A popular Chinese proverb says: “if you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant tree; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people”. Education is the foundation for any sustainable development; hence it must be planned properly.
For the benefit of hindsight, Imo State University Owerri, has been on an industrial action for the past three months over the non-payment of workers’ salaries and for the poor funding of the University.
When the Governor of Imo State launched his free education (at all levels) policy, most people kicked against it not because it is not a good policy but because it is not sustainable. Today, what do we have? Imo State University that use to be one of the best universities in the country has suddenly taken the back seat, as it is nowhere among the first 30 tertiary institutions in the Country.
The fact is that there is nowhere in the world where education is free at all levels. What is obtainable is that leader’s come up with different scholarship schemes that will accommodate indigent’s bright students. Come to think of it, the free education programme is just for the few schools (about 3) situated in the state, what about Imo indigenes in other tertiary institutions. Compare this with what is obtainable in Rivers State where scholarships are awarded to thousands of students to acquire education at different parts of the world, thus creating a cross fertilization of ideas.
The Governor of Imo state must stop accusing IMSU lecturers of standing against his free education programme and come to terms with reality. The fact is that there are minimum standards expected of every university in Nigeria and these standards are set out by the NUC, hence no university be it Federal, state or Private can go below such benchmarks. The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU- IMSU chapter is linked to the national body; therefore the governor cannot weaken the union the way he has succeeded in slaughtering other institutions, Unions and organizations in the state. The 2009 ASUU agreement ought to be maintained, a situation where the governor appoints VC’s at will does not speak well of the University. The frustrating part of which is that appointment of VC’s in IMSU has been based on political grounds not merit.
A percentage of the blame should also go to the lecturers, who upon their powerful union and intellectual sagacity still play to whims and caprices of politicians. What will happen if ASUU refuse to accept a particular VC based on the fact that he/she was not nominated or recommended by an appropriate body?
Again what is ASUU doing about the pseudo-intellectuals in Imo state University who cannot contribute to the moral upbringing of the students? Teaching is not just a job. It is a human service and it must be thought of as a mission.
Therefore , even as ASUU holds the government responsible for the poor funding of the university, the government should as a matter of duty, hold members of ASUU responsible for absconding from their responsibility and for the moral decay we find in that institution.
On their own, the students should understand that a university is a community, which cannot exist without them; hence they should not be intimidated by the activities of pseudo intellectuals. Education makes it very easy for people to be led but very difficult to enslave.
Just as Charlotte Mason said “self-education is the only possible education; the rest is mere veneer laid on the surface of a child’s nature”. Students of IMSU are advised to tour the line of self-development; this is because we are living in a knowledge based economy, where everyone jostles for very few jobs. They should understand that the Governor’s children are schooling in some of the best schools abroad, so also are the children of their big lecturers who teach in several other universities, these are the people they will be competing with in modern economy. Therefore self-development cum hard work remains the key.
Finally, Imo state government and ASUU must close ranks and come to terms for the interest of the students. 80 percent of the students and lecturers in IMSU are indigenes of Imo State; hence the lecturers should also see their service as way of giving back to the society. This is in consideration of the current economic reality in the State. ASUU must be rational in their reasoning; nonetheless the government has a bigger role to play.
UWAKWE ROLAND C
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