Education
ASUU: Ebonyi group blasts Umahi for saying ‘education not for everybody’
***Accuses governor of killing education in Ebonyi
The Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-cultural in Diaspora (AEISCID) has accused governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state of killing education at all levels in the state, even as the group condemned a statement credited to the governor that “higher education is not for everybody.”
Making comments on the ongoing ASUU strike, the governor was reportedly said: “University education is not for everybody and that is the truth.”
But in a statement released to newsmen Tuesday in Abuja, the President of the (AEISCID), Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu, said the current administration of Umahi has reversed all the gains made in education sector in the state by the previous administrations before Umahi.
“It’s justiciable to bring to the fore how the man who is advocating for at least Basic and Secondary education for citizens indeed killed education at those two levels before eventually burying the two State-owned tertiary institutions- Ebonyi State University and the Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo.
“All his actions that has left the education sector in it’s dimwit shadows were inspired by greed and nothing but overwhelming insatiable lust for money in institutions that his predecessors had carefully and deliberately invested in, knowing that Ebonyi remains categorized as an Educationally Less Developed State.
“We are aware that Umahi had inherited an Ebonyi that had a near excellent performance in academic examinations such as WAEC, NECO and other competitive academic contests like Debates. The State’s Debating Championship team led by Professor Okpata made Nigeria proud even at the continental level.”
According to Oluchukwu, the history of education in Ebonyi state is such that the first civilian Governor, Sen. Dr. Sam Egwu deliberately offered free and compulsory education for all Ebonyians at least up to Secondary level with the government registering at least NECO for finalist students.
“Majority of today’s Ph.D holders and Professors particularly in the State-owned University were products of Egwu’s HIPACT programme- a carefully planned foreign Scholarship programme designed by the education-loving administration of Dr. Egwu.
“This was further consolidated by his successor, Chief Martin Elechi who felt the need to sustain the education legacies. His government brought Ebonyi to limelight with proper remunerations of teachers and attracting funds and investments in UBEB from the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC. This was in addition to fully supporting and funding the State’s Literary and Debating Society, the State’s Scholarship Board and prompt payment of bursaries to students including sponsoring and supporting Law students to Law Schools.
“AEISCID is still abreast that it was so seamless that even a Local Government Chairman or a Development Centre Cordinator could pay tuition fees and procure laptops cum other supports for law students going to the Law School. The teachers, particularly at the Primary School level were properly remunerated even through the 74 Development Centre Coordinators in the State.
“In WAEC performance under Elechi, Ebonyi came only second after States like Anambra in the entire South East region and maintained top in some academic competitions like Debate.
“Upon ascending to the number one seat of power however, Umahi immediately turned the table. The State government first accessed and allegedly misappropriated billions of naira paid into UBEB by UBEC just before Elechi’s exit from power in 2015.
“Since then, Umahi has plunged the education sector in Ebonyi into a deeper mess. It is so bad that in his over 7 years reign, it has never been reported that he made a brief stop over in any of the public education facilities- be there Primary, Secondary or Tertiary institutions in the State.
“The only time he visits EBSU is to harass the managers (who himself appointed) to up their revenue games. He even taxes the institution after reducing it’s subventions by over 50%. He only laments that the place can only be run as business and that he’s not making enough profits from the School because the management are not good business men and women.”
While describing tuition fees in Ebonyi as “criminally outrageous”, the statement said: Ebonyi public Secondary Schools are now very unaffordable that it costs over N15,000 to obtain a common Junior Secondary School Certificate. Parents pay through their noses to see their children and wards through the Senior Secondary classes up to SS3 when they are eventually forced to break banks in order to register their children and wards for WAEC and NECO.
“It’s verifiable that some, if not most of Ebonyi public schools have only two or three teachers teaching different subjects from Junior to Senior Secondary level. This is simply because no recruitment of teachers have been carried out in the last over 7 years when Umahi took over power.
“The resultant effect is that Ebonyi now arguably ranks the least in the entire Southern Nigeria in terms of WAEC performance as indicated in the recent result released by the body wherein many Ebonyi School’s results were withheld over allegations of malpractice and inability to pay outstanding fees and levies to WAEC.
“Parents and guardians in Ebonyi have been groaning with their affected children and wards over this ugly development but the Umahi government has maintained deafening silence on the WAEC performance – preferring to focus on building more flyovers than investing in education in a State as Educationally-backward as Ebonyi.
“The teachers still teaching in Ebonyi Schools are left without any remuneration by the Umahi government who feel they, including ASUU doesn’t deserve to be paid while agitating for better conditions of service. Most of them have found other more desperate means of surviving the Umahi-haram on education while those who can’t cope have since joined their ancestors. There’s no payment of leave and promotion allowances for staff at all levels of education in Ebonyi State in the past over 7 years of Umahi and he is not bothered one bit.
“The tuition fees are so criminally outrageous that the average, not even the rich Ebonyi household can afford to send their children and wards to the over-rated institution. It ranges from N300 to N500 million naira per session and only rich non-indigenes could barely afford it in this time of Nigeria’s economic woes.”
The Managing Director and CEO of the Bank of Industry (BOI), Dr. Olasupo Olusi, has called for a comprehensive curriculum overhaul in Nigerian universities to better align with global trends and equip graduates with practical skills. Speaking at the 10th special convention of the Ekiti State University Alumni Association in Abuja, Dr. Olusi highlighted the urgent need to bridge the gap between theory and practical application in Nigerian higher education.
Dr. Olusi noted that while Nigeria is rich in human and natural resources, progress in technology and economic development remains slow due to universities’ focus on theoretical knowledge over hands-on training. He emphasized that significant investments in research and technical skill development are essential for positioning Nigeria as a competitive force in the global economy.
Echoing this sentiment, Ekiti State University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joseph Ayodele, called on alumni to contribute to their alma mater, emphasizing that alumni support plays a critical role in building a strong academic foundation and fostering innovative research. The institution’s Chancellor, Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, similarly urged alumni associations to prioritize initiatives that support university growth and student success.
Global President of the Ekiti State University Alumni Association, Dipo Bamisaye, stressed the need for Nigerian universities to continuously pursue excellence to remain competitive globally. Dr. Wale Jegede, Chairman of the institution’s Board of Trustees, commended the state governor for his dedication to quality education, particularly through the appointment of capable academics to guide the university’s progress.
The convention also honored notable alumni who have made significant contributions to the university’s development. Among those recognized were Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, former presidential aide Mr. Kingsley Kuku, Chancellor Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, Vice-Chancellor Professor Joseph Ayodele, and BOI MD Dr. Olasupo Olusi.
Reinforcing its commitment to the institution’s advancement, the Bank of Industry recently proposed a 2.5 billion Naira development fund to Ekiti State University, underscoring its dedication to driving growth in Nigeria’s educational sector.
The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have announced a nationwide indefinite strike beginning Monday.
This decision, coordinated by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of non-teaching university staff unions, is in protest of unpaid salaries withheld during a past strike involving the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) under the previous administration.
The JAC, in a circular addressed to branch chairmen of NASU and SSANU, stated that the strike, initially set for October 23, was postponed to October 27 to align with the Trade Group Council meeting held in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
The document, signed by NASU General Secretary Prince Peters Adeyemi and SSANU President Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, cited delays from the Ministry of Finance in implementing President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive to release 50 percent of the outstanding four-month salaries.
The unions expressed frustration over the government’s perceived lack of commitment to resolve the issue, emphasizing their readiness to maintain the strike until all withheld salaries are released.
The JAC’s circular read: “We express our deepest appreciation for your steadfast commitment to the leadership and we affirm our determination to persist in this struggle until ultimate victory is secured.”
The decision highlights ongoing labor tensions in Nigeria’s education sector, as non-teaching staff urge the government to uphold previous agreements and fulfill financial obligations.
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
A professor of Political Science and former Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akoko Akungba, Prof. Nahzeem Olufemi Mimiko, has advocated reimagining as the only way to overcome challenges bedeviling Nigerian universities.
He said that reimagining was requisite to make the institutions to be competitive, and capable of driving wholesome national development
Prof. Mimiko made the remarks in a lecture at the 8th Convocation Lecture of Federal University Lokoja (FUL) on the the topic: “Reimaging Nigeria’s (University) Education For Wholesome National Development” held at Felele Campus, Lokoja.
He also identified poor funding and corruption in the system as some of the major obstacles to the nation’s university education system
Mimiko noted that corruption has assumed endemic proportion requiring reimaging, radical rethink to reposition Nigeria’s university education system away from the negative status quo.
The foremost Nigeria. Educational Administrator and the only Vice Chancellor delegate at the National Conference in Nigeria held in 2014 under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan decried what he called mediocre level of funding of universities in Nigeria.
According to him Nigeria remains one of the countries in the world that are yet to meet the UNESCO-recommended threshold for education funding, at 15 to 20 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (UNESCO, 2015)”
Prof. Mimiko noted that physical facilities for teaching and learning in the Nigeria’s tertiary education were inadequate, dilapidated, overstretched/overcrowded and improvised.
The Professor of Political Science and International Relations reiterated his stance that the dearth of basic learning resources could equally be attributed to corruption adding that majority of the universities in the country were grossly understaffed.
“I reference corruption here not just in the narrow sense as financial corruption, but also reflected in inanities like provincialism; and cultivation of crop of indolent staff.
“The only way to overcome challenges bedeviling Nigerian universities is the reimagining requisite for making these institutions to be competitive, and capable of driving wholesome national development”
Comparing university education with that of Polytechnic, Professor Mimiko recommended that university education in Nigeria should remain focused on the more conceptual dimension of the knowledge enterprise.
He said that technical education as being administered by polytechnics should be devoted to producing middle level manpower in technical competencies.
Prof. Mimiko also maintained that the nation must adopt learning and teaching in local languages for it to grow and develop adding that teaching in the local languages remain the panacea.
He stated that the nation’s present educational system where learning is done in foreign languages was counterproductive urging Nigeria to take a cue from China, India, Japan among others that teach in their local languages.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Lokoja, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi said that the lecture is geared towards providing intellectual discuss and described the guest lecturer as erudite scholar who knows his onions.
“We are committed to celebrating our academic excellence as the topic of the lecture is very relevant to our future career and guidance
“The lecture no doubt will contribute immensely to Nigeria’s educational and economic landscape” Professor Olayemi Akinwumi said. (Ends)
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