Dedicated lecturers leaving Nigeria, frustrated ones left – Osodeke
The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, has stated that Nigeria’s biggest problem in academia is inadequate human resources, warning that the country is on the verge of losing more lecturers to other countries, Vondigest reports.
According to Osodeke, lecturers who are dedicated and passionate about the job are being frustrated out of Nigerian universities while those who are ‘accidental’ academics are now frustrating the academic system.
Osodeke made the assertion in Abuja on Monday at the continued engagement by the House of Representatives on the lingering crisis between the Federal Government and ASUU.
The ASUU president stated, “Our education is in dire need of all sorts of things, most importantly human resources. Now, we are busy creating so many universities but we are not creating academics who will teach in those universities. What you now have in those universities are what one of our leaders called the last two categories of lecturers.
“You have four types of lecturers in a university: the first set are those who from the primary school made up their minds that they were going to teach, so they entered the university as lecturers; whether they are paid little or not, they accept; they teach even when they have the opportunity of going to other areas, they remain in schools.
“The second are those who, when they finished (graduated), they go out with good certificates; because they wanted to make big money, they went to the Central Bank of Nigeria, but after some time they found out they didn’t belong there, even when they were earning higher; they came back to the university and take lesser pay because they believe they belonged to the university.
“We have the third type who entered the university because there was a job somewhere else – no job, nothing to do, so they came to the university frustrated; they are there creating problems for the system. Then you have the fourth group who have no idea; they were brought in by godfathers…‘just go and teach there.’ They have Higher National Diploma, some have Post Graduate Diploma, they have Third Class; they are now lecturers.
