ASUU Strike: Govt needs to be more proactive, says UNAD VC

Concluding part of our interview with: Prof Dipo Kolawole, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ado Ekiti. He narrates the challenges he is facing, and what he is doing to confront them. The interview was conducted IFEDAYO SAYO. Excerpts: What efforts are you making to ensure that all courses in the university are accredited?

We have 44 fully accredited programmes, six interim and two denied ones. People don't always understand this. I think what made that so is the fact that our Law programme was denied accreditation and we have written that we want them (National Universities Commission) to come back to examine our Law programme. I went to look at the root cause, the things we didn't have, we want to get them ready before they come.

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There is this issue of dearth of academic staff in some courses offered in the university. What are you doing to attract good hands to the university?

Let me say this: the location of our university does not help us in terms of manpower. I must acknowledge that. When I came here in 1983, I knew what I wanted. I thought of developing this place, but not many people feel that way, and that constitutes a problem to us. Our problem areas like Engineering, Law and Management Sciences, we have been doing all we can to attract good hands. For example, as at the time our Law programme was denied accreditation, there was no single person with a Ph.D there. But now, there are two Ph.D holders. Besides, just last week, I approved the appointment of a Reader from the University of Jos and two professors - all the three of them are Ph.D holders, and we are going to get some people from Ife to join.

In the Management Sciences, we have just got somebody with a Ph.D in Business Administration, who is coming to join at the higher level of that department. In Engineering, we have some people that we have brought in to deepen the manpower of that place. So, we are doing all things to attract, recruit, in fact lure people to come here.

Most Vice Chancellors often talk about legacy they intend to leave behind at the end of their tenure. What will yours be?

I want to leave a university that is far, far better than what I met. I'm aware that this university has had two previous vice chancellors who made an impressive impact on the university too. I also want to improve on what they did, therefore, I'm targeting history. History is very important to me. We are going to transform in terms of physical environment, transportation, in terms of human resources, because human resource is very, very important. For instance, we have promoted many of our staff. Those who were felt stagnated before have been moved up and they are now in the higher ranking of the system, contributing to our reform agenda.

Let's talk about the crisis in the university system at the moment. What implication will the agitation by ASUU and other unions have on the university system?

Unless government itself tries to be pro-active, by having a built-in mechanism for resolving some of the issues, the problem will continue. In other words, if there is an increment today, there must be an agreement when the next increment would be, and at what percentage. The system must have its own built-in mechanism. In Britain, you don't hear that, because they want to improve in the university system, they are going on strike before government reacts. In USA, you don't hear that. In France, you don't hear that. Why is it difficult for us to initiate what is good elsewhere? So, these dysfunctional factors, I think is on the part of government to do something about it.

For example, the ongoing crisis began with the 2001 FGN/ASUU agreement. Couldn't the issues have been resolved since that time? Could the various administrations since then have been making mistakes that are not resolving it? Now, you look at the destruction taking place, and then the fire brigade approach. It doesn't even give room for proper planning, it doesn't even give the impression of seriousness and I think these things government needs to do.

I want to believe that, if the crises are resolved, the universities are likely to be better off and be more stable.

But there are fears that, whatever the outcome of the current negotiation turns out to be, in terms of welfare, the state universities may not be able to cope in terms of funding.

Well, I don't want to preempt, but the universities in Nigeria are organic. So, whatever happens to the one at the center will affect others, because the danger is that, if you don't do it at the state level, people would move away. There is a higher level of opportunities elsewhere, coupled and a high level of mobility for those who want to go away. The number of universities is increasing everyday, the private universities are snatching people and therefore, you may have a federal or a state university that does not have any staff to dispense knowledge

So, whatever happens at the center, the state governments would have to go out of their way to look for funds. A university is a capital-intensive enterprise, so you don't embark on it unless you have projected that you can cope with its demands. It's not a child's play. You must looks at its implications

Recently, you were elected the chairman of the Peace and Security Committee of the African Union's ECOSSOC. What is the assignment given to this committee of yours?

Well, the assignment is very simple. ECOSSOC (Economic Socio and Cultural Council) of the African Union has 10 standing committees, one of which is on peace and security. The whole lesson is that, and that is why it's considered the most important, for whatever you want to do, you can only do it under a condition of peace and security, to be able to meet the demands of its people.

At a micro level of our own nation Nigeria, we need peace to be secured and we need security to have peace. Therefore, you can take that at a micro level of the continent. Every country in the African continent needs peace and security. But more importantly, there are some countries in the African continent that are in dire need of peace and security.

And therefore what the EXCOSSOC peace and security would do is to look at these five points and offer professional guidance, and advice for our heads of states on how these problems could be combated. And that is easy for us because we relate to the civil societies, we know what is happening at the grassroots. We do not approach issues as government to government, it must be person to person.

If you look at the African continent, from 1980 to now, there have been 28 flashpoints. And that is why, you find out whether in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and even in Nigeria, you can see problems that need to be looked into. If you look at Nigeria for example, economy now is getting worse because of the problem in the Niger Delta. It seems to me that if the Niger Delta issue is solved, then you can get more secured. Anybody who wants to go to Niger Delta now knows in his or her heart that anything could happen.

So, we look at the problem areas and advise the African leaders. But let me say this to you: one thing that occurs to me, is that some of these problems are products of lack of good governance. If you have good governance, if you are anticipatory and responsive and recapture to the yearnings and demands of the citizenry, you are likely to tie them to your government and once you tie them to your government, then you are likely to have peace and security.

I want to believe that many African countries or African leaders have not engaged in good governance.