Sometime early this year, I was sweating in my office when my phone rang. I looked at the caller. It was my younger sister, a 200-level Microbiology student at the University of Nigeria - my Alma Mata. After a brief exchange of greetings, She said, “Brother, one of our lecturers said we should pay N4, 000 each as a condition for passing his course”. “Is the money for handout?” I queried.
Sometime early this year, I was sweating in my office when my phone rang. I looked at the caller. It was my younger sister, a 200-level Microbiology student at the University of Nigeria - my Alma Mata. After a brief exchange of greetings, She said, “Brother, one of our lecturers said we should pay N4, 000 each as a condition for passing his course”. “Is the money for handout?” I queried.
“No, he just said we must pay and that whosoever does not pay would fail his course”, She responded.
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I was dumbfounded. How could a lecturer descend so low as to ask students to pay N4,000 just like that? Some lecturers at least give handouts, which are which are plain nonsensical anyway, but at least they use it to justify the money they ask students to pay. But this particular lecturer is so lazy that he cannot even scrap together a handout, however worthless that may be, to shield him. “How many of you did he ask to pay this money?” I ventured. “The entire class, over a hundred students”, she responded. “And how did you write the exam, are you sure you will pass ordinarily?” I persisted. She assured me that if there were no underhand dealings, she would pass the course very well. I told her to forget it and not to pay. I assured her that the lecturer was just trying to intimidate them and that he would not fail them. But it turned out that I had grossly under-estimated the temerity of some crooks, turned lecturers. Two months down the line, she called me again to say that the result has been released and that she failed the course together with all her friends who did not pay the money! The course was GS 201 – Humanities, and the lecturer in question was Mr. Darlington Okoye – aka Anukanka (of the General Studies department, UNN).
I felt a sudden rush of anger, shame and pity wrestling inside of me. It pierced my heart as with an arrow. I wept for my Alma Mata; I wept for the Educational system; I wept for Nigeria. Is this how we are preparing our children for the challenges of the 21st century? What manner of an Educator is this? Humanities? What is humane or remotely decent in this despicable act? What do I tell the little girl I had so confidently told that the Lecturer would not carry out his threat? I thought of the impact of the “F” on her GP. I thought of the psychological effect of a carry over. I blamed myself for not taking a proactive step in advising them to report the matter to the authorities before it got to this level. How many students out there are victims of this manner of treatment? I thought to myself, it’s been a clear ten years since I left the school; maybe I have lost touch; I have become too old school, too puritan to understand. The educational system has changed – sadly to the negative side.
Without any apologies, I loved the University of Nigeria and I still do. There is this sense of pride the institution instills in her undergraduates. The first indigenous University, her students carry a certain pride everywhere they go. You cannot ignore them. I recall our time in the Lagos NYSC orientation camp with glee – the fraternity of the Lions and Lionesses as they are called. Students from other schools actually envy, despise or hate them depending on individual capacity. I was fascinated with so many things about the University. I cherish their motto - To Restore The Dignity of Man. Their philosophy is: To seek truth, Teach truth and Preserve Truth.
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And the alma mata creed is:
• To Seek the Truth
• To Teach the Truth
• To Preserve the Truth and thereby
• To Restore the Dignity of Man
Sources have it that the Great Zik of Africa was intimately involved in crafting the vision and mission of this noble institution. I could also connect with the motive for the vision and mission. Having just come out from the dehumanizing slave trade and the indignities of colonialism, it was quite understandable that the University would pursue the noble objective of restoring the dignity of man. And the citadel of learning set about this onerous task remarkably well. The quality of teaching was good and the environment was equally good.
I recall, with utmost respect, some of the great lecturers I came across in the instruction – Professor Amazigo who thought me Calculus, Professor P.N Okeke (current director of Centre for Basic Space Studies), Professor Animalu, former director of the National Mathematical Centre, Dr. Rabiu. I also remember Dr. Pal – the Indian who had stayed in Nigeria so long that he could speak Igbo even better than I, among others. They were all very fine lecturers and gentlemen who had no time for frivolities and laziness.
To be sure, the University has contributed a fair share of eminent human resources to this country and beyond - the likes of Prof Dora Akunyili, former minister of information; Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo, renowned economist and former CBN governor; Alhaji Lam Adesina, former Oyo state governor; Sir Isaac Adaka Boro, A pioneer Niger Delta activist; Oby Ezekwesili, a world bank president; Mrs. Kemafo Nonyerem Chikwe, Current federal minister; Gov Peter Obi of Anambra state; Ousman Jammeh, former Gambian foreign minister; Dr. Niki Tobi (a former justice of the supreme court), Tunde Lemo, deputy CBN governor – Operations; Godwin Emefiele, GMD Zenith bank to mention but a few.
But it now seems that Nigeria’s foremost citadel of learning has somewhat managed to absorb some mediocre lecturers who are bent on dragging her into infamy. This beautiful bride has been ravaged in recent times by a gang of extortionists who apparently do not share in the vision of the institution; I daresay they do not even know or understand the vision. Anukanka and his criminal gang have embarked on a barefaced robbery of hapless students in some of the worst forms of corrupt impunity. Hitherto, I have heard of students trying to induce lecturers with bribe – in cash or in kind. But I have not heard of lecturers demanding money - not even for some miserable handouts, just for nothing but to award undeserved marks and enrich himself and in the process, victimizing innocent, hardworking students who refuse to compromise on the vision of the university to restore the dignity of man. This is a very despicable act to say the least; it is corruption taken too far. Pray, what credibility would such rogue have before his students? In any case, such indolent lecturer who cannot even prepare and sell handout, has absolutely nothing to offer students?
On a good note however, I salute the courage of the university authorities who acted swiftly and suspended Mr. Anukanka and his gang following petitions against them. This will definitely serve as a deterrent to other opportunists in institutions of learning everywhere. All stakeholders – students, parents, activists, press, etc – are watching and hoping that this complaint will be thoroughly investigated and the culprits brought to book. It will send a clear message to other lecturers that the University is still in pursuit of her noble vision and has no room for shameless mischief makers.
Nevertheless, the authorities have to take it further than this investigation of the lecturers. There must also be justice for the students. In this regard, an independent examiner has to be engaged to re-mark the scripts of those students who were taught by Anukanka and his cohorts. It is pertinent to note that for every student that wrote a petition, there are probably over 10 others who did not. Justice for these students will embolden students to expose such primitive corruption in the future. Unless and until this is done, the revered institution will continue to bleed under the cruel sword of the invading extortionists, intent on eroding her hard earned credibility.
This is litmus test on the resolve of the University to restore the dignity of man and she must disappoint her numerous, proud alumni and admirers worldwide. I enjoin all well-meaning individual and groups to beam a searchlight on this case and ensure that it is brought to o logical conclusion. We must also rise up in eternal vigilance to protect our educational system from fraudsters and corrupt individuals because whatever happens to the system strikes at the very foundation of our quest for a better society for all.
The world is watching!
Jonas Chinedu writes from Lagos.
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