UNILORIN Students Divided Over Ban On Sale Of Handouts

Harrison Iyoha

There are strong indications that the announcement by the authorities of the University of Ilorin, UNILORIN, Kwara state, north central Nigeria, that lecturers should desist from selling handouts to students may not hold water.

Findings by our correspondent have revealed that it was not the first time the school authorities would be announcing this, but nothing can stop the lecturers from carrying out the repulsive act.

In a bid to sensitise the students and put the school in its rightful position, the school authorities had on Monday issued a warning by the school Registrar, Mr. Emmanuel Obafemi, reminding the lecturers that the enforcement of the ban on sale of handouts was still on.

Mr. Obafemi frowned at the manner in which lecturers engaged selling handouts to students, a development he said the school authorities would not condone. The Registrar said that despite the circulars prohibiting the sale of handouts to students, “there is a renewed activity of this illegal business on the campus.

“The sale is perpetrated by lecturers using devious means and agents such as shop owners and class representatives to reach the students.

“The unwholesome practice must not be allowed to continue, given the growing positive image of the university.”

In the statement deans and heads of departments were also advised to be mindful of the extant circular proscribing the sale of handouts to students.

“Any lecturer found violating this directive will be brought to book,” it said.

Students of the institution told P.M.NEWS Campus Square that the announcement is not new to them and the lecturers involved in the act always get away with it since the school management are never with them in class to monitor what’s going on between them and their lecturers.

Jumoke, a student of the institution, told our reporter that “the school management has been trying their best to make students use the school library whenever they want to read but lecturers would still have their way in selling handouts to us since we can’t complain of not buying.

“Some lecturers even attach marks to any handout we buy from them and those who don’t buy already know the implications of such act.”

Another student, Akande decried the ban on handouts, noting, “exploitation of students by lecturers in this school is not that pronounced but it happens underground.

“And I cannot say if someone leaked their secrets to the school authorities for them to have issued this warning. But it also means that their business is gradually getting out of control. They are very perfect in their dealings with students as many of the lecturers have contracted agents outside the school to help them sell to us and they refer us to where we can get their handouts for assignment.

“Selling of textbook is an anomaly in Nigeria’s educational system which can be eradicated when we start correcting the wrongs. Exploitation of students by lecturers comes in different ways such as sexual exploitation of female students, sale of course handouts and irrelevant text books and extortion of money from students before they can pass their exams.” A final year student of the institution who spoke on the condition of anonymity, explained that, “we should not sit down and start saying other countries are also experiencing what we are facing here.

“When something is going wrong in other countries that does not mean that we should also tow the same direction. It is a global phenomenon, yes but we can set things right and let others learn from us.

“On the sales of course hand-outs and irrelevant text-books, I can categorically tell you that on many occasions, some lecturers threatened us to buy their text-books by all means, failure to do so meant no C.A. or automatic carry-over in that particular course, while some will even go to the extent of giving us a compulsory assignment in the text-book, just to make money.

“Exploiting students in one way or the other by lecturers is an abuse of power, which also corrupts the educational system. “Lecturers should be seen as parents, they should also portray themselves as role model to the students. My advice to some lecturers engaged in this act is that they should remember the law of Karma which means what goes around comes around.

“And my advice to our institutions is that there should be standard and ethics in our institutions which will check the actions of our lecturers. A special committee should be set up to monitor their activities.”