₦airaland Forum

olayiwola9: prof, what i am particularly concerned about is the attitude of this lecturers, in oau only lecturers from the departmental of chemistry take their work serious, others are just there, they come to class, and read an hand out to u, to explaining they read all of the lines back, the lecturers in d department of physics are supposed to hold tutorials for phy 101 but they dont, now tell me will the funds from the fg change all these?

Fallacy. I take my work extremely seriously. I keep my teaching methods and courseware at par (or close) to the best universities in the world. And I do *not* work in Department of Chemistry. I have always maintained that we have "bad egg" lecturers. I almost always also state that we also have some outstanding lecturers. The fact of the matter is, we cannot fire the bad lecturers until we know for a fact that we have the wherewithal to hire anything better in their place. Tell me, how many first class students do you know who chose to lecture? Can you tell me why? Does it not go back to this same funding issue?

Promhize: God punish this idiots. I was almost supporting them but on a second thought, this guys are greedy old men, destroying students lives with no sense of regret.

We always blame FG, but these lecturers are as worse as the politicians themselves, I can bet that over 40% (esp Professors, Dr) are not in Nigeria as we are speaking, we complain that our politicians children aren't schooling in Nigeria but these greedy men are not different, even the son of Ondo state's deputy governor schools at OAU - tell me why he would want to send any of his children to FG universities later.


I WILL NOT STOP UNTIL EVERYONE KNOWS THAT EVEN THOUGH FG IS CORRUPT, THESE LECTURERS ARE NOT ANY BETTER.

After spending close to 100 hours fielding questions on the ASUU strike last week on this same Nairaland, I had decided to just face my work and go through the various threads on the strike in stealth mode to pa ironu re. However, your post was so strongly-worded and ignorant that I had to decloak immediately to speak to it.

My dear young man, I lecture in that same OAU you are mouthing about. No be your fault. I wish you had attended some other universities in Nigeria; then perhaps you would have valued what you have here more. Elede o meye.

Your angry rant is fueled primarily by simple ignorance of the fact that by paying less than N100,000 for an education worth at least N1 million, students are a primary cause of the reason why the FG spends so much on tertiary education. Yes, the fight we are taking to FG to raise money may yet come back to haunt you guys. Have you ever paused your rant to ask yourself why ASUU doesn't just call off and let the government jerk up school fees? Believe me, if it were in my power, I would have made us do this long ago. Then you would stop accusing us of being selfish old men because you would be too busy working your guts out to raise the money for your education. The truth of the matter must be said: nobody in Nigeria wants to pay for anything. That is why a student like you is being given education that others mortgage their futures to get in the US, and you can still be ranting.

Did you see where someone obviously better than you suggested that a PG education somewhere abroad costs N5 million? Yet, you are mouthing off that OAU had the guts to collect N20,000 from you. You want ASUU to fight so you wont pay even that.

Since you say you are in OAU, I challenge you to say the university has NOT improved over the last 10 years. Do you even have any idea why that is so

I can understand now why most ASUU members view students with contempt; they lack the capacity for simply comprehension, preferring to raise hell.

This country is probably doomed, and I'm not thinking about GEJ or ASUU when I say that; I am looking at *you*.

otokx: The govt has made some new offers; do you think its a good starting point for ASUU to call of the strike while the implementation & further talks continue?

I assume you mean the report here https://www.nairaland.com/1479765/update-ongoing-ASUU-negotiations-following

Assuming we can establish its veracity, it does sound like progress is being made. As I have maintained previously, it is important for government to acknowledge the importance of sorting out tertiary education. I get that impression from the above report, and will personally have no qualms voting to suspend the strike.

* I should note clearly that taking such a stance is contingent on government *actually* being sincere and doing as it promised. If we call off now, and government once again fails to meet its obligations, I'm sure Nairalanders will come here and start abusing ASUU again...

Abbycite: Prof, you are beginning to sound selfish (no offense intended). U said 'tertiary education' not even education generally. But can a country progress without adequate security

I am sounding selfish because I observed that people smarter than you (and smarter than me) have already shown us what to do to grow our nation? No, if you detect a new edginess in my voice, it is not due to selfishness, but due to incredulity and frustration at how some of you guys think.

I noted that so numerous countries have demonstrated the importance of education (and yes, in particular, *tertiary* education) and you come back with an argument about security etc. Don't you guys understand that *part* of the reasons for the insecurity is the neglect of education? Now we are paying the first installment of the price and you guys still don't get it.

Look, don't believe me, go see how the South Koreas (the most recent example) did it. Before you complain, that's also how *everyone* before them did it.

You guys need to move beyond your hatred of ASUU and get an education on what the critical issues are. Sorry if you think I sound selfish again.

hotmas911: ASUU and FG have been coming up with different arguments on why the status quo remains. And having heard the 2 sides, i find it very difficult to sympathise with ASUU. My take is even if all their demands are met, it wont have any positive effect on the system or the students. What is the essense of education without productivity. The system needs serious overhauling, starting by sacking all unqualified lecturers. And a student that values true knowledge instead of our now worthless certificate can enroll at world class universities online for free. And also learn some skills in vocations around. The bottom line is productivity and global competitiveness. When the students embrace this, then we have a chance for true reform. Just my tot. What do u think?

I agree you should sack all unqualified lecturers. But who are you going to replace them with, when almost no first class student will ever agree to go into lecturing?

[quote author=ig.chuka]Have u ever seen ASUU go on strike against FG because school fees was increased?[/quote]Can you hear yourself? Let me tell you loud and clear: a simple solution to the present impasse is for ASUU to let the government raise fees to the proper levels (hundreds of thousands). You should ask yourself and your fellow wise guys why ASUU does not take this route. After all said and done, with people like you mouthing off, ASUU eventually calls off, and fees are raised moderately, you will be asking "Have u ever seen ASUU go on strike against FG because school fees was increased?". WHEN ASUU THE THE ONLY BODY PREVENTING FEES FOR GOING OUT OF THE ROOF? I wonder if you are just ignorant, or you are trying to be mischievous.

[quote author=ig.chuka]FG implementing the said agreement would not stop future ASUU strike. Man is insatiable. They recently asked for retirement age of profs to be raised and it was done, few months later another flimsy strike.[/quote]I find myself getting pissed off by your posts. "Man is insatiable" What the [expletive] does that mean exactly? We are saying government signed an agreement, they refuse to honor it. We are saying tertiary education needs urgent intervention. And to all this, you offer the pearls "man is insatiable"?

You mean a man has no right to demand that a promise made to him be fulfilled? What exactly are you saying?

"Few months later, another strike" as if ASUU went on strike for another issue. When it was the SAME old issues that FG refused to honor.

I am on the verge of giving up on this country, if this is how the "intelligent ones" among the "leaders of tomorrow" we are training reason.

Abbycite: ...Nigeria has it own pace of developing, any attempt to push our luck may result in calamity. Every aspect of d country is underfund; education, power, health, security, infrastructure, just name it.

Obviously, you did not really understand my initial post. I said the book on nation-building has been written many times. We know what to do if we want to get ahead. All this one we are doing is just time wasting. There is no "pace of developing" that we can have that should not start with developing tertiary education.Unless we want to remain a perpetual developing nation?

[quote author=ig.chuka]That he became a VC, did not change his membership of ASUU. He can only act neutral on issues between FG and ASUU. I can tell u authoritatively that no university can go on strike without the support of the VC.
Let me say it loud and clear, the VC and Minister of Education were members of ASUU and still are, they is why they cannot protect government's interest.[/quote]Why do people jump into issues on which they obviously do not have good grasp? This post is ridiculous, and I do not even know where to start. Such flawed premise explains why you would make some of the assertions you made earlier.

[quote author=ig.chuka]You are wrong if u think that being the best in class means being a good lecturer. If you dont have the passion for your work, you cant be the best. when the missionaires were in nigeria, they produced great minds with little or no infrastructure. so the emphasis should be on recruiting good and passionate lecturers.[/quote]You post shows the sort of ignorance often found in the words of a supposedly intelligent speaker. What makes you think the main job of an academic is lecturing? You should not have made this mistake if you actually read the very FIRST answer of my initial post.

Yes, being best in your class does not automatically mean you are a good teacher. However, it means you are very likely a brilliant mind. From my vantage point as a worker in the system, we need brilliant minds far more than we need good teachers (especially because most truly brilliant minds can learn to be outstanding teachers, but the reverse does not hold!).

oxford: This is how a responsible body conduct itself:

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/10/ssanu-suspends-strike-says-fg-complies-demands/

Waiting for that fo00l called texazzpete to come and display his grammar!
Son of an imbeci-le father! mothered by as$ hawker.
Oloshi!

oxford, you must notice that I have decided not to address you anymore (and you have declared likewise you, me). However, I can't help interjecting that use of such string language does nothing to project you in a positive light, and dare I say it, improve your sense of self.

U235weapongrade: The reason(s) they gave for wantin to become lecturers are;
(1)Job security
(2)Less stress
(3)The Pay and finally
(4)No jobs - its easier becomin a lecturer than workin in an oil company.

Thank you very much.
I am very interested in dissecting your post because no one has discussed this issue of recruiting outstanding graduates with me. Can I ask you (and please do be honest): those your friends, were they the best students at graduation (first degree)? If not, where are the best students in their sets?

Having said that, ASUU jobs will not become like SPDC after the strike because there is no salary increment component in it. Apart from the infrastructural issues, its only allowances.

I also have advice for you and your friends. If you want to take lecturing jobs because there is less stress, then you may end up like one of the "bad" lecturers we have been panning. For serious, up-and-doing lecturers, this job is stressful like nothing you can imagine. Personally, what I love about it is the relative freedom to decide what I want to do research-wise, and the chance to mould lives.

Also, the Chinese say "be careful what you wish for...you may get it!" I believe that if ASUU gets the sort of government intervention it seeks, job security will no longer be a given. I am okay with that. In the US, keeping lecturing jobs no be easy thing, unless you work in Podunk Community College...

Please check this table to see what Ghana is doing, and then riddle me why they are fast emerging as the sub-regional power?
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS

[s]Also look at this. Notice how "far behind" the developed countries Ghana is, and then, how "forward-thinking" we are:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_spending_on_education_%28%25_of_GDP%29[/s]
* I pulled that because I observed the data is dated. Still makes for interesting reading though.

Then, come back and tell me that all is well, and ASUU are just being belligerent, greedy old fools.

lagosph: What happens to the internally generated revenue from students and what have u? Why can't these be used to settle ur earned allowances and other infrastructions?

This has been treated before. For the sake of lazy readers (like me) however, I will repeat in summary:

Yes, there is corruption in the universities, just like there is everywhere else in Nigeria (unless you want to tell me an exception). The corruption means some money is lost, but it is usually not significant because the cost of running a university is MUCH more than people think. Simple illustration: private universities charge up to half a million Naira per session, yet, they have still not reached international levels. Why? Because even those rates are *still* not enough to run a top university.

wallex1983: Kudos Prof. All I knw is dat I am an ASUU member by virtue of my profession as a university don. But I'm not proud of being one. Education is not adequately funded I believe, but we are too greedy.

If you have gone through my post, you will see that I have often stated where I don't agree with the union. I have called out lecturers when I needed to. The difference between us appears to be that I look beyond the excesses of the union and my colleagues at the bigger picture. The greed and other problems you and I have noted is no excuse for the FG not to do what needs to be done for the future of this country. The icing on the cake for me is that once FG does this, those same things I don't like will sort themselves out. Otherwise, how do you want us to tackle the question of greed you mentioned? Sacking all greedy lecturers now? But as I have asked many times, who do we replace them with (and will they be any better?

My question is: Is d health sector adequately funded? Are even d Prisons adequately funded? Don't even go to infrastructures: roads, water, etc... And even creation of jobs. Look sir, its a general problem. We can't shut down d country because of ASSU's greed.

Continuing in the same vein of separating "ASUU" from "tertiary education"... I will be surprised sir, if you, as an academic' do not realize that, based on the history of EVERY industrialized country, all those sectors you mentioned, and Nigeria itself, have no hope unless tertiary education is sorted out.

Top in our demand now is 'earned allowance'. That's what Fagge emphasizes each time.

That may be true. However, I have seen three interviews Fagge granted on this very site, and going from them, it is not true AT ALL that all he emphasized was allowances. If you have read this thread through, you will realize that I never apologized for ASUU asking for the allowances. I have lecturer friends too, licking their chops calculating how much they will get and what they will buy. The questions however are (i) did, or did they not earn such monies (ii) if yes to the first, should they be ashamed to ask for it? (iii)even if Fagge emphasizes allowances like you said, does that mean there are no other issues?

I submit, we are greedy, despite d fact that I agree that politicians also squander our resources. If we want more money, we can still join politics.

I do not know any set of Nigerians that, considering their actions and antecedents, would not be labelled "greedy". Could you tell me one sir? That ASUU is no different should not be cause to lose sleep (for now). Be that as it may, this is still not an excuse for the FG to mix up "ASUU" and "tertiary education survival".

I thank you for your time sir.

[quote author=For wetin nah?]God bless you boku boku for asking him those questions. All we hear is 'we are not fighting for our benefits alone but for the infratructures in a various Universities'..Yeah right?! What happens if after the FG dishes out the said 'billions' ASUU is asking for and NO CHANGES are made in our Varsities after much Bruohaha? Should the FG arrest all the VCs or Governing body under ASUU? And then what? There should have been changes already with the little ASUU has, you don't wait till a trillion bucks is deposited before you budge..let's face it, our lecturers here don't do shii.iit, all everybody wants now is MONEY, and a very BIG yes..this whole drama has been meddled with politics, same thing happened some years back in RSUST.[/quote]Let me ask you a few questions. For how long have you been familiar with the state of Nigerian universities? Are they the same way they were 15 years ago? I await your response before addressing the meat of your post.

NO LONG TIN: But personally I'm sick of ASUU, I wish they could ban that association. ASUU members are lecturers who want to live like politicians - that's the major problem. If infrastructure was their priority, VCs would invest their IGR into building labs/equipment, instead they focus on buying exotic cars and build (wedding) halls

If you have actually gone through this thread, and you're still saying "VCs would invest their IGR into building labs/equipment, instead they focus on buying exotic cars and build (wedding) halls", I am sorely tempted to ask which university you just recently graduated from.

switdick: Prof, wouldnt this defy your stance as a body(ASUU) for the masses{students} thus as credence to being against us the masses?....

You guys are funny...this strike is the very thing called a thankless job. I have made it clear that ASUU, as a union, will have nothing to lose by caving in and letting universities charge millions of Naira (which, truth be told, is what they should be doing, if not that FG is the Santa Claus of this country).

You say no! We are fighting for our pockets. You stone us (not literally, I hope!), mock us, call us all sort of names for fighting your dirty fight for you. Yet, the moment I dare whisper the possibility of just giving up and letting you pay for the value of your education, suddenly, ooh, we stop being the champion of the masses. Pray tell me, where have the masses ever agreed that we are their champion?

I tire o. What exactly do you want us to do?

uzoexcel: Just to point out that the aforementioned countries u mentioned, u are designated as an INTERNATIONAL STUDENT...U obviously cant compare ur fees with those of the local indigens or home students. Moreover in the UK, most of the students are all on student lons which they would have to pay back to the government installmentally once they graduate and start working

Can you kindly tell us how much the locals of those countries pay for university education? I await your response.

sage007: At University of Ibadan,while this current strike is still on and ASUU members are refusing to attend to students, the Dean of Faculty of Law in connivance with the VC organised clandestine examination for the final year Law students so that they can have their children leave for Law school! SO WHY SET DOUBLE STANDARDS

It happens sometimes that when one is ignorant of the facts, one accuses others of favoritism. Nigerians in particular like this argument that "they did it because their children were involved".

The fact is that two courses have always been problematic to ASUU: Law and Medicine. In both these courses, the time of graduation determines seniority FOR LIFE. Deans and lecturers of Law and Medicine *all over Nigeria* have always been under intense pressure to get exceptions for those students where possible. When such deans now turn around to fight for the case, it is because they are trying not to let the strike leave a lifetime scar on their students.

You need to attend ASUU meetings where such cases are made. It often almost turns violent. The usually refrain is that if they were to grant such concessions to medical and law students, people like *you* will come around making this same argument you are making.

Me, I have no clear-cut stand. But I'll throw it to you: should we prevent Law and Medical students from losing seniority *for life* because we are on strike, or should we be more consistent ("principled", you'd say) and bar (no pun intended) everyone? You tell me; I'm all ears.

2.What do we say about universities giving honorary degrees to money bags of questionable characters while turning blind eyes to real deserving individuals. I KNOW UNIVERSITY DONS WANT TO NETWORK WITH BIG MEN

I personally do not go for that [expletive]. In fact, my universities is notoriously tightfisted when it comes to handing our honorary degrees. However, without holding brief for those who do, I put it to you that it is more likely a ham-fisted attempt to get the "big men" to support their universities than it is a play for personal gain. With all this noise about IGR left, right, center, who blames them?

3.Nigerian Professors now retiring at 70 years is a huge joke. While their counterparts in other educationally developed climes have their retirement age below 65 years. Everyone knows all these are for personal gain of ego & power in the ivory tower.

This also happens to be one other issue on which I do not agree with ASUU at all. Had this been the US where I know a few octogenarian profs walking spryly to class, I would have been okay. Fact is, in the current system, a 70-year old prof is more likely to just hold everyone back (I did say "likely" o, not "certain" ).

Having said that, I know exactly where ASUU is coming from, and once again, it is (tada!) the fault of funding (wait, I'm serious). The issue started, I believe from UI when they realized that some departments had found it so hard to employ *and retain* younger staff that once their professors retired in a few years, the departments would collapse. I ask you once again, why do we find it so hard to get, and KEEP good graduates

Pls let me stop cos I don't want to spill more bean! ASUU is just another typical congregation of people just like PDP, PENGASSAN, APC, NPF, SSANU etc. All fighting for personal gains & not for the common man. QED.

Please go ahead and spill the beans. This is a faceless forum, is it not? Thank you.

theoctopus: You have been using this line and I find it very deceitful. You dont need more money to get better lecturers, except you are saying the FG should go and recruit lecturers from the USA. If you are really honest, post your salary for us to see. I have a good idea how much lecturers are paid in Nigeria because my brother is one. Interestingly, he is not interested in this your strike and thinks you guys are being selfish and deceitful. Does a good lecturer in Ghana earn more money than you? You guys are very well paid and you keep trying to tell us no good lecturer would want to receive your salary. How much is the average salary out there? Most of the folks working in banks and going around with big suits and ties earn less than you. Many MTN, Glo and Airtel staff still earn 40, 000 - 80, 000. How much is the salary for an entry level lecturer? Please tell us! And now FG is still paying billions in allowance which you claim you guys have earned by either asking students to come to you for "blocking" or harassing female students for marks! How exactly have you earned anything? In fact, it is ironic that on one hand, you claim the lecturers cant produce good students because they are not well funded, and on the other hand, you claim you have earned some kind of allowance? You mean you have earned good allowances for the poor job you do? I told you, you aint being honest at all at all!

Your post is lovely. I especially like where you asked how much Ghanaian lectures collect. In fact, to digress a bit, I once had a similar argument with a friend of mine in a top university in the US. He opined that the salary scale in the US is top-loaded, so that junior lecturers have enough incentive to hurry and work hard for promotion. The answer I gave him, which he ended up accepting, is what I will modify for you.

The average Nigerian is more aggressive, materialistic, and flamboyant than the average Ghanaian. We need salaries that will, in the first place, *attract* the very best minds here. The figure needed to convince a US scholar to a life of service is less than what it would take to convince a Nigeria in the same economic system. What it takes to convince a brilliant Ghanaian to become a lecturer is obviously less than what it takes to convince a Nigerian to do the same. Did you see the vivid example given earlier of the guy who dumped an offer of free appointment to become a cashier in a bank (even though, per your own argument, the bank job pays less). Can you tell me why?

Let us be honest with ourselves here. Did you finish with a First Class degree? Are you lecturing? If yes-no to the 2 questions, why? Otherwise, how many *outstanding* students did you know in school? How many of them are lecturing now? Please be honest with your answers.

By the time your answers are in, we will be able to collectively see why Ghanian lecturers can be paid less (*if* they are) and still work hard.

Having said all this, one thing still stands out. Apart from the salary, Ghana is said to be investing heavily in their educational system, so the working environment is obviously going to be better. That is also part of your answer right there.

I await your response.

4 Play: Prof Femi, would ASUU consider a termination of the strike if its infrastructure demands are met but not the allowance demands?

You have loaded this question to see whether I would stick to the obvious and risk looking "selfish". I cannot answer that question, and really, no one can. It will come down to what the majority of ASUU members think.

But come, let me ask you, all other issues aside, would *you* feel it is fair for government o owe *you* money for 4 years, and the decide not to pay any of it just because you are concerned about the system? Chew on that, and be true to yourself as you answer it.

Anyhow, let me tell you that I could be "silly" enough to accept those conditions. If the government agreed to provide *all* my infrastructural needs and pay me no allowances, *I* would bite. Heck, if the government assured me that I could fairly compete for funds to fund my research the way it's done elsewhere, *I* would even agree to a reduction in my salary. Having said that, what I have just said is an extreme view, and I would be insane to expect any reasonable percentage of ASUU members (or Nigerians of any walk of life) to say same.

Eminey: So prof...look at this description...this man in his "hummer" gets bashed by a man on his "okada"....the Hummer's gets down...and grab d okada's by his throat...oh u must pay for the damages he says....the Okada's is like...oga...I no get money now....meanwhile a hold up is building(the hold up can be interpreted as us students..and others affected by the strike, the Hummer's ASUU with all the authority...and the okada man's the FG..lacking enough money as we speak).....the hold up lingers as the Hummer's bent on...pay me or the hold up's gonna last for as long..."we don't care"..."we r fighting a just course"....so the Okada man's pressured to find money as he goes away to come bck nxt year...what would u do if u are stuck in diz hold up?....what would u fink of the Hummer's that's refused to park well...and negotiate with the Okada's...averting hold up and d likes...

I appreciate the time you took to craft that analogy. However, analogies can be an unruly beast, because they do not always bend themselves to the situation being addressed. What do I mean? Your analogy is flawed in many respects. To mention a few:

1. You likened ASUU to a Hummer owner. Far richer and more influential etc than your poor okada man. By doing this, you load sentiments against the hummer guy

2. You *assume* FG cannot afford the demands of ASUU, hence you liken them to an okada man

3. In your analogy, it *is* possible for the hummer guy to engage the okada man without obstructing traffic (hence your suggestion that he should have "parked well well". If you read my initial post, you will see where I submitted, in an apologitic tone, that there is no way to pressure the Nigerian government beyond strikes. Before you pounce on that, let me assure you that ASUU has done *a lot* previously. When ASUU was writing more than 50 letters, nobody listened. When ASUU begged all stakeholders and leaders of thought to prevail on FG, nobody responded. Now we go to the unsavory final resort, suddenly you think we should "park well well?"

4. In your analogy, the people in the hold-up have nothing to gain from the issue. I admit that you have a right to believe whether ASUU is fighting *only* for allowances or for more than that. I can assure you that the reason why *I* support the strike is not just to ask for my allowances (more on that soon).

Summary: your analogy is deeply flawed.

I really have to go offline now, but please fire in the comments and queries. I will be sure to return here from time to time.

Eminey: Owk Prof, I'v followed this tread closely...and i'ld want to understand something. Why in any sensible reasoning would ASUU, in it's bid to revive the University's infrastructure watch things pass during the budjet defense and approval for 2013. It's like somebody wakes up in June and expect that government starts to make efforts in paying 3trillion.Then we here of a strike action that could have been completely averted if ASUU planned properly. What I expected to see was..a strike that began towards the year end, ASUU submits an Educational Reform Bill to the House of Assembly, we see adequate efforts been made in realizing this by both ASUU and the FG...and no student is made to suffer. I see no point in all this..we would hv to wait till nxt year...so why the 6 or more months strike?

Thank you. As you know, in Nigeria, we make so much noise about things following due process. ASUU has been engaging the government *continually* since last year at least. Government has been giving excuses all along. ASUU has claimed they wrote the government over 50 (or is it 70?) times, and the government is yet to refute that. I think June just happened to be the time that ASUU came to the conclusion that the FG was just "posting" it.

awodman: I simply asked why tell us you are going on strike because of your allowance(Nasir Fagge was emphatic on this) and along the line you now claim to be fighting for good education..is that not the height of Deceit?

I don't think we need to play with semantics. Whether Fagge said it then or not, reading through my write-up and posts, do you agree that had we just been asking for 92 billion (or whatever) for allowances, the strike would be over now?

Yes the govt has come out to reject the calculations

Okay. So what do the government's own calculations say?

according to them the 30 billion released to governing councils is for starters..the governing councils have been told to pay from that and verify the outstanding payments for onward inclusion in 2014 budget

Not correct at all. The information I have is that governing councils should pay the balance now and for ever from internally generated revenue, which in this case, is a euphemism for "increased school fees".

To the best of my knowledge the ASUU rep led the technical committee on implementation of NEEDS assessment report and wrote the report...why cry wolf over a report in which you drafted?

I frankly do not know who drafted what. However as I said earlier, the government has perfected smoke and mirrors, and ASUU spoke out when it realized *where* that 70 billion was coming from.

Prof please what do you mean by the bolded...isn't the aim making sure that every kobo released to our universities is judiciously used so as to raise the standards

What I meant was, some red tape introduced into the disbursement of funds simply create bottlenecks. I am not by any chance suggesting that checks and balances be removed. I am only saying it could be done without bringing things to a crawl.

awodman: Pls prof I need your response to my rejoinder..thanks

Oh, crikey. I thought I could leave now. Okay, could you refresh me?

Idrismusty97: Very true.Nice work prof.You prove to be very patience and understanding.Thank you

No, thank *you* guys. It has been stressful (I still have to tell wifey what I have been up to, so she doesn't start wondering why I spend so much time online ) but I have thoroughly enjoyed interacting with you guys. Although we are officially "enemies" (lol), my favorite is still oxford's "mr. prof, come back here", and ZakiGp who said we have "strike" right in our blood. I thank you all for making this robust.

I will return to the thread from time to time, and will be glad to continue the conversation. I still hope, and I want you all to hope with me, that ASUU strike or no ASUU strike, we can save tertiary education.

Boss13: Nice chatting with you Prof. I pray something positive can be done about the situation on ground. I also pray your colleagues can read our comments and begin to question themselves. Continue with your hard work, the people whose lives you would impact will never forget.

Likewise bro. All the best.

Boss13: Prof so you follow for this same category. But imagine the impact. You can try it out.

Did you see where I said some "silly" lecturers would try that stunt? I am in that category. But I don't expect everyone to have the same worldview as me, and I certainly don't think its an obligation. We took this job for different reasons.

Also, many middle class Nigerians may not want to send their children to Nigerian public universities and over time, there will be huge decrease in the enrolment of students into Nigerian public schools. A little something for you to think about Prof. Maybe Govt. will go and drag the students from where they are into public universities.

Ha, you say it as if this is something to cringe about. The universities are overpopulated by far. I currently teach class sizes between 100 and 150. I would *love* to never teach more than 25 students.

Boss13: Well of course I will turn it down because I don't think they have anything to offer the profit line of my organisation because they are busy going on strike instead of thinking.

First part: right. Second part: wrong. I did say myself that most companies have nothing to gain by investing in risky R & D in Nigeria, so that is just evidence of what I already said. However, the reason why they cannot offer you anything is: they don't have the right tools, and the right guys haven't been employed. Simples.

Look, I know how my friends in the US work, Need something? Have it now. Here, I have to start from building power supplies, and using all sort of contraptions. Speaking for myself again, I have interacted with my peers abroad. Many people at my level have left me in the dust as per training (because I was patriotic enough to stay in the dump) but I am happy to say I am still as creative as the best off them. My ideas are as unique and intriguing as theirs. Why then don't I have their output? I DO NOT HAVE THE FACILITIES AND ENVIRONMENT.

Now you can see what Corporate Nigeria thinks about lecturers. You can be that change only if you believe.

I already know what corporate world thinks about us, and more important, *why*. You're preaching to the choir when you say I can be an agent for change. Why else have I sacrificed the best years of my life??

Boss13: What stops my stupid lecturer to take us all out to a Laboratory or Research center and show us these micro-organisms. Will that cost so much? What stop the lecturer from writing to GSK, requesting for fund to purchase a microscope.

People who do not appreciate the difficulties that stop others from doing something almost always do the same, when they are in the same position. How can you suggest that a lecturer spend his own money to take a whole class out to a lab? Do you have any idea how much money and effort would go into that? I know lecturers who are "stupid" enough to pull stunts like this, but to treat it like an obligation is not right at all, to put it mildly.

What stops a lecturer to change his curriculum or update his curriculum

I have addressed the curriculum issue more than once already. Good lecturers still update their teaching materials and curricula. Poor ones don't. Simple as that.