Dr. David Olaniyi Oyedepo, founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide and Presiding Bishop of the Faith Tabernacle in Ota, Ogun State turns 70 years old today.  The name, David Oyedepo, registers differently in  different people’s minds. To some, he is that controversial and flamboyant prosperity preacher with arrays of vehicles, properties-home and abroad, and  multiples of aircraft. To others, he is seen as a strong voice in Nigeria’s Christian charismatic movement. And to many, Oyedepo, a PhD holder in Human Development from Honolulu University, Hawaii, United States, is a revolutionist especially in Nigeria’s educational system where he championed the establishment of Covenant University, a leading educational institution in Nigeria and Landmark University, in Omu Aran, where a new form of agricultural revolution is being rebirthed in Nigeria.

It is no longer news that Covenant University in barely two decades of existence is ranked above most federal and state universities in Nigeria. It was ranked the 7th best university in Sub-Saharan Africa during the first Times Higher Education Sub-Saharan Africa Rankings 2023. The university has consistently ranked among the best 800-1000 universities in the world between 2019 and 2024, according to Times Higher Education. His impact in the educational sector is not limited to universities alone as the church also runs a network of primary and secondary schools known as Kingdom Heritage Model School and Faith Academy not only in Nigeria but outside its shores.

Yet to many others, Bishop David Oyedepo, who incidentally was born inside the church, although his father, Ibrahim, was a Muslim, but his mother, Dorcas, was a member of  the Holy Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (C&S), is that bold preacher that speaks to power without any iota of intimidation. He got lots of flaks from some quarters for his position on COVID-19 pandemic especially when authorities failed to reopen churches despite the re-opening of other institutions. But his continuous interventions led to the reopening of churches with regulations put in place to curb the spread of the deadly virus. His voice was also loud during the plan of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari to introduce Ruga, a settlement scheme for the Fulani across Nigeria. He spoke against Boko Haram and openly prayed that God would give former President Goodluck Jonathan the heart of a lion to tackle the issue frontally during his administration.

While the above summations and much more could aptly describe Bishop David Oyedepo,  those who really know the  bishop will describe him as a  consummate lover of God and an insatiable hunter for souls. Only real WINNERS – the moniker for members of the Living Faith Church worldwide,  can tell you the extent of his love for God and how he drives them to win souls which according to him is the true proof of the believer’s love for God. He will tell you, “if you love God, you will love what he loves, God so loved the world that he gave his son. Prove your love for him by ensuring that you bring one soul to church next Sunday.’’

To show the extent of his passion for souls, he boldly announced that church members should not bother to give him any gift for his platinum celebration- all he wanted from them was just ‘one soul per person for Christ.’ “Don’t give me gifts, I don’t need them, don’t bother to give me cake, I don’t eat it. Give me souls. Make that your birthday gifts to me. That’s all I want from you,’’ he had announced.  To press this home, a week preceding his birthday was declared,  “A week of Sacrifice For Soul.’’ Trust him, he will always do what he asks the church members to do. So, in fulfilment of his own sacrifice for souls, he still went out a week to his birthday to hunt for souls for Christ and he got 177 souls according to his testimony shared on the pulpit. The bishop still goes on the streets of Ota and environ to hunt for souls for the kingdom. He has his target for every year and he always delivers beyond target.  Thousands of souls in the church today are his direct converts and he nurtures them to remain in the faith as any would like to nurture a new believer. This is a total assignment aside his pastoral roles.

You may think his passion for souls is just an avenue to keep the church growing which ordinarily isn’t even a bad idea if you ask me, but the bishop has always been a consuming lover of God. Imagine this. As a teenager, in less than three months, he singlehandedly built a church in a village where he had gone to work, from the scratch to the finish. He practically led the villagers to Christ one by one. The villagers gave him a bush lamp as a gift and told him that the light he brought to them would shine across the world.  That is exactly what is happening now. The light is shining across the world. The Living Faith Church has its network of churches in 147 countries across the continents. The church has 38,000 house fellowship centres in Lagos alone.

Although his ambition was to be a businessman supporting the works of God,  fate had another assignment for him. You don’t have to be close to the bishop to know that everything about God moves him. He demonstrates this in different ways. I can’t tell the number of churches the bishop and his family have built. Only him and his family would have the details but going by his testimonies, they must be in thousands. These churches are also not necessarily branches of the Living Faith Church- they could be for other denominations.  He is simply a violent kingdom promoter.

To the man whose ministry has been of immense blessing not only to me and my family, but millions of others across the world – to the man who is an epitome of what it means to walk by faith, live by the word and demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit–to the man who has made the Bible as real as ever, teaching and leading by example, to the man, who I am ever proud to call a father in the Lord, and many more, this is wishing you a very happy platinum celebration.

I have been a member of the Living Faith Church for over two decades now and I still wonder where outsiders get this impression that the only thing preached in Winners is prosperity message.  Is Bishop David Oyedepo rich? The answer is a capital Yes. He was named as Nigeria’s wealthiest pastor by Forbes magazine in 2011 with over $150m but the bishop will dispute this figure and tell you that his wealth is underestimated. His point is that he is worth everything in God by redemption. In other words, such wealth is unquantifiable.  Are Winners rich? The answer is also in the affirmative. But does the bishop pursue prosperity? The answer is No. Every living Winner knows the scripture that rules the bishop’s life. It is in Mathew 6:33 which says “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all other things (that men are dying to have) shall be added unto you.’’ I am not sure I have attended any service in  my last over 20 something years in Winners where this scripture is not quoted by the bishop. And by extension, this has become the mantra of every “Winner.’’ It works like fire. Winners don’t pursue after wealth. They simply obey the covenant of prosperity, obey scriptures and God pours His blessings in unimaginable and undeniable ways. Mind you, this wealth is not measured in monetary terms only, they are riches that are all encompassing. In Winners, it doesn’t matter what you do, you will prosper, albeit everyone at their own levels. That is basically the secret behind the wealth of Bishop David Oyedepo and members of the church that are truly committed to his teachings and walk by them.   I have seen and heard countless of testimonies from ordinary church members -testimonies of exploits that are not shared on the pulpit-people doing marvelously well in their chosen fields. The bishop describes such testimonies as though noiseless but undeniable.

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The secrets of men are in their stories. The Bible says if you see a man that is diligent in his work, he will stand  before kings, and not mere men. Bishop David Oyedepo is an epitome of diligence. It is impossible for a man as diligent as him not to be wealthy even if he is a pure water seller. He prepares for every service as if it is his first sermon. He works minimum of 16-18 hours daily. I once attended a vigil where the bishop flew in from outside the country and came straight to the pulpit to preach. He once laid hands on people from morning till evening standing on his feet for more than 10 hours. The bishop is a workaholic if I’m permitted to use that word. He takes his assignment with every sense of commitment and seriousness. He quotes scriptures effortlessly. As editor of the Saturday Punch title, I once asked the bishop during an interview how he was able to do this. Was he cramming the scriptures, I wanted to know. To my dismay, he said, “I don’t read scriptures, I eat them.’’  For those who don’t know, the bishop does not go to bed until he reads certain chapters of scriptures. To him, he does this to cleanse any debris that might have entered him in the course of the day.

Such is the level of his diligence in taking care of himself as well as the congregants. Let me share this interesting story here. My family moved from our previous place of abode in Lagos to another area and we joined the Winners zonal centre in our new area as newcomers. Soon, we interacted with other members and my husband discovered that one of the pastors at the zone was unusually meticulous, organized and of course prosperous. We found out that the pastor, Mike Ewewie, was Bishop Oyedepo’s personal assistant for 17 years.  That is how contagious the bishop’s organizational prowess is. In the Living Faith Church, time is precious. Service starts by 6am. Nobody waits for anyone. And  that has been the order of the church since inception even when they were less than four members in church.

Bishop David Oyedepo is also  bold and audacious. The church planted 10,000 churches during the COVID-19 lockdown. At the beginning of the year, the bishop had announced that God told him that the church would plant 10,000 churches. When the lockdown came unexpectedly, one would have thought that it was impossible for this to happen again. But alas, the church planted 10,400 churches amid lockdown. “We do not do anything unless it is commanded, and whatever He commands, He creates,’’ he always says. That also explains the movement of the church from town to a so-called wilderness now known as Canaan land. And not just that, it was responsible for the audacious declaration of building a 50,000 – seater auditorium within one year—the first of its kind in world history.

Today, Bishop David Oyedepo and by extension, the Living Faith Church is fulfilling prophecy. The things that were told of God and documented more than 40 years ago are seen coming to pass. It is easy to refer to past prophecies  and confirm them  in the present. God spoke about the 50,0000 -capacity auditorium,  ‘aircrafts,’ global connectivity and many other prophecies at the inception of the ministry. It is indeed gratifying seeing these prophecies fulfilled word for word.  The church has four aircraft and those who know how expensive it is to maintain an aircraft will tell you this is no cheap feat.   For those who think the bishop flies around the world in jets, let me shock you. The bishop has not stepped out of Nigeria—not even to Togo or Benin Republic which is very close to Ota—in the last five years. Why? God says so. It is impossible to share all I know about Bishop David Oyedepo. But let me say a little bit about his giving lifestyle. His family started giving scholarships to students in 1992. He doesn’t even know most beneficiaries of his scholarships. In 2016, he gave all first-class graduates of Covenant University scholarships to pursue their Master’s programme. My son was a beneficiary of that slot. We didn’t even know. We had paid his tuition. We got our money refunded. Till date, he has a scholarship fund for the indigent and beneficiaries. They don’t have to be Winners’ members.

To the man whose ministry has been of immense blessing not only to me and my family, but millions of others across the world – to the man who is an epitome of what it means to walk by faith, live by the word and demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit–to the man who has made the Bible as real as ever, teaching and leading by example, to the man, who I am ever proud to call a father in the Lord, and many more, this is wishing you a very happy platinum celebration. Your target is 120. You will live it in health, strength and grace if the Lord tarries in the name of Jesus.

Happy 70th  Birthday,  Bishop David Oyedepo. We love you.

Olabisi Deji-Folutile (PhD) is the publisher of Franktalknow.com and a director at AF24NEWS. Email bisideji@yahoo.co.uk

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Anambra State government on Wednesday set up an eight-member committee of enquiry to investigate the allegation that Mmesoma Ejikeme, a 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate in the state, forged her result. This happened a few hours after the candidate admitted on Channels Television that she indeed got a text message from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) that she scored 249 in the exam.

Mmesoma, a student of Anglican Girls Secondary School in Nnewi, has been a subject of intense debate in the last five days over the claim that she got 362 in this year’s UTME.

Interestingly, this whole controversy is happening weeks after Mmesoma had been celebrated for winning a N3m scholarship with her self-allotted UTME marks without anyone raising an eyebrow because nobody had an idea that it was fake.  She was honoured on the basis of her claim without any confirmation from JAMB, the organisers of UTME. Perhaps, 19-year-old Mmesoma would have also enjoyed her scholarship in peace but for her insistence on being formally recognised by JAMB as the highest scorer in the 2023 UTME.

This notwithstanding, I am concerned about what could have pushed this young girl to do all that she did. Could she be under pressure to live up to some standard set for her in school, by her teachers, parents or others in the society?

According to the Anambra State government, Mmesoma reported JAMB to the state Commissioner for Education  for not recognizing  her as the candidate with the highest score. This prompted the ministry to complain to JAMB  on her behalf only to hear a bombshell that she scored 249 as against the 362 she had claimed to get.  Subsequently, the board issued a statement that the result she was parading was forged. JAMB has since withdrawn her 2023 results and barred her from sitting the exam for the next three years.

Mmesoma however is still insisting that she scored 362. The 19-year-old did a video holding a notification slip purportedly issued by JAMB.  She also asked the public to disregard the allegation against her, stating that it had left her “‘traumatised”.

Meanwhile, JAMB said it stopped using the notification slip presented by Mmesoma in 2021 and challenged any candidate with a similar slip to show it to the world. But on Wednesday morning, the 19-year-old admitted that she indeed received an automated text message from JAMB indicating that her score was 249 but that she saw 362 when she checked through the USSD code.

Despite this confession, Anambra State government still thinks the forged result should be investigated. It says it is not satisfied with the way  JAMB went to social media to describe Mmesoma’s result as fake while an investigation into the matter was still ongoing. Prof. Charles Soludo, the state governor has brought together six professors, one PhD holder and a managing director of the state Information Communication Technology Agency to investigate the matter.

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It is not exactly clear what these professors are expected to investigate as the state government is yet to reveal the committee’s terms of reference. It is also yet to indicate the time frame within which it must submit its report, neither has it told us what it intends to do with its findings.

If you ask me, I would say this is a complete waste of time, energy and taxpayers’ resources. But going by the way the Mmesoma’s issue has taken an ethnic dimension, the people of Anambra may not really care if the entire state resources go into looking for what is not missing.

I mean what is the point in setting up a panel to investigate how a result was forged when different apps used in falsifying results are commonplace online. Would the investigation force JAMB to accept a compromised notification of results as a genuine one? What exactly is Anambra government trying to achieve? I am just curious.

Is this not a straightforward issue?  JAMB is empowered to display scores of candidates in UTME. It has proved beyond reasonable doubt that Mmesoma’s result is 249. It has said that this candidate got this message at least six times through her telephone and she herself has now confirmed this to be true. JAMB has proved that the notification slip being paraded is obsolete and that it belonged to a 2021 candidate whose birth date and names are completely different from Mmesoma’s.

JAMB issues results. It is the only one that can authenticate its result based on whatever security features it relies on.  So, what else is Anambra government investigating? Some people have even gone to the ridiculous level of asking for an Independent Technology Investigation to unearth how this candidate obtained the 362-score result she is parading as if what has happened is so strange in Nigeria’s history of exam malpractice.

For those who care to know, there is absolutely nothing special about Mmesoma’s case. it’s just a case of forgery as many others.  JAMB told us about somebody that neither obtained a form nor sat the exam, yet claimed to score 380. This person also had a notification slip bearing his name, exam centre, registration number and scores. He was also bold enough to tell his clan that he was not getting the due recognition that he deserved from JAMB. The village people also went to JAMB to protest only to find out that he didn’t even obtain the UTME form. Just this March, the Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State identified 27 students that forged their results.  The affected students comprised of both UTME and DE students – 20 of them were from UTME 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018. They were all expelled from the university. So, cases of forgery are not a big deal among UTME candidates. Or does it mean that Mmesoma cannot forge her result simply because she said she is not “capable” of doing so or because she is not an ‘illiterate?’

And for those asking  JAMB to investigate how the girl got her fake result. That shouldn’t be the responsibility of the board.  JAMB should ensure the sanctity of its results. It should make it impossible for candidates to gain admission into Nigeria’s higher institutions using fake results.  JAMB cannot stop candidates from attempting to forge their results through whatever app that is available online. But it ought to make sure that those who use any unscrupulous means to fake their results don’t get away with it. It has succeeded in doing that in this case and honestly, that is enough.

The truth is while no one may categorically declare that JAMB under Professor Ishaq Oloyede as 100 per cent flawless, the fact remains that the board has moved far away from where it used to be especially in its use of  technology to curb exam malpractices.  As far back as September 2021, I wrote an article titled, ‘JAMB under Oloyede and Use of Technology.’’ In that article, I mentioned that the Professor of Islamic Studies had reaffirmed my belief that there was nothing peculiar about Nigeria’s problems – that we only needed courageous, sincere and selfless people in leadership positions to tackle them. JAMB has consistently deployed technology to improve on its exam delivery. The introduction of the National Identification Number (NIN) in 2021 ensures that only real and legitimate candidates register with the Board. This is one of its most innovative  developments so far.

To further check fraud, the Board has banned all third-party interactions on its portal for any of its services. That is why the board could confidently state that Mmesoma’s falsification of her results couldn’t have happened without her knowledge. In today’s JAMB, nobody, including parents or guardians or any proxy, can have access to transact any business on candidate’s profile because fingerprint (or OTP) is required.

JAMB has also put in place measures to detect fake result slips and admission letters. Anybody can download the JAMB QR scanner on their phone, scan everything and use it to verify the security features on documents such as name, registration number, institution/ programme, etc. The QR code has also been provided as replacement to access IBASS and it is printed at the back of the reading text.

JAMB updates its technology to combat  new systems of cheating by its candidates. For example, it has discovered that capturing of fresh facial and finger biometric images of candidates encourages impersonation and substitution of paid examination takers with real candidates and it is working on how to surmount this challenge.

Am I saying, the board is free of challenges? No. Its biggest headache is still the problem of exam malpractice in different forms. It recently listed the role of private school operators aiding and abetting exam malpractice, impersonation and substitution of real candidates by paid exam takers as a major challenge. There is also the problem of fraudulent CBT owners, parents encouraging exam malpractice, mass cheating by syndicates, prolonged investigation and high cost of prosecution of cases.

But in terms of quality assurance, the board has a robust system of verifying every result of candidates in its exam. Before it declares a result as fake, it must have passed through its acid test. There is nothing else to investigate in the fake result slip that Mmesoma is showing to the world.  JAMB has done a good job in discovering the fraudulent attempt to create a fake result. It has also done well in preventing the fraud with its system. JAMB has every right to make a pronouncement on any candidate carrying fake slip. It also has the power to sanction such candidate, according to its laid down rules.

Having said this, it’s important to clarify that Mmesoma is just a reflection  of the decay in the Nigerian society where many political and appointed leaders parade forged documents to gain access to power with impunity.

This notwithstanding, I am concerned about what could have pushed this young girl to do all that she did. Could she be under pressure to live up to some standard set for her in school, by her teachers, parents or others in the society? Or could she just be desperate to get enough marks to get her to the university of her choice? Afterall, a candidate had confessed to JAMB in the past that he inflated his scores because he was under pressure to study Medicine and he needed to falsify his scores to please his father. I think this is what should be investigated. This is a more profitable investigation-better than chasing the shadows.

Having said this, it’s important to clarify that Mmesoma is just a reflection  of the decay in the Nigerian society where many political and appointed leaders parade forged documents to gain access to power with impunity. The idea is that if these ones can get away with it why not us? Honestly, the level of confidence displayed by Mmesoma in plying a lie is alarming. Nigerian leaders need to lead  by example. What future are we building?

*Deji-Folutile (PhD) is the editor-in-chief of franktalknow.com and director at AF24News. Email bisideji@yahoo.co.uk.

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Nigeria’s February 25 presidential election in which a former two-term governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu of the All-Progressives Congress, emerged as the president-elect, may have come and gone. But the lessons from it are likely to linger with us for a long time.

Arguably, one of the most competitive political battles in Nigeria’s history – it is no doubt an election in which the youth, including students, have made their voices heard. In the final results of the tightly contested polls, Tinubu’s vote total of 8,794,726 was just enough to defeat his closest rivals, the People’s Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, who scored 6,984,520 and 6,101,533 respectively.

I love the energy that the youth brought into the keen contest and the  entire voting and collation process.  My friend and editor of the Nigerian Tribune, Lasisi Olagunju paints the picture of the youth participation most succinctly in his article in the aftermath of the election.

In the meantime, the Nigerian youth deserve to savour their latest victory. The democratic revolution has begun and Nigeria shall surely rise again!

His words: It was enthralling seeing students at the Zik Hall of the University of Ibadan turning the positive result of their ‘structure-less’ struggle into a song.

“It was beautiful seeing medical students of the University of Lagos chanting their figures in rhymes of conviction. I saw young men and women on popular Lagos streets counting their votes of rebellion. I saw youths of Lafia in Nasarawa and in Kaduna standing firm to count the little-big blessings of their labour of faith.”

This is the reality in many parts of Nigeria and I can’t help but say kudos to these youth for  finally deciding  to take their destiny into their own hands. They no longer have to tell anyone that they have moved beyond ranting on social media and that they are not just mere noisemakers. Whether some people like to come to terms with it or not, the February 25 election has changed the face of politics in Nigeria. And I dare say that the true champions of this poll are the youth including Nigerian students.

An article on the election published by the University World News quoted some students as confirming the active participation  of Nigerian students  in the election. “I think there was progress in terms of [the number of] people who registered to vote. For the first time in forever, Nigerian youths are getting involved in politics and realising that we can’t let a few people choose who will rule us – not in a country of over 200 million people,” Jessica Fortunes, a Nigerian student who participated actively by voting, told the international medium.

Another student, Blessing Wachukwu, said that, despite questions about the election process, the youth involvement in the election was a noteworthy step in the right direction.

“In this election … the youth were involved and people actually came out to protest and fight for their votes. Their eyes are opened. They are now awakened. Obviously, progress will not just start all of a sudden, but at least people’s eyes are still open,” she explained.

Even President Muhammadu Buhari attested to the  uniqueness and competitiveness of the presidential election. According to him, “Never has the electoral map shifted so drastically in one cycle. In the presidential elections, states in all regions across the nation changed colour. Some amongst you may have noticed my home state amongst them.

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“The winning candidate did not carry his own home state either. That happens during a competitive election. Votes and those that cast them cannot be taken for granted. Each must be earned. Competition is good for our democracy. There is no doubt that people’s decision has been rendered in the results we look at today.”

Perhaps what the President didn’t remember to add is that sitting governors were also randomly defeated in their states.  At least, three of them lost their senatorial bids.  Even, the vice-presidential candidate of the major opposition party, who is also a sitting governor could not deliver his state.  I also read of a candidate that had been in the senate for decades who was defeated by a first timer politician- so many upsets. Many members of the National Assembly could not return to the house.

INEC’s Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) may not have been maximally put into use with the failure to allow for the electronic transmission of results in real time, thus giving room for manipulation. However, the use of BVAS in this election should still be considered  as a major breakthrough.

Regardless of who they supported, the youth were actively involved in mobilising their colleagues, friends and family to register for the elections. They also insisted that the Federal Government  should allow them to vote. One of them, a final year student of the University of Benin, Moses Omoyele, even approached the court seeking an order to compel the Nigerian Government to declare a short vacation across all tertiary institutions to enable students to participate in the elections. The government heeded the call and sent the students home for the election. The enthusiasm of Nigeria’s youth force was evidently on display.

This is the kind of progress we should be celebrating as a nation. A major lesson from this election is that with the right technology, commitment to making technology work and the determination of the citizens and their active participation in the electoral process, Nigerians can truly determine who leads them and make their leaders accountable. One of the problems with the political class before now is their ability to easily rig themselves into power. Since they don’t need the electorate, they don’t feel committed to serving them. But now, the story is changing. Politicians are learning the hard way that they are at the mercy of the electorate.  That is why many of them have been running helter-skelter since the presidential results were announced. They are struggling to curry the favours of the electorate ahead of this Saturday governorship and house of assembly elections. That’s the way it should be.

I was also not surprised that the President-Elect touched on the concerns of the youths in his short speech after he was declared winner. Tinubu said he would pay attention to the demands of tertiary education. He  has also promised to give the university system the autonomy it needs to upgrade its syllabus on its own.

He also assured students that there will be no more strikes in the higher education sector and that lecturers will be provided with everything they need to make life comfortable, promising also, to offer student loans.

Tinubu’s special attention to the youth population may not be unconnected with a major upset in the general election in which he was defeated in Lagos, a state where he had not only governed for eight years (1999-2007), but maintained a stronghold.

Not a few people were shocked that the ‘godfather’ of Lagos State politics was defeated by Peter Obi, described as an outsider and ‘structureless’ candidate. Tinubu has been in control of Lagos State politics for years, the expectation was that it would be hard for Obi to get the 25% in Nigeria’s commercial city. But the LP candidate won in Lagos. If victory in an election is a sign of a candidate’s popularity, the inference is that Obi is more popular than the president-elect, who is fondly referred to as the ‘City Boy’, in his own domain. Yet, a lot of people believe rightly or wrongly that Obi’s feat was as a result of his popularity among the youth population popularly referred to as “Obidients.” This also confirms that the youth have brought themselves into relevance in Nigerian politics.

Having achieved this feat, it is essential that the youth do not relent in making their voice strong and clear.  They should go further by demanding  good governance from elected political officers at all levels.  There is nothing complicated about the Nigerian nation. Our leaders get away with murder because we don’t force them to be accountable.  It is not unusual for political leaders to attempt to trample on their citizens’ rights. This happens even in countries we often describe as civilized but the people are the ones that will resist such moves. It is high time we started civil resistance in Nigeria.  We need a new crop of people that can engage our leaders constructively. Hopefully, the incoming administration will encourage such constructive engagements.

Having achieved this feat, it is essential that the youth do not relent in making their voice strong and clear.  They should go further by demanding  good governance from elected political officers at all levels.

Also, the youth should step up campaign for good education in every part of the country, especially in the northern region where poverty and illiteracy are still being weaponised to keep people in bondage.  Today, the top 10 states with highest out of school children rate in Nigeria are in the north coming in this order- Kebbi – 62.3%; Bauchi – 60.4%; Zamfara – 57.4%; Yobe – 57.3%; Gombe – 56.3%; Sokoto- 51.1%; Borno – 49.3%; Jigawa – 46.2%; Niger – 39%; and Katsina – 33.7%. That is despicable.

Their leaders know that the day these youth become truly politically conscious, being able to differentiate their left hand from the right, resisting to be controlled by some greedy and deceptive politicians – is the day they will be free from every form of self-imposed bondage. So, everyone should be involved in the campaign for their freedom because once they get out of their bondage, they would be free to fight for what duly belongs to them.

In the meantime, the Nigerian youth deserve to savour their latest victory. The democratic revolution has begun and Nigeria shall surely rise again!

*Deji-Folutile (PhD) is the editor in chief of Franktalknow.com and Director at AF24news.com. Email bisideji@yahoo.co.uk

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Talk of the violent taking it by force, that is what the Nigerian students have been doing in the past few weeks. They have taken their destinies in their own hands. Tired of whiling away their lives at home due to the unending impasse between their lecturers and the federal government, these students under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students have hit the streets unleashing untold hardship on road users that cross their paths.

They started on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway before moving to the Ile-Ife/ Oyo axis -blocking movement for many inter-state travellers. It was the turn of Lagos on Monday and I had my own share of the package when the students took over all the routes leading to both the local airport  and the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos. Those of us on that axis that day were reminded of the unsavoury impact of ASUU strike.

This suffering notwithstanding, I would be the last person to blame the students for their action. I can only blame them for acting too late.

This suffering notwithstanding, I would be the last person to blame the students for their action. I can only blame them for acting too late. But better late than never! Now they have succeeded in drawing the public’s attention to their plight and brought the over seven-month strike that has kept them at home to the front burner again.

Honestly, the way Nigerians had been carrying on as if nothing was amiss in the midst of this long strike has been baffling. Now the students have forced the public to remember them by making life uncomfortable for them. That isn’t a bad idea at all. I know some people think NANS should have mobilized the students to Abuja, to disturb the powers that rule the country instead of disturbing little mortals that are equally as helpless as them. I agree but I also know that getting access to those powerful entities is nearly impossible.  Can they go near Aso Villa? They will be crushed! So, it makes a lot of sense for them to choose us the soft targets-the ordinary Nigerians as the recipients of their anger.

This has further reinforced the fact that the ordinary people will always bear the brunt of bad leadership. I only hope that the masses that are being used by political bigwigs now will borrow themselves some brains. Those who think they are rich and having fake sense of security should also remember that when the chips are down, their wealth can fail them.  They may not be rich enough to buy their own highways or walk in the skies in the time of trouble.

The students have told us that blocking of access to public roads and ports is just a warning. Should  government fail to reach an agreement with their lecturers within two weeks, they said Nigerians will witness more protests and rallies.  They also said we will witness their  annoyance, anger, and frustration. May we not be in need of an emergency when these students decide to unleash their anger and annoyance.

Meanwhile, I will advise the students to give the political class a dose of what they are giving the common Nigerians. Perhaps if they are able to prevent political campaigns from holding across the country as they have promised, it could help them to get the required attention that will guarantee their quick return to class. Because right now, the only thing that matters to our politicians is 2023 and how they will seize power. I don’t think they would want anything to disturb that process.

It is unfortunate that Nigeria is not too good at keeping records. Otherwise, we would have known the real cost of this ongoing ASUU strike. The cost is far beyond Naira and Kobo.  Some students must have fallen into depression and they may never get out of it for life. Some could have killed themselves. Obviously, so many have lost focus. I am aware of a medical student at the Obafemi Awolowo University who is now a tailor. It would have been okay if all she wanted was to learn a vocation while the strike lasted, but the problem now is that she is frustrated having lost four years all in the name of wanting to study medicine and she still does not know how and when she would graduate. She stayed home for about two years after her secondary school education because she insisted on studying medicine. She got admission and has so far spent four years and still in 200 level. Almost all her secondary school mates are done with their National Youth Service Scheme. I don’t know how many students are in her shoes. Nigeria may have lost many future surgeons, engineers, lawyers, etc.  to this strike but our leaders don’t care.

There are students that may never get the opportunity to work in certain organisations because they would be too old to be accepted as fresh entrants when they finish school. Many firms set age limit for freshers these days. Others will never have the opportunity of participating in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme because they would have passed the mandatory age of 30 years when they finish schooling.

There are many students who gained admission but were yet to resume before the ASUU strike began.  These ones don’t have a status. They are neither students nor candidates. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has told us that the admission of a total of 1,050,322 Nigerian students into tertiary institutions for the 2021/2022 academic session was suspended due to the ongoing strike.  That was a story that should have generated concerns, but it was treated as one of those things. These students can’t seek transfer to private universities; they have to sit UTME again to be able to do that.

Now, more parents and candidates are losing hope in our public universities. That was how our public primary and secondary schools lost their value. They are now left for the poor. Little wonder, we see children sitting on the floor and using blocks as desks in these schools. Some pupils even kneel down to write. We rarely pay attention to what happens in these schools again. Everybody is struggling to send their children to private schools.  Education at that level has been commercialised.  Quality is compromised. How can a government that cannot guarantee quality in its own schools ensure quality control in the private schools?

READ ALSO: We keep digging the grave of education in Nigeria, By Olabisi Deji-Folutile

In the midst of this, Nigerian leaders know how to make us laugh and forget our sorrow. Take for instance President Muhammadu Buhari speech at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly currently taking place in New York where he was lecturing world leaders  on the pivotal role of education.  Our President was teaching world leaders like Germany, the UK, Sweden, USA and a host of others on how to improve equitable and inclusive access to quality educational opportunities because according to him, no country can develop beyond the capacity of its educational system.

These are countries that are running  superb educational systems from primary to university levels. There is no point reeling out statistics on these countries. Suffice to say that these are the countries that Nigerians are running to for good education.

A friend of mine studying for her PhD in the UK told me that 14,000 Nigerians applied to her school in this 2022/2023 session alone. That is just one school in England. And guess what, it is a public school – a government owned institution. If these people had destroyed their education, would Nigerians be running there paying through their nose – many of them engaging in post-colonial slavery all in the name of accessing good education?

Now that the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) has ordered ASUU to suspend its ongoing strike immediately, it’s obvious that the lecturers may not get anything concrete from these long-wasted months of academic session.

Should ASUU obey the court, the students will still suffer in the long run. ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, has given us an idea of what to expect. According to him, “If the courts force the Nigerian academics to go and teach against their will, it’s just like a court forcing a doctor to treat a patient against his will, how many of us will go to that doctor?” I don’t even think this ASUU will go back to class on the strength of the court ruling.

I think both the federal government and ASUU should find common grounds of agreement while stakeholders work on the general review of the operations of Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions for efficient delivery.

NANS has said that the government should ensure a proper ending to the strike by acceding to the ASUU  demands which it (the government ) willingly entered into with them, and properly fund education.

Truth be told, this court ruling has only complicated things.  Those who think the court order will force the lecturers back to the classroom are mistaken. The union will appeal this court order and subsequent judgements too. Taking the union to court cannot solve the problem.

I think both the federal government and ASUU should find common grounds of agreement while stakeholders work on the general review of the operations of Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions for efficient delivery.  The government cannot run away through the backdoor from the problem it created.

*Olabisi Deji-Folutile (Ph.D.) is the editor in chief of franktalknow.com and Director of Operations at af24news.com. She is also a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. Email bisideji@yahoo.co.uk.

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A lot of people have asked me about my take on the video of the little child, a pupil of Chrisland schools, Lagos involved in a leaked sex video. Ordinarily, that is not a video I would rush to watch because there was nothing glorifying about it.  I reluctantly did after listening to the plea of the pupil’s mother on Twitter for Nigerians’ help.  I needed to have a clear understanding of what the issue was all about. And sincerely, I could barely watch it to the end, because I saw more than what I bargained for. By the way, for those doubting the age of this little child, I have been told by those who should know that she was actually 10 years old as of the time the sexual act was videoed.  Remember, the whole episode took place in Dubai where the elite high school had gone to participate in the World School Games between March 10-13, 2022.  She turned 11 on March 18 five days after the programme.

I have read so many comments, analysis on this matter in the social media, with many blaming either the child, the parents, the school or the society as a whole. This article is not aimed at engaging in any blame game. I know that with the best of parenting, things do go awful. I am also aware that even in mission schools, where the word of God and divine principles are practically forced down the throat of students, some of them still do things that only Satan and his cohorts could possibly contemplate.

Rushing to shut down a school because a parent complained about a situation, to me, is not the best way of handling a problem. You can’t deny hundreds of other pupils the right to learning because of the misdeeds of either the school or a tiny minority of pupils.

As for those blaming the society, as it was in the beginning, so it is and so shall it be. There is nothing new under the sun. The society has never been known to help anyone. In fact, the 21st-century society is at its worst, hostile and at best indifferent regarding child-raising. This is no shock as most of the social media platforms we have today were developed by Dotcom millionaires, who at the time were young, childless adults who never had to consider regulation for the safety of young, innocent and curious children. The internet reeks of oversight. A simple tick of an ’18 and older’ box will give a prepubescent child the keys to pandora’s box.

However, each generation has always had their own fair share of distractions.  On how a child behaves, behavioural experts are apt to tell us that people’s behaviours and actions cannot be viewed in isolation. A lot of factors determine what people do. So, blaming a child without having a full understanding of who she is and what she has gone through in life will not be fair. So, I am staying clear of the blame game.

Having said that, could this case have been better handled? I think Yes. Maybe the mother shouldn’t have gone to the social media to seek Nigerians’ help. That appeared to have exacerbated the whole thing. There are things to bring to public domain via the social media, there are others that require great discretion. In this case, the child’s identity which was at least protected by the school was revealed by the mother’s appearance on Twitter. We have to acknowledge the bitter truth that we live in a hypocritical world. Many people out there are just looking for what will help them ease tension, they don’t really so much care about other people’s pains. Some are just curious. Many derive pleasure from what gives others pain. People often assume that the solution to every issue in this age is to solicit social media attention for spreading awareness. However, as the details of the situation continue to unfold, it seems like the woman’s expectation that social media could be of help in this case may have been a big miscalculation.

It is an unfortunate reality that cases of deviant behaviours will continue to occur in our schools even under the best system of supervision.  The most important thing is to develop a pragmatic way of dealing with them. The government cannot continue to be reactive all the time. Rushing to shut down a school because a parent complained about a situation, to me, is not the best way of handling a problem. You can’t deny hundreds of other pupils the right to learning because of the misdeeds of either the school or a tiny minority of pupils.

What is the government trying to prove?  Why should the innocent, who are in the majority, suffer for the sin of the minority?  In this case, 76 pupils went on a trip and about five of them misbehaved, why should others be denied the right to their education because of that? Each time the government rushes to shut down a school, it denies the majority of pupils who have a right to learn, the opportunity to do so.  The Lagos State government’s penchant for shutting down schools should be checked. I know that government wants to be seen as doing something, but we can’t be doing public relations with students’ lives. The government now runs like a corporation more concerned about protecting their image than solving problems. But every child’s interest should be taken into consideration before a decision is taken. That is why the government must be proactive and put in place a modality for handling problems in schools. For example, there could be a provision that schools enmeshed in difficult controversies would be managed by the government pending the outcome of investigations.

The state could establish a council saddled with the responsibility of performing that responsibility.   Such council could be made up of educationists in the public and private sector – who have a track record of integrity. That way, a seamless process of investigation and punishment is established.

In the same vein, there should be well laid down punishment for erring schools. The sanction could be as stiff as a complete take-over of a school that failed to do the due diligence in caring for the children in their care.

The schools themselves should have proper rules of engagement. Part of the problem is that some of these elitist schools often relax their rules in order to attract students, hence they tend to overlook deviant behaviours or pretend not to know certain things. They tend to naturally want to cover some evils so that they can continue to keep the students in schools. This isn’t strange. Many of them are guided by economic motive. But by the time they know that certain things can end their existence, they are likely to weigh things before covering up for any student.

You can’t outsource this job no matter how much you pay as school fees.  The earlier we all knew this, the better the society we are likely to build.

The government can ban children in primary and secondary schools from operating certain social media accounts – schools can do so too. Such ban would have prevented a situation where a child could run a social media account with thousands of followers. In the case of the unnamed Chrisland pupil, she runs a social media account called “bhadgurl4k (bad girl fuck) that has over 526 videos with over 6,000 followers.  There are schools in this country that have very strict rules and regulations.  Do students obey all these rules – No. But are there consequences if they are caught -Yes. That should be the rule.

No doubt, parents have a role to play in the upbringing of their children. It is unfortunate that sometimes even with the best of input, some children still turn out badly. There are also cases where parents have completely outsourced the training of their children to the school. This won’t work. As a matter of fact, spending time with one’s children is perhaps the greatest and the most difficult aspect of parenting. It’s far more expensive than the money invested in their education. You can’t outsource this job no matter how much you pay as school fees.  The earlier we all knew this, the better the society we are likely to build.

*Deji-Folutile (PhD) is the editor in chief of franktalknow.com and member, Nigerian Guild of Editors. Email: bisideji@yahoo.co.uk

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Initially, I didn’t get what the minister was trying to say-looking for ASUU, why? Until he said ASUU’s decision to embark on strike came abruptly amidst ongoing negotiations. According to him, “ASUU, unfortunately, they have gone on strike and I am looking for them because all the issues are being addressed.”

Well even at that, only the minister knows what he meant by ASUU going on strike “abruptly.” Those of us outside government weren’t taken aback by ASUU simply because the prospect of the strike was something that loomed large. We knew the union gave a three-month notice. As far back as November 17, 2021, the union had told us that it would embark on another strike if the federal government continued to renege on the 2020 agreement with it.

ASUU can go on strike forever, it won’t get all the things the Nigerian government had committed itself to doing.  So, where do we go from here?

Then, the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, had boasted that there would be no strike. He said government would meet the union’s demands. In the same vein, President Muhammadu Buhari promised to fulfil government’s agreement with ASUU. By the time the union declared a work free day on February 7 to sensitise the students and Nigerians about an impending strike, it was obvious that the strike would commence except the Nigerian government was able to pull a magic.

So, the strike is not abrupt in any way. The government had enough time to reach an agreement with the union if it had wanted to. Unfortunately, another long winding academic hiatus has just begun. No one knows when this would end.  ASUU has told us that it is a rollover strike. What this means is that the strike will be rolled over until government meets its demands. Some people have expressed fears that if ASUU’s one-week indefinite strike could paralyse academic activities for nine months in 2020, for how long will the universities be locked with a one-month warning strike. Well, time will tell.

I don’t know how effective this strike would be. I am assuming the results won’t be different from previous exercises. The union went on six months strike in 2013; in 2014, it embarked on a week strike; in 2017, it went on another strike that lasted 36 days; in 2020, it went on a nine-month strike. The list of strike is endless. Yet, the reasons for the actions are still there.

I doubt if government would listen to the lecturers this time around, and if it does, it is likely to sign another agreement that will not be implemented and the lecturers will embark on another strike again. So, the cycle of strikes is likely to continue.

ASUU will tell anyone that cares to listen that reaching agreement with the Federal Government is always a frustrating journey. At the same time, the federal government has said that it is always interested in peaceful resolutions. But, according to education minister, “The federal government is ready to meet them on all issues they have raised and if there are so many meetings and the gap is not closing, then I think it’s not the fault of the government.” Simply put, there are many areas of disagreement between ASUU and government. So what we are likely to continue to see is an unending negotiation with government reneging on agreements from time to time.

I pity the students. It took some of them years to gain admission because of the problem of oversubscription in public universities and other factors like quota system, etc. By the time some of them leave school (those who eventually do, because some may never go back) finding job may be difficult. They would have passed the average age that employers are looking for. Employers often peg their recruitment age at between 25 and 30 for fresh graduates. This complicates issues for them.

Meanwhile, ASUU always refers to a certain 2009 agreement anytime it goes on strike.  It also references another 2001 agreement that gave birth to the 2009 agreement. While I may not be able to provide the details of these agreements here, there are certain recurrent issues in ASUU agitations. These include the demand on the revitalization of public universities, earned academic allowances, funding, autonomy, and of recent, the demand for the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a replacement for the Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system (IPPIS).

Similarly, a copy of the draft agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU in 2009 had as part of its terms of reference the following: To reverse the decay in the university system in order to reposition it for greater responsibilities in national development; to reverse the brain drain, not only by enhancing the remuneration of academic staff but also by disengaging them from encumbrance of a unified civil service wage structure; to restore Nigerian universities through immediate, massive and sustained financial intervention and to ensure genuine university autonomy and academic freedom.

To revitalise public universities, it was agreed that all federal universities require over one trillion Naira, specifically, one trillion, five hundred and eighteen billion, three hundred and thirty one million and five hundred and forty five thousand Naira (N1,518,331,545) between 2009 and 2011 and sustain the intervention continuously. This has been the crux of the matter. The federal government has failed to inject this money into the federal universities. And I doubt if it will ever do. So, sustainability is out of it.

Give it to the ASUU,  the few developments in Nigeria’s higher institutions today are some of the products of its agitations. For instance, the union’s fight led to funding interventions from bodies like TETFUND, which intervenes in the area of research, scholarship and infrastructures in many public institutions. I visited the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro in Ogun State last year and nearly all the new structures on the campus were built by TETFUND. The same thing is happening across the country in public institutions.

 I am also aware that a lot of lecturers are studying abroad while some have finished their studies all on Tetfund scholarships. Intervention in the area of research has also improved over the years though still grossly inadequate.  The only sad part of this story is that many of the people sent abroad to study go back there because the local system keeps frustrating them.  I once gave the example of one of such lecturers in one of my past articles. He had to buy a generator and an interactive white board with his money just to be able to teach the students. He still got frustrated in the process and went back abroad. There are many people like that. I have written about lecturers contributing money to embark on research in our universities. So, the question is, who is the ultimate beneficiary of the so-called scholarship for the few lecturers that are able to benefit from these government interventions -the foreign nations- they not only collect our money as tuition, they also take away our intellectuals. They gained all the way. Who has bewitched Nigeria?

Absolutely, but for ASUU, the decay we see in our university system now would have been much more.  And for those who think Nigerian lecturers are well remunerated, they need to know that the monthly salary of a senior lecturer with a PhD is just around N222,229  per month. The take home is far less. One of Nigeria’s prominent professors with a great deal of exposure and experience once showed me his pay slip. He was on the last step in the professorial cadre having been a full professor for close to 25 years, yet his full salary was around N500000. His take-home was lower than that. How do you want to attract people to teaching in situations like this?

This notwithstanding, I don’t see the Nigerian government performing any magic in terms of  financial interventions in our university system to the level that ASUU is asking for. Apart from the fact that the country is broke, it is spendthrift. ASUU can go on strike forever, it won’t get all the things the Nigerian government had committed itself to doing.  So, where do we go from here? Should we just continue to lament, complain and allow academic activities to be paralysed all the time?

Absolutely, but for ASUU, the decay we see in our university system now would have been much more.

Obviously, we can no longer continue to run a free university system. The earlier we woke up to this reality, the better it would be for all of us. I have made this point before.  If we truly yearn for world class universities, we must be ready to do what it takes to get a world class education. There is no place in the world where university education is cheap. The Nigerian government should either adequately fund our university system or introduce tuition gradually. When parents pay, they will demand more accountability. The universities will be forced to develop a robust governance system that makes for greater accountability and transparency.  Government can make special provisions for the poor and the indigent but to think we could sustain a free university system with the current level of government funding is an illusion.

In doing this, government should take responsibility and stop blackmailing ASUU. Now the FG has said it wanted to introduce N300000 tuition and that ASUU kicked against it. In other words, ASUU is the problem. Remember, the last time, ASUU said government was considering N1m tuition which is ridiculous. A tuition of N300,000  is too much for a start. An average public university has more than 20,000 students. The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, has an estimated population of 36,000, according to Wikipedia, University of Ibadan, 35,000 and Ahmadu Bello University, 32,000. Imagine collecting N300k from each of these students?  That is huge. Start little by little. And as for ASUU, I think it has to soften its hard stand on tuition.  In any case, you can’t dictate to your employer how it should run its business once it fulfils its obligations to you.

The only justification for ASUU strikes over the years is the non-implementation of signed agreements. However, more money in the system via tuition may turn things around. Otherwise, strike continues!

*Olabisi Deji-Folutile (PhD) is the editor in chief, franktalknow.com and member, Nigerian Guild of Editors. Email: bisideji@yahoo.co.uk

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This may not be the best of time for some Nigerian higher institutions. While many of them are still struggling to shore up their poor rating in global rankings to boost their academic reputations, negative reports of atrocities perpetrated by their students are denting their image locally.

Aware of the responsibility to teach character and academics, many of these institutions try as much as possible to push out the bad eggs in their midst from time to time.  However, in spite of their efforts, cases  still abound where students  do things that paint these  institutions in bad light. Unfortunately, they end up suffering the collateral damage caused by their erring students as the public use them as reference points.

Take for example the case of the alleged murder of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, in which 21-year-old Chidinma Adaora Ojukwu, an undergraduate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has been named as the prime suspect.  UNILAG’s image and reputation has been badly affected.  As a product of the university and former student of the department of Mass Communication, I can confirm that many alumni of the university and indeed ex-graduates of the department , where Chidinma is currently at 300 Level, are not finding the story funny at all.

As unfortunate as it is, schools may continue to suffer the repercussions of the bad behaviours of their students, just as parents bear the shame of raising deviants regardless of whatever good investment they might have made into the lives of such children.

Initially when the news broke, many alumni on our Whatsapp groups thought it was just one of those things until they realised that the suspect was not only linked to UNILAG but the Mass Communication department.  At that point, it was like pouring cold water on everyone.  You see, the Yoruba proverb is right after all. It is fun to watch a mad man display in the marketplace, but it becomes a  different ball game when the mad person is one’s child. How I wish we could all learn to show more empathy; this is bound to change our perspectives and reactions to many things.

Anyway, if old students of the school could feel this way, one can only imagine how embarrassed the university authorities would have been with the way the name of the university is being dragged up and down into a murder case.  Little wonder the university vice chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, while succumbing to public pressures to speak on the issue, ended up saying nothing as it were.

The VC on Wednesday confirmed that Chidinma was a student of the university. Perhaps for lack of what to say,  he repeated everything that was already in public domain. He said: “From our records which are available to us, Chidinma Adaora Ojukwu, is a student of the University of Lagos who was born on December 12, 1999.  From our records, she is from Abia State. From our records her contact address is 57, Akinwumi Street, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos.”

We all knew all these facts before now. But then, what could the VC have done in this situation?  The university couldn’t have denied her studentship. After all, the same institution would have celebrated her if she had brought honour to it. Besides, it is too early to make a definite pronouncement on the suspect since the case is still being investigated, her confessions notwithstanding.

Another case that comes to mind this week is that of a student of Lagos State University, Afeez Ogunbowale,   who was on Tuesday sentenced to 21 years’ imprisonment for armed robbery and rape of two fellow students.  In reporting the story, the university image was used for illustration by most online newspapers including franktalknow.com where I am editor-in-chief.

Although not intended, the action of the media further damaged the image of LASU, a university that has been enjoying favourable global academic ranking in recent times.  A well respected professor in the university, who incidentally chaired the disciplinary panel that had recommended the expulsion of Ogunbowale months before the court’s pronouncement, got in touch with me and wondered why the Nigerian media would use the university image to illustrate the story as against  the picture of the convict.

The don surely has a point; but the plain reality is that the media will always use any image  that they think will resonate with the audience to drive home their message. This is sad but that’s how media works. Except a conscious effort is made to project the face of the offender, the image of the victim will remain in the media if the victim is more popular. That is exactly what happened in this instance. Only one medium used the picture of the convict when it was searched on Google and in a situation where people aren’t sure if such image is true or false, they would go for what they are sure of, which in this case,  is LASU image.

As unfortunate as it is, schools may continue to suffer the repercussions of the bad behaviours of their students, just as parents bear the shame of raising deviants regardless of whatever good investment they might have made into the lives of such children.

What is the way out?  Should Nigerian higher institutions start thinking of designing fresh criteria for admitting students aside the usual emphasis on academic performance?  Since they are expected to produce graduates that are worthy in character and learning?  If they do, how can they guarantee that students that meet whatever standard set for character admission will not get out of character afterwards?  These are tough issues really because human beings can be both unpredictable and pretentious.

Ultimately, institutions that care about their reputations would have to be more intentional in choosing students that are allowed to wear their badges.

Unfortunately, with the reality on ground, we are likely to be confronted with more cases of deviant behaviours on our campuses going by the increasing rate of cultism in our primary and secondary schools now. Besides, the culture of bloodletting and violence in the country is becoming unimaginable. There is a high tendency for well-trained students to succumb to pressure from peers and be lured into bad associations if nothing is deliberately done to check the drift.

I guess our higher institutions are still getting by in spite of the image battering they suffer here and there because of Nigeria’s level of underdevelopment. Here, over 1 million candidates sit UTME  every year and  less than 300,000 gain admissions.  The candidates are more than the available spaces, so the institutions don’t have to compete for students unlike universities abroad that have to build strong image and reputation to attract valuable students.

Educational institutions in the developed parts of the world spend huge amount of money on communication campaigns to attract prospective students. In some climes, an institution’s image determines the donations  they get for  research and development.  In this age of internalisation of higher education, Nigerian institutions cannot afford to remain the way they are. They have to adopt a new strategy if they are really interested in attracting foreign students. The foreign content of an institution counts in global ranking.

Ultimately, institutions that care about their reputations would have to be more intentional in choosing students that are allowed to wear their badges.  They may have to begin to look into past criminal records of prospective students and put measures in place to deal with students with criminal tendencies. I know that getting this done in a country like Nigeria where almost everything is politicised and university autonomy exists only on paper, is a tall order.  But school managements may have to find a way around this complex situation going forward.

Nigerian institutions have to take the concept of corporate image more seriously if they truly aspire to be global players.

*Olabisi Deji-Folutile (PhD) is the Editor-in-Chief, Franktalknow.com and member, Nigeria Guild of Editors. Email: bisideji@yahoo.co.uk

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