Academic Unions A Blessing or A Curse?

Good  and quality Education  is one of the major Rights of  citizens of any country and a major obligation of any government.
For this to be achieved, stakeholders and the Government of Any country  is expected to take seriously all that has to do with Education from funding the sector to formulation and implementation of policies that will bring about a meaningful development of the human resources of that country. It was in the Light of these that The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recommended that 26 percent of the Total Budgetary Allocation of a developing country should be channelled or dedicated to Education so as to make adequate provisions for all aspect of it in terms of proper funding and provision of the basic infrastructure for learning and impacting  knowledge.

Nigeria the most populous Black nation in the World is Blessed with  brilliant and talented citizens that are making useful contributions in different part of the world professionally and otherwise.
Most of These professionals were products of dedicated teachers and lecturers who we now refer to as "Career Teachers" with Teaching as their 'calling'. They steadfastly helped in the proper
implementation of Government policies making sure that the intentions of successive governments are carried out to the last word of it. Teachers were role models; I can remember very clearly as a growing child in primary school how my parents will threaten to report me to my  Teacher whenever they feel I am doing something wrong and their parental correction and chastisement is not yielding the desired result and how quickly I become a 'A good Boy' for the fear of my teacher's Long Cain.
Teachers were our second parents, our mentors, counsellors among other things. Some even became our guardian in the society, I also remember succinctly how  one of my  elder Brothers had to go and  live with The head master of my school because my father so trusted the head master to instill discipline in my brother.   
These roles  these teachers  played without proper remuneration and benefits; it was like a calling which most of the early day Teachers in Nigeria were known for, this Brought about the popular saying in Nigeria " A Teacher's Reward is in Heaven" even though my former Head of Department in the Polytechnic Ibadan Adeyinka Agoro jokingly added "Let the Earth make some advance payment."

The Quality and Standard  of education then have been judged to be better by some school of thought.  Then, emphases were on the collective good of the society not individual gains and Benefits. The Unions then were basically introduce to protect one another in case of necessity and to also serve as a platform to share ideas on how to make the profession better.
In recent times, the standard of education has been adjudged to be falling drastically because emphases is gradually moving  from quality knowledge to grades, as far as you have a good grade the rest is said to be history. The role of parents in this whole scenario is a topic for another day.
Lecturers have abandoned the original obligation of lecturing and impacting knowledge for the sake of personal gains, 'as long as you can pay the price, you have the prize'. Academic grades is no longer based on knowledge but on what one is willing to pact with or pay either in cash or in 'kind'. victimisation is the order of the day. I can remember clearly when a lecturer told a student  in an open Class that " you think you are Brilliant because we said you are brilliant" I did not understand it until much later when some funny things started happening to his  grades against the laws of "natural cause and effect theory". Asking lecturers questions for clarification in class became an herculean task for only a few who are ready to bear the brunt or what my very Good friend Okorodudu will call " the wrath of the gods". In some schools in this country Continuous Assessment  which is supposed to be constant evaluation of the students performance and level of assimilation is now "moneyed" needless to say that some of the female student have to give in kind.



Over the years members of the Academia has attributed the decrease in the academic standard to poor funding of our tertiary institutions, but some questions have not been answered objectively.

Is it funding that brought about money for marks or grades? Oh  it Is funding that is now responsible for a professor with grandchildren compelling a 20 year old girl  to  book for a hotel so that the lecturer or professor can have canal knowledge of her in exchange for marks to avoid unnecessary carry overs or extra years in school due to man made failures? Oh maybe it is poor funding that has turned Vice chancellors, professors and senior lecturers with the right "connection" to  contractors in the execution of most of the substandard structures in these tertiary institution that is far below standard making these institutions unable to access intervention funds due to them simply because of not meeting standard in the previous ones collected. Someone should ask our lecturers that is it funding that makes it almost impossible for an intelligent students to asked Brilliant questions in class without being victimised by the lecturer who feels threatened? Maybe it is funding and provision of infrastructure that will solve the problem of lack of research on the part of the lecturers that has made  it almost impossible for them to write academic books that will add to the knowledge base of Nigerian students.
The incessant  strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU. And their counterpart in the polytechnic ASUP in this Nation on the premise of poor funding, provision of basic infrastructure and poor working condition by its members has done more harm than Good to the already falling standard of education in Nigeria.
Over the years, government's commitment in meeting their demands has not yielded the desired result in terms of the quality of graduates produced year in year out. Permit me to say that these lecturer though not members to any political party are more political in their dealings and negotiations than politicians. It is always a case of my interest first before the collective interest of the country. Students have become negotiating tool for these academic unions. They compare themselves to political office holders in terms of allowance and privileges.

If Nigeria must move forward, we must all work selflessly to strengthen the Nation, strikes, selfish agitation and self centred demands on the government of the day may only give temporary succour that will do more harm than good. Nigeria is ours let's work together to move her  forward. I REST MY CASE