http://www.independentngonline.com/news/metr/article02

Large Scale Extortion at Lead City University

A student at the Lead City University, Ibadan rushed home crying and everybody in the her family was disturbed and agitated by her revelation. The family members had expected her to be participating in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) early this year. That was however not to be as her school, had a backlog of students awaiting call up. Her parents consoled her that going by the words of the university and considering that she was done with all her academic requirements she would be mobilised for the scheme later this year perhaps with the first batch or at most with July Batch.

Alas, they were off the mark; the crisis was deeper. She revealed to them that the university management had issued a statement that most of, if not all, their 100 level results were missing. As a result they have to retake those courses and pay N50, 000 per course before they can be considered for graduation and subsequently participate in the NYSC scheme.

There are questions that must be answered. Firstly, whose responsibility is it to keep academic records? This is a rhetorical question. Secondly, didn't the university release those results in that session? Yes, they did. This raises question on what money being charged is meant for. Is it for allotting marks? Also what is the role of National University Commission (NUC) in this embarrassing matter?

This ugly development at the Lead City University goes beyond mere exploitation of the poor by the rich but further shows that private university is no solution to the decay in the education sector. It also reveals that no amount of money paid by individuals or parents can adequately fund quality education.

The fact is that most of these private universities that have mushroomed over the decaying public education are substandard and "cash and carry" institutions, or at best glorified secondary schools. They lack adequate facilities for quality learning and are grossly understaffed. They rely on the part-time service of teachers from the public universities. I, indeed, reliably gathered that most of the lecturers who taught the courses in question have left the Lead City University for better welfare packages elsewhere.

Strange gifts at UNAD
Muyiwa Akande

On Thursday, August 20, 2009, a news story was published in The Nation newspaper with the caption: UNAD Part Time Programmes Donate Six Cars. In the story, it was reported that the Part Time Programmes Unit of the University of Ado Ekiti in conjunction with the students donated six Toyota Camry cars for the use of deans of some selected faculties.


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At the commissioning ceremony, according to the report, the institution's Vice Chancellor applauded the rare gesture from the students while he also promised to encourage other units to take a cue from them. The students also promised to extend the gesture to other lecturers later.

My first reaction after reading the story was that of commendation for a generous and compassionate set of students trying to meet a glaring need in their school. I don't think anybody will begrudge the students, lecturers and the school for this initiative.

But on deeper thought, I sensed danger due to the people involved and negative peculiarity that has been the lot of the nation's educational system.

The students that contributed the money for the cars are part-time students. It is a widespread belief that most part-time students are those that don't possess the requisite academic requirements to secure admission through the university matriculation body, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB). Part-time programmes, it is believed, provides a soft landing for them.

With our higher institutions of learning replete with stories of desperate students adopting unorthodox methods of circumventing the academic integrity of grades and certificates, there is the likelihood that the students might be accused of gross inducement.

The calibre of the beneficiaries also calls for stringent scrutiny. These are lecturers, who probably teach them some courses, or have the power to influence the academic fortune of the students, that contributed the money for the cars. The issue of integrity and morality comes into focus. I wonder how the beneficiary-lecturers will have the moral justification to fail any of their "benefactors". Lecturers are not supposed to receive immoral gifts that have the tendency to make them compromise expected standards.

One of the sterling qualities that should stand out teachers at all levels of education is that of integrity. But unfortunately, this is not the case. Many lecturers are known to collect gratifications from male students while their female counterparts pay in "kind" in exchange for marks.

The impact of this cheap attitude has left the country with an army of unemployable graduates. Employers across the country are going through hell due to the disappointing output of these half-baked graduates while the outside world treat certificates awarded by our universities with utter disdain.

Another thing that I find fascinating and disappointing is the attitude of the school administration as represented by the Vice Chancellor. Instead of exercising caution and discretion, he, not only graciously commissioned the cars, but also threw a reckless challenge at others to toe this irresponsible line. This is nothing but official complicity in bringing education into disrepute.

It is quite unfortunate and unbelievable that these students could raise several millions of naira to purchase these cars while every genuine attempt to increase school fees has always been met with stiff, and at times, violent resistance. Only God knows the extent that the students have gone in a bid to get the money. Many of our university campuses are hotbeds of various scams while many of the female undergraduates are not in anyway better than prostitutes. Who knows whether proceeds from these illicit "ventures" formed part of the money contributed for the cars' purchase?

The parents of these students, in my own view, are also culpable. I am convinced that some of them would have provided their children's contribution for the purchase. It is depressing when parents, who are ought to be moral standard bearers to their children, also aid and abet illegalities. What a shame. Anyway, many parents register their children at examination special centres in a bid to secure undeserved success.

In order to redeem the image of all the parties involved, especially the school and the beneficiaries, I think it is proper if the cars are returned immediately while efforts should be made to probe the rationale behind it. This could be just one manifestation of a monumental magnitude of decay ravaging the system.

I also believe the National Universities Commission (NUC) should improve its monitoring of the country's institutions in order to expose the antics of these academic saboteurs. NUC should demand explanations from the school's VC on the incident.

Without any doubt, I believe that the decay in the country's educational sector can be addressed only when "symptoms" like the one in UNAD are properly addressed and the guilty brought to book.

-Muyiwa Akande

Mediacraft Associates Limited, Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos

bleeping join hands, form an association and sue their arse!

Are Nigerians this dumb!

A firm like Gani Fawehinmi will love to understake this type of case.

yea yorubas love to take up cases in GENERAL

The problem with Nigerians is that they are too afraid and powerless to do zero about their suffering.

If a couple of revos come up to yu to start an op for liberation will you join?

In this type, I would join.

It would take just 30 of you to put money together and sue them for their wrongs and cost.

A case youi would definitely win.

there must be mistake somewhere; maybe the girl didnt heard what the school authority said wel or she wants to maga her parent or she cheated in her first year and her result was cancelled and was asked to rewrite the exam,the school doesnt collect money for missing result neither do they collect money for any missing paper.the parent should confirm what happen from the schoolauthority rather than listening to the girl,the exam and record is there to ask what happen to her result,the HOD's office is there to check for copy of her result,and if the school is at fault and you think you are right,there is nothing stopping you from sueing the school,it a legal person under law