Lucky Obukohwo Reporting
The outgoing Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies of the University of Benin (Uniben), Professor Felix Ebhodaghe Okieimen, has chided governors in various states that have reduced the working days for teachers to three days, saying their actions show their low value for education.
Truth Live News reports that some states in the federation including Edo State, have reduced their working days to three days to cushion the impact of the subsidy removal that has led to the hike in petroleum pump price
He expressed his resentment while addressing newsmen on the occasion of a party held in the Department of Chemistry, Uniben, by his colleagues to honour him on his retirement.
“Why putting education as less important? If health workers must come to work everyday, why will teachers be told to abandon their pupils for two days of the week? He asked rhetorically.
The university professor is of the opinion that free education in public schools is a fraud considering that the majority of pupils attend private schools.
“If you say you have free education for public schools, for who? For the minority of the pupils? Is that free education? We are not doing education good service by the leadership”, Prof. Okieimen said.
Okieimen further decries the way and manner Chemistry teachers are treated in Nigeria adding that, they should be treated with dignity and should be well remunerated.
” It is only right that teachers, especially Chemistry teachers, should be given their right of place in the scheme of things.
“You want to talk about Nigeria content development. You want to make things in Nigeria and you don’t think Chemistry.
” You’re going to waste time. It’s going to be like a pyramid standing on its apex.
“It is not going to be stable. It is only a short while that pyramid will tumble and fall back to status quo. They have pushed Chemistry aside”, Okieimen lamented.
The Chemistry don while taking a quick one on the recent signing into law the students loan by President Bola Tinubu, he said the loan is going to be a burden on the students in the future.
He said what is the possibility of the students getting a good job to pay off their loans after graduation.
He said the country is still very backward on this loan policy adding that the United States of America’s President, Joe Biden has long written off the debts owed by the students as result of loans taken while still in school for his citizens because he saw it as a major burden on them and Nigeria is just embracing it.
He further advocated for a better funding of universities as it is the only solution to the numerous challenges facing tertiary education in the country.