The University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter of the Social Sciences Students Association (SOSSA) has held its maiden annual conference. The event brought together students from all departments in the faculty.
The event with the theme: The university system in the 21st century: Expectations, misconceptions, challenges and prospects, was initiated by Kunle Onikoyi, the association’s president, to address declining standard in tertiary education.
Dr Nkem Onyekpe of the History and Strategic Studies Department, in his lecture, noted that the universities in contemporary times must conform to the realities of the century, which, he said, was being affected by globalisation, neo-colonisation and cultural imperialism, amongst others.
The don stressed that standards were declining because of the underfunding, low remuneration, corruption in employment procedure and politicisation of staff promotion. Management of higher institutions, he said, spend invest more on infrastructures rather than human capital development.
Dr Onyekpe asserted that the withdrawal of the state from its obligatory duty of funding school turned tertiary institutions to commercial centers for profit making.
Proffering a solution, the don said tertiary institutions must stop playing politics with academics. He urged schools to return to scholarship and tackle intellectual laziness.
He said: “When these challenges are solved, we, in the system, would be able to achieve the three fundamental aims of scholarship, which are to seek the truth, to teach the truth and to preserve the truth for the good of society.”
Dr Olukayode Eesuola of the Department of Political Science stressed that university was supposed to be a place, where there should be mutual interaction between students and lecturers. He said higher institutions must discourage anything that could dampen the purpose.
“University is not a place of religiosity; it is a place where ideas flow,” he said, urging lecturers to use conflict of opinions to creates knowledge.
Dr Franca Arthur stressed that the students should get involved in unionism, saying: “If you don’t participate, you have no right to complain.”
Comrade Shiyanbola Loremikan, a former National Public Relations Officer of Committee for Defense of Human Rights (CDHR) stressed the need for good character. “Let us promote good citizenship and let people know that Nigerians can succeed with hard work,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Rahamon Bello, represented by his deputy, Prof Babajide Alo, hailed the students for the initiative, which he said discussed germane issues affecting tertiary education in the country.
