Any big deal on OAU courses dis-accreditation?

Sir: Few days ago, the media, social in particular, was awashed of the sorry-story of the lost accreditation of prestigious courses like Law, Dentistry and two others, at the acclaimed  ‘Africa’s Most beautiful campus’; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife by the National University Commission (NUC).

At first, it came as a huge joke!

My bewildered-self contacted students of ‘Great Ife,’ for the authentication of the news, as at the moment, credible newspapers were yet to report.

The reason is not farfetched; this is Nigeria-where rumour-mongering is the past-time on social media.

‘Mushroom’ news platforms everywhere!

I thought, to expect anything good from a government that is carefree about proper education funding is sheer self-illusory.

In Nigeria, education is obviously underfunded.

An anonymous source, from Faculty of Law, OAU, credited to have explained that the lost accreditation is not a resultant effect of lack of facilities but manpower related. Whose gist?

The jocularity of education in Nigeria has been taken too far. Sad.

Who will tell the government that university students are priceless assets, and are on the threshold of a world of useful service to the nation?

Who? That, toying with their future will be too precarious for the nation to handle.

Is the lost accreditation a big deal? It is no novelty. For the Faculty of Law, the event of 2006 has repeated itself.

21st Century institution indeed. What a ruse!

The budgetary allocation for education is nothing to write home about. Regrettably low.

Terrible. Whereas, UNESCO recommends around 25%-27% of the country’s budget, to be allocated to education reverse is the case in Nigeria.

Students’ unionism that ought to be an avenue for students to demand proper funding of the education by the government, has been proscribed by the managements of most institutions; without exception to the ‘Great Ife’ Students’ Union.

This is obviously a unanimous calculated attempt to silence the union. The few neo-fascist student-activists have always been victimised.

Why? Speaking against the draconic and anti-students’ policies of the school managements and government have  been their ‘crimes.’

The few institutions whose unions have not been proscribed are not near radical, independent, ideological and mass-based.

For those are the attributes of a vibrant students’ union – that can drag the government’s feet to the fire – to make provisions for proper funding of education.

Gone are the glorious days of NANS! Not the award ‘selling’ one.

Don’t get it twisted: It is sheer irresponsibility on the part of the government for one of its highly-revered higher institutions to lose its accreditation due to the ridiculous reason of inadequate staffing. Tell me it’s not.

When we clamour for system change, they ignore us. Truly, we are out of our minds.

Are we contesting that? But, what good has capitalism brought to this wobbling nation?

Tell me. I hope we get well soon. Show me a socialist state that socioeconomic rights, like ‘right to education’ of her citizens are not guaranteed.

Yet, we complain of the failure of socialism. Capitalism has outlived its usefulness, no doubt. Swallow the bitter pill.

History will be told of how students were denied right to qualitative and affordable education due to the recklessness of our ruling class.

Yet, they suck our treasury dry with their ‘outrageous salaries and allowances. Still, they are as useless as the ‘p’ in psychology!

A kaleidoscopic system is desperately needed to save our democracy from this pang. System change is the answer, I repeat.

Should we not be puzzled of how a ‘responsible’ government finds its crumbling educational system lofty? Are we close to Utopia, at all?
Please, does Buhari sleep at night?

‘Yinka Oyesomi is undergraduate Law student and member of Alliance, Nigerian Students’ Against Neo-liberal Attacks (ANSA).