Ambrose Alli University and the question of autonomy

by

James Oghene

It was Bob Marley who made the point that 'when the rain falls, it does not fall on one man's house, remember that!' First, it was the students of the University of Benin, misinformed about what university autonomy is all about, that went on a rampage, disrupted traffic flow along the Lagos - Benin highway and ended up in the Edo State Government House. I had expected the Governor of Edo State reprimand them on their very unwise modus operandi. But that was not the case. The governor listened attentively to the mundane brouhaha of the students and assured them that he was going "to send their message to the appropriate quarters." Probably, to the Honourable Minister of Education, Professor Tunde Adeniran, who knows very well the enormous benefits of university autonomy, academic freedom and intellectual competition. Since I have nothing against the governor, I only shook my head in disappointment. Even if they had a case, which they don't have, over this autonomy issue. The students union could have quietly driven to the governor and made their case rather than the mayhem they caused all and sundry on that fateful day. We must make our youths to inculcate civilised behaviour in the scheme of things. It is for our collective good towards an improved society.

There is no doubt in anybody's mind that our universities are in a state of decay. Especially with the pathetic living conditions of the students and the scarcity of facilities including current books and sound academic staff, the mission of the university being teaching research and public service. Of Course, there can be no progress in a state of anarchy. And so the university of Benin authorities promptly closed down the university only to resume recently with examinations. I cannot recall an uninterrupted academic session in most tertiary institutions in Nigeria, except in recent times, the University of Lagos. God bless Omotola Jelili, the Korean escapade notwithstanding. You see, the students who want to attend Unilag quadrupled in the current ongoing admissions, So parents and students don't want to attend institutions that are crises ridden. Is it not true for the students and authorities to understand that they must avoid crises in order not to earn the stigma of the university of 'wahala'? Management has to do with flexibility, give and take, diplomacy and practical political skills. You have to be fair but firm. Well, the Ambrose Ali University of which the governor is a visitor went on rampage about a month after that of Uniben, stealing a whole trailer load of Coca-cola products. The universities, it seems have lost out on the ethical side of education. Obviously, you do not join a church today and hope to be the pastor tomorrow. Government must return primary and secondary schoo1s back to the missions in order to improve the ethical side of education by putting a little conscience in our youths. The governors shouId send a bill to their respective legislative houses to enact a law to that effect as a matter of urgency. It could start from a senatorial district on experimental basis and you would be amazed how many parents will want their children there than the present public schools where little education is taking place.

 Well, the Edo governor, when it comes to Ambrose Ali University has no appropriate quarters to report to as the buck stops in his office. So the governor got annoyed this time around and ordered the immediate closure of the university as a result of total breakdown of law and order. The Benin zone of ASUU which includes my chapter did not take kindly to the governor's directive and reminded the governor that such order was a breach of university autonomy. Aha! Autonomy, I can see Dr. Attahiru Jega, who fought so hard for university autonomy smiling at last. So nobody is afraid of university autonomy after all! So why don't we join hands with the Ibadan professor of Political Science, our current Minister of Education and make university autonomy a reality. 

Then, every university will carry her own cross like Jelili did so beautifully for Unilag. In any case, that is what true federalism, decentralisation and healthy competition are all about, A panel has been set up to investigate the break down of law and order with an eight-point terms of reference which a very vital but most neglected item - the sources and uses of funds. The panel will be amazed at the enormous internally generated revenues not properly accounted for in terms of 'users' of funds in most of our universities with perhaps the exception, once again, of Jelili's Unilag. 

With constant disruption of studies in our universities, we should be worried about the kind of products we are turning out because even Adam Smith as a student of Political Economy claimed that: " an instructed and intelligent people are always so more decent and orderly than an ignorant and stupid one...they are more disposed to examine and more capable of seeing through the interested complaints of factions and sedition and they are upon this account, less apt to be misled into any wanton or unnecessary apposition to the measure of the government" (Smith 1937, P 941).

Now you can see where the problem of our students lies. Autonomy has more to do with academic freedom, true federalism, intellectual competition among the universities or firms in the tertiary educational industry. The governor of Edo State is very angry over the behaviour of his state university and rightly so but we plead that he should temper justice with mercy especially when the students, a silent majority, has shown some remorse and apologised publicly.

James Oghene wrote in from the Department of Business Administration, Delta State University, Abraka.