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Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

A professor of Education in the University of Ilorin, Onimisi Eku Abdullahi, at the weekend expressed concern over the debilitating effects in the menace of cultism, kidnapping, rape, and examination malpractices in the nation’s higher institutions.

Abdullahi said that the development has hindered academic excellence of the students.

The university teacher stated this in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, while delivering his 266th inaugural lecture of the institution with the theme: ‘A Psychological Perspective on the Systemic Inconsistencies in the Nigerian Educational System’.

He said: “Our institutions of learning where high value of training of the youths could have been a pride have been rooted in cultism, kidnapping, rape, examination malpractices, drug abuse and disorientation.

“Hence, our cultural ethos are fast being overtaken by disillusionment as if humanity has left Nigeria.”

The educationist added that: “The indigenous value orientation of hard work, honesty, community investigation, love and fear for the unseen have given way to value of money, comfort, dishonesty, corruption, undesirable value, violence, greed and loss in human value of being African.

“Pathetically, the degree of decadence in our society is particularly grave, debilitating, degenerating, deteriorating and dehumanising with regard to education.”

Abdullahi also said that the national policy in education has continued with the colonial educational policy.

He stated that the policy was based on ‘Able and Willing’, and it ignored the existence of various ancient philosophies devoid of indigenous ideology and there was no accountability to the people.

Abdullahi  added that: “No education policy can be successful in the context of extreme poverty, noting that “the National Policy on Education can be labelled as cosmetic educational policy.

“It seems to be that the introduction of Western education  created a class of distinction between the poor and the rich.

“Even after Independence, the education policy never recognised indigenous values, morality and personality.

“It is, therefore, pertinent to examine whether Western education as packaged by both colonialists and post- Independence educationists was functional or dysfunctional in the face of anticipated national growth and development thus, the systemic inconsistencies in the Nigerian educational system.”

Abdullahi, however, said that there is urgent need to formulate a more functional educational policy that is based on African personality, moral values and ethics.

He also called for training and retraining of teachers across all levels of education, while government at all levels should also support schools adequately in order to achieve quality and standard of education in the country.