In the face of trend of overseas migration of lecturers and Academic researchers in Nigeria, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of Al-Hikmah University, a leading faith-based University in Nigeria, Sekinat Yusuf has urged the Federal Government to increase Lecturers salaries
The Pro-Chancellor who made the call while speaking with newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State, North Central lamented the effect of migration from the country by the members of the academic sector
She added that increase in lecturers’ salary would go a long way in convincing them to stay.
“There are many things government can do to convince Lecturers to stay such as Lecturer’s salaries should be increased and they should be given necessary tools to work.
“Our Laboratories are empty, no teaching materials, only private institutions have updated libraries, I went to University of Ibadan and Lagos State University. At that time, things were not these bad at all, I knew how we were being pampered.
“The government should put a lot of funds in the Universities to revitalize them to make sure that they are what they used to be.
“In those days when you graduate, you want to be a Lecturer, You know by the time you finish, you would get a car and house. Now there is nothing like that anymore.
“Because of the economic situation of the Country, Lecturers are looking for ways raise money as lecturers, teaching in 3 or 4 Universities, they will just give the students handouts to read and then they set exams, so there is this decadence in our institutions.” she said.
The Educationist lamented the menace of examination malpractices, sexual harassment and cultism.
“It is very terrific, cheating; Parents will even assist their children to cheat in examination.
“They will pay lecturers to assist their children, you knew what was happening in JAMB until Professor Ishaq Oloyede got there, you know we cannot rule out sexual harassment and cultism,” she said.
She, however, called on the Government and the National University Commission to be more active in checking the ills in the institutions.
In other part of her interview, the Pro Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, a private University, urged the Federal Government to allow the state and private universities to benefit from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
She disclosed that a committee of institutions of Pro Chancellors is already interacting with the government on how to bring in the private universities into the scheme.
“There is a Committee of State Pro Chancellors and we have dialogue on the problems, we have also interacted with government to see what it is not doing right in the University system.
“So there should be an organization, Committee for Private institutions that will tell the government that as you are taking care of the public institutions, you should also take care of private institutions for infrastructural development,” she said.
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