4th March, 2011
Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has advised President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to increase funding of university education in Nigeria.
Obasanjo made this appeal at the main auditorium of the University of Lagos during the 7th Annual Lecture of the School of Postgraduate Studies, UNILAG.
Speaking on the topic: Strategic Positioning of Post Graduate Education in Nigeria, the former president also appealed to the management of the ivory towers to stop awarding degrees to frivolous personalities in the society on account of their dishonourable conducts, saying ”honourary degrees should not be for sale.”
He urged the school to reduce unethical behaviour in the system and conduct nationwide campaign against unethical practices in post graduate education such as plagiarism, copyright violation and corruption. “Publicity should be given to students and staff found guilty of unethical conducts,†he added.
On the quality of students and teachers for post graduate studies, Obasanjo said students who are top in class with aptitude for learning should be admitted for post graduate studies, stressing that the selection process for admission should be refined than the present status.
”Only the best should be admitted. Poor attitude of post graduate students to work and low commitment of lecturers have conspired to lower the efficiency of post graduate teaching in Nigeria,†he stated.
He condemned the ineptitude of some post graduate teachers in the country and called for the recruitment of international scholars to give international flavour to our universities. ”Senior academics who have the right experience to supervise and teach the post graduates should be recruited,” he said.
In his own remarks, Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Deacon Gamaliel Onosode urged post graduate students to be interested in serving and not be served.
He also appealed to politicians not to refer to vice chancellors in Nigerian universities as political appointees.
—By Ayodeji Adesina