The Pro-chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Prof. Ayodeji Omole, on Thursday, said the Nigerian university system is under siege and currently “working in the shadows of death.”

Omole maintained that the university system has been captured and held hostage by many government policies, especially since the advent of the so-called ‘civil rule’.

The professor made these assertions while delivering the 561 inaugural lecture of the University of Ibadan, entitled “working in the shadows of death.”

Omole, a former ASUU chairman, stated that unless something urgent is done to stop government attacks on Nigeria’s educational system, the system will die faster than anticipated.

“More than ever before, the Nigeria University system is under siege and therefore ‘Working in the shadows of death. If nothing drastic is done to stop the various attacks from the government and its agencies, the system will die faster than anticipated,” Omole said.

“The University system is captured and has been held hostage by many government policies, especially since the advent of the so-called ‘civil rule.”

He took a swipe at various civilian administrations who he said foisted anti-intellectual policies on the education system in the country.

According to the Professor of Forest Engineering, “Treasury Single Account (TSA) and Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS). IPPIS is a mismatch with the university work structure.

“It is incompatible with the academic calendar, and a clear violation of the University Act. Therefore, it is illegal. Only in Nigeria is the data-base of scholars surrendered to foreign agencies in the name of cutting costs.

“The effects of which are threatening the very existence of the University system in Nigeria today, because it is now impossible for Universities to recruit even cleaners.”

According to the University Don, “the proposed imposition of Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard (CCMAS) by the National Universities Commission (NUC) is another policy that will kill Nigerian Universities, faster than expected”.

While expressing sadness that the University of Ibadan Senate also caved in from its stance on the CCMAS introduction, Omole lamented that the rigid standardization will limit universities’ ability to innovate and design programmes to meet societal needs; because local content and flavour are ignored.

As a former ASUU Chairman at the University of Ibadan, Omole who appreciated the efforts of the union and its quest for enhancing qualitative public education for children of the masses in Nigeria, noted that “every financial gain the university system has been able to make is as a result of the struggles of ASUU”.

He challenged Nigerian academics to “criticize policies that are inimical to national development” saying that “scholars worthy of the description should be vocal in their resistance to foreign exploitation, through the imposition of neo-liberal policies.”

To ensure sustainable development, Professor Omole harped on the need “for government and other stakeholders to ensure fair and adequate compensation for all workers, fostering a motivated workforce that is fully engaged in the pursuit of national progress.

“Slave wages severely undermine the commitment of workers to national development and have broad, damaging effects on a country’s economic, social, and political fabric.

“Underfunding in Nigerian universities has led to a range of problems that affect the quality of education, research, and overall institutional performance.

“This has manifested in the form of deterioration of infrastructure, poor facilities, brain drain/loss of talent, labour/student unrest, erosion of university autonomy, low morale among staff, and decline in global ranking and reputation.

“These affect productivity, commitment, and willingness to engage in advanced research or innovative teaching methods.”