‘Buhari should seek services of sociologists to overcome challenges’

Some university teachers have enjoined President Muhammadu Buhari to consult the services of sociologists to tackle the enormous social disorders threatening the peace and unity of the country.

The lecturers also suggested that the government must endeavour to fully utilise research findings from the academia and make judicious use of its recommendations in its policy direction and decisions

Associate Professor and Head, Department of Sociology, University of Lagos, Dr. Olufunlayo Bammeke made the suggestion while briefing on the activities for the celebration of the golden jubilee of the department recently, said this will help the administration to overcome many of the problems confronting it.

Bammeke stated that all the societal challenges confronting the nation falls under the sociological domain, and experts have carried out series of research on the root causes and have prescribed solutions to the challenges.

In the same vein, another Associate Professor of Sociology, Ndukaeze Nwabueze, said until people in governance begin to judiciously use research findings and prescriptions, the societal challenges may persist. He also called for introduction of sociology as a subject in secondary schools.

According to Bammeke, “Sociologists have a lot to offer this nation, in terms of ideas and knowledge; proffering solutions to developmental challenges we are facing. All the development crises facing Nigeria, the kidnapping, terrorism, corruption, ethno-religious conflicts and other divisive factors, fall under the sociological domain.

“Our ideas and solutions are not just abstract, these are ideas that are coming out of research that experts have conducted. We have colleagues who have done a lot of research on Boko Haram issue for example, telling us that this is coming much more from what the British had started. So when they are talking about education, it is not just that they are against education but against anything that has western values and so on, and there is a history behind all of that agitation.

She continued, “If you look at the issue of the South-South and the Niger Delta, also there is a history behind it. And if you look at it sociologically, you find that there is a problem coming from within the communities and people feeling marginalised. So, a lot of research approach can be shared with government, a lot of ideas can be shared which will be offered to the society.

“So government and policy makers should adopt our research findings as policy direction and all the recommendations and actually use it, not jettisoning it when it comes to taking decisions. The gap between the academia and the policy makers should be bridged. The research findings should guide their policy directions.”