The immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has declared that no Nigerian university, especially the public-owned, can afford the new electricity tariffs charged by the electricity distribution companies.
He said most universities including UNILAG, which he described as the best in Nigeria, even found it very difficult to pay the previous charges which were far lower than the current charges, which he said had blown off the roof.
Ogundipe shared this thought and insights on Wednesday at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), where he delivered a Heroes Day and valedictory lecture organised by the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) of the branch to honour the retired members and the outgoing VC of the university, Prof Lawal Bilbis.
He spoke on the topic, “University Governance and Traditions in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Prospects.”
According to Ogundipe, the high electricity tariffs have become one of the major challenges faced by Nigerian universities today and something must be done fast to change the narrative.
Making reference, he said in 2021 alone, the electricity bill of UNILAG rose to N1.7 billion annually while the entire Federal Government’s subvention to the university which was not even released in full, was N150 million.
He noted that since that period, the electricity bill of UNILAG has been rising by the day, and now to around N250 million monthly as of last month.
He asked rhetorically how would any university in the country be able to pay such a huge amount when the primary role of a university is to produce knowledge in the form of high-level manpower for the economy and not to generate income.
He said some people even had the habit of blaming university communities for their inability to generate their own independent power plants so as to reduce such financial burden but without them thinking about where the money for such projects would come from.
According to him, building a power plant is not as easy as many people may think because such a project requires lots of money which will be difficult for any public university to raise.
He declared that the monthly salary of a professor of long standing in public universities is around N500,000, while that of a VC is about N800,000.
He asked rhetorically where would the university then get money to finance the power plant, saying it is the responsibility of the government to take up such a role and also to invest in research works of academia.
Ogundipe, however, thanked ASUU for inviting him to deliver the lecture and commended same for its consistent struggles to bring genuine development to the public university education in the country, saying he is a proud member of the union even while he was in office as a vice-chancellor.
According to him, I’m a proud member of ASUU and I say so anywhere I go. Ogundipe, who is a multiple-award-winning scholar and researcher, said he particularly commended the UDUS-ASUU for deeming it fit to celebrate the veteran members including the VC.
He said it is very rare for ASUU to do such, urging them at the national and other levels to make the celebration of distinguished members a culture and also to always talk about their cutting-edge research works.
He said it is not enough to criticise and condemn people but also to celebrate those who perform well.
He said the office of VC of a public university in Nigeria, for example, is not an easy task as it requires great sacrifice, commitment and focus.
He said it was not long after he became the VC of UNILAG that he started having grey hairs, suggesting a national honour for any successful Nigerian VC.
Reminiscing on when he was accused of sharp practice while in office by the then Dr Wale Babalakin-led governing council, he said the attack was not actually on his person but on Nigeria’s university system through him.
“But I thank the Almighty God that my accuser didn’t succeed and I appreciate everyone who stood by me including this outgoing VC, Prof Bilbis.
“That time, Prof Bilbis would call me and say I should not worry that ‘that man’ would not succeed.
“I was alleged of stealing N1.3 billion and we all know how the university system operates. How could a single individual and in a public university in Nigeria for that matter have stolen such an amount of money from the university purse and that university will still stand and be stronger by the day?”
Ogundipe, however, commended the outgoing UDUS VC for the huge sacrifice he made in transforming the university to the high level it is today despite general challenges in the country.
While highlighting other problems faced by Nigerian public universities, ranging from acute shortage of funds to poor leadership, inadequate equipment and physical facilities, excess enrolment, dearth of academic personnel; and incessant industrial actions and insecurity of recent, Ogundipe pointed out that poor funding and insecurity are most disturbing challenges at the moment.
He, however, offered some recommendations that could help tackle the challenges if well taken and more of these rest on the government, and then on the private sector and the universities management themselves.
He said Nigerian universities are really doing a lot in their tripartite mandates of teaching, research and community services but can do better if adequate attention is paid to them, especially by the government.
Giving a remark at the event held on sight and visually, the President of ASUU, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, congratulated all the honorees including the outgoing VC whom he described as a great scholar and administrator.
He said it is not in the tradition of ASUU to celebrate any of the management staff of universities let alone a person of a vice-chancellor.
“But the union at this branch chose to celebrate the outgoing VC because he did well and he is known for academic ideals, like ASUU,” he stressed.
Osodeke, represented by the Sokoto Zone coordinator of ASUU, Prof Abubakar Sabo, explained that it is not that ASUU likes to embark on industrial actions but does so for the sake of academic ideals and quality public university education in the country.
He fumed at the proliferation of universities without appropriate funding, saying such practice is not towards genuine university development in the country.
He, however, urged ASUU’s members of the branch to continue to stand by the truth and always speak in one voice.
According to him, it is through our collective resolve that we can defend our university system.
The high point of the event was the heroes awards conferred on some of the retired members of ASUU of the institution for their strong support and commitment to the union’s ideals while in the service of the university.
They include Prof Yusuf Saidu, Prof Emeritus Hamidu Ahmed, Prof Saadiya Omar, Prof Yahaya Muhammad, Prof Abdulganiyu Ayodele, Dr Aliyu Alhaji, Prof Nuhu Yaqub, Prof Abubakar Tsoho, Prof Sulaiman Musa, Prof Muhammad Muhammad, Prof Abdulganiyu Adebowale, Prof Atiku Ahmad, Prof Mohammed Mode, Prof Mohammad Mustapha, Prof Mohammed Danyaro, Dr Auwal Abdulnasir, Malam Ibrahim Shehu, Abdullahi Aitek.
Meanwhile, some have died among them.
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