Corruption In Nigeria’s University System Legendary – UNIOSUN VC

By Sodiq Yusuf

The Vice Chancellor, Osun State University, Prof Labo Popoola has opined that the wave of corruption in Nigeria’s University system is legendary.

Popoola, in a private radio programme recently noted that the corruption scourge which has grown over the years has remained a cog in the wheel of progress of education in the nation’s ivory towers.

He maintained that lack of qualified, competent lecturers and the ineptitude of the academic unions are contributors to the bane in development of tertiary education in Nigeria.

The Professor of Forest Economics also derided the lack of requisite research standards among university teachers in the nation, urging stakeholders to take urgent steps to revive the fallen standard of tertiary education.

He said: “The corruption in Nigeria’s University system is legendary. We have a situation where most lecturers in the system today are recruited based on the unemployment situation. Most of the academic staff are not forthcoming in researches because they are not well qualified for the job.”

“The situation is not that bad but we have to do more. There are a few academics doing wonderful findings especially about the Coronavirus pandemic. The system has to accommodate more professionals and competent hands, unlike the less competent ones all over the space now.”

Popoola stressed that the attitude of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other unions to huge dependence on government to run the nation’s higher institutions is uncalled for and a major factor in the disruption of the academic calendar of their respective universities.

The VC stated further: “I worked with a colleague at the Colombia University recently. He was skeptical we could work together. His reason was that our union (ASUU) is always on strike. We are currently battling the COVID-19 pandemic and university lecturers in Nigeria are on strike. It is only in Nigeria that the academic calendar of public universities is different. The Professor said ASUU is a global nuisance and I cannot agree less.

“Some of ASUU’s demands are unrealistic. Why would they want tertiary education to be free? All over the world, people pay for tuition in universities. That is the trend in Europe and advanced countries. They want tuition to be free which is not possible. There is no way university education can be free without fees.”

The UNIOSUN VC continued: “While I do not see anything bad in the union holding on to the welfare of workers in our ivory towers, we must also show responsibility by not putting the blame on the government. Our people have not been resilient. Once one of their demands is met during an industrial action, they call off the strike. They should once and for all stay true to their demands and ensure they are met.”

Proffering solutions, the Vice Chancellor called for a synergy between government, the university community and the society at large in realizing the mission statement of establishing Universities.

“The truth is, not everything can be done by the government. Schools and the community around should contribute too. Running a University is not something a sole body can do. Everyone has to support it. There are things the university should be able to do independently too,” Popoola said.