User:Yolodo

REVIEW OF NIGERIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES

A quick tour around Nigerian universities and one will fully understand why students are no longer students but yahoo boys, advanced prostitutes and home-breed robbers. I was sickened by the state of students living conditions and studying environment during my short visit to Nigeria recently. Without naming the institutions visited, I cannot understand why any vice-chancellor and even the government will permit students to study under these unbearable conditions especially if it is the intention of the government that the individuals will become leaders of the nation one day. Why I understand the reasoning behind the flourishing private universities which our beloved president Olusegun Obasanjo is a "share-holder" but I assume that Nigerian Ministry of Education should be wise enough to know that 90% of its youth in the range of university education cannot afford the N350, 000 (Naira) fees that most of these private universities charge per session. This then beg the question, what is the strategy thinking of Nigerian government on getting the next generation ready for the task ahead? As we approach 2007, parents and students of high institution need to start asking 'want-to-be presidents' their plans for the future leaders of this great country. This is not the time for parents to receive few Naira and sell their children's future to the highest bidder with no strategic approach to one of the greatest potential challenge confronting our nation to date. Students need to stop acting like spoilt brat and becoming more responsible to attract the attention of political parties in the country interested in 'valuable or potential voters' especially knowing that they fall within the voting age. Why should our daughters on campuses becoming professional prostitutes in order to survive the campus hardship? and why should our future men need to rob innocent Nigerian citizens for their daily bread?.......It is definitely unnecessary and it is time to stop these nonsense. However, the task ahead is the responsibility of all, from parents to students and even the student unions on campuses across the nation. They need to organise themselves and start asking questions about their future plans of leaders.

One thing is certain, a benchmark of Nigerian universities with others in Europe makes one wonder when in the future things will never get better but students in Nigerian high institutions now hold the key in the forthcoming election to make demands from the government on better life. I think it is time to demand the execution of the TEN COMMANDMENT for students in Nigerian universities:

What will be the ten most important demands; I can only guess but a better condition in universities will be one on the list and there is no point asking for things without looking inward to stop some childishness that is common practice on campuses like rioting, cultism etc. A word is enough for the wise.......

Oyeyemi Olodo is the Publisher/Director of The Integrity Magazine www.theintegritymagazine.org.uk