went on a warning strike before the latest development.

    The strike has grounded academic activities and students were forced to vacate the campuses.

    The lecturers are demanding, among other things, the elongation of the retirement age of academic staff from 60 to 65 years.

    They are also demanding payment of the contributory pension.

    They claimed 7.5 per cent of it has not been paid by the state government.

    Governor Rauf Aregebsola urged the House of Assembly to plead with the lecturers to reason with the government.

    At a retreat organised for the lawmakers at MicCOM Golf Resort in Ada, Aregbesola urged the Assembly to intervene in the matter.

    He insisted that reason must be allowed to prevail, adding that some of the issues raised by the lecturers need to be re-examined.

    Aregbesola said: “Stakeholders of any affected interest must not contravene the dictates of the constitution because of their personal interest. A demand for shift in the retirement age of civil servants has been addressed by the law and cannot be changed without constitutional amendment.”

     

  • Provost vows to sanction erring lecturers

    The new students that took the matriculation oath at the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education Otto/Ijanikin (AOCOED) last Thursday were puzzled when the Provost, Mr Wasiu Olalekan Bashorun, gave his cell phone number – 08090500157 to them.

    He asked the students to feel free to report to him any case of intimidation or sale of handouts which has since been banned in the college, adding that any erring lecturer will be sanctioned. He also asked the students to avail themselves the phone numbers of the Registrar, Chief Security Officer, Students Affairs officers and Deans of Schools for same reason. Bashorun also mandated the deans of schools to do more of supervisory roles of students in addition to their primary responsibility.

    Bashorun said the new measure, is to further strengthen the college’s onward march to becoming the best college of education nationwide within the next three years, noting that the reform must first commence from within.

    The 1,507 students cut across Schools of Vocational and Technical education; Science; Arts and Social Science; Language and School of Preliminary Studies.

    “I challenge the students to report any member whether teaching or non-teaching staff who are selling handouts, not attending classes or harassing students. Deans (of schools) should go round classrooms, monitor teaching, look at the comfort of staff and students and take necessary steps to make the job easy for them.

    “We are no longer contented with being one of the leading colleges of education in Nigeria. We want to be number one; and we will do everything possible to attain this within the next three years.”

    To realise its dream, Bashorun said the college commenced with infrastructural development last year with full completion of three projects- health centre, IDCT centre and School of Technical and Vocational Education. Aside looking forward to full completion of the ultra-modern administrative block being constructed by the state government, the college would equally be awarding contracts for the new lecture theatre and auditorium courtesy TETFund intervention.

    “We have placed advertisements in the newspapers inviting private sector interest in the construction of students hostel, eatery and a filling station in the college. The Lagos State Public Works Corporation is also helping with the resurfacing of our internal roads. We want to have a new AOCOED where teaching, learning, research and community development shall be done in an aesthetically inviting, clean and wholesome environment.”

    This year, we shall enhance our efforts to partner with leading institutions and organisations in and outside the country to attain our strategic objectives. Our ongoing engagement with the Ekiti State University (EKSU) and Lagos State University (LASU) shall be sustained. We shall continue to strengthen our relationships with the University of Wisconsin and University of Georgia both in the USA in the area of distance education and distance learning.

    Similarly, we shall renew our partnership with the University of Perth, Western Australia, University of London and Havering College of Further and Higher Education in the UK. We are also exploring the feasibility of deepening the skills and competencies of our administrative and teaching staff by adapting the highly acclaimed Finland Education Model in teaching and learning in the college.

    He urged the new students to stay away from anti-social groups, dress decently, face their studies seriously as the management would provide them with the best professional teacher education that would propel them to becoming good leaders.

    Bashorun also identified staff welfare and training/development as key which the management will not compromise. Besides prompt payment of staff salaries, Bashorun assured staff training would be sustained. He therefore called on all to join hands with the management to ensure fulfillment of its aspirations.

     

  • ESUT sacks eight lecturers

    500 students expelled, Okada  banned on campus     

     

    Eight staff of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) found to be involved in admission racket have been sacked by the management. Six of the indicted staff including a senior lecturer, were found to have been responsible for the illegal admission of over 500 students who were expelled by ESUT authorities recently. The sacked members of staff worked in various departments of the university.

    A statement by the Director of Public Relations, Mr Osita Ugwuoti, said one of the affected workers was discovered to be engaged in double employment in ESUT and Institute of Management (IMT) earning salaries from both institutions.

    He said another was sacked for mutilating students’ results, sale of degree results as well as other malpractices. The affected students have been expelled as well.

    The ESUT Governing Council approved the sack of the affected workers at its 126th regular meeting at the Agbani permanent campus held recently.

    In another development, the ESUT management has resolved to ban commercial motorcycles known as Okada from operating on the campus. The management adopted a resolution, which took effect from September 27.

    Efforts by CAMPUSLIFE to reach the Students’ Union officials for their reaction were futile as at the time of this report. The Association of the Okada riders, however, frowned at the decision of the management.