A Professor of Neuro Biochemistry of the University of Benin, Edo State, Prof Emmanuel A.C. Nwanze has urged the Federal Government to constitute a committee that will prepare an appropriate blue print for restoring global and international standards in all the segments of the nation’s education.
Nwanze made the call while delivering the 30th Convocation Lecture of the Rivers State University (RSU), Port Harcourt on the topic: “Mandatory Must Dos for World-class Education at the university’s Amphitheatre in Port Harcourt, last Friday.
He also said that for our education sector to attain world class status, government at all levels must avoid flip flopping in education policy, politicisation of education, proliferation in education centres as well as the need to increase the existing capacity management, among others.
He averred that the massive rot and corruption in the larger society has planted its big foot in the nation’s Ivory tower, adding that there was urgent need to return of the mentors and mentees schemes in the country especially in the education system.
According to him, democratising the university governance, sanitising the admission process, reeducation of campus violence, enhancing examination/teaching ethics as well as providing an enabling and conducive environment for effective educational system were some of the mandatory antidotes that university managers must employ for the system to be revamped.
“This is the true meaning of bonding between the Ivory tower and the society at large. I cannot come to terms with the University of Benin being adjudged a front-runner in that competition whilst lynchings are still reported in the society. It must mean that the ivory in us has its downstream impact on the society around us”, he said.
The former vice chancellor of the University of Benin opined that corruption in the country could be eradicated if adequate and concerted efforts can be made toward improving the standard of education in the country and added that attention be given to the younger generation through effective education system.
“The corruption we are crying about has left the older folks and concentrated on how to equip the younger ones through qualitative education, then, we will win the war against corruption”, he added.
He urged various university managements in the country to strive to always involve their students union leadership in the management of their various institutions adding that it was the best way to curb crises and to attain stability in the school.
Also speaking, the chairman of the convocation lecture and former governor of Rivers State, Sir Celestine Omehia noted that education playssignificant roles in the development of any society and nation at large.
He commended the guest lecturer for his brilliant and thought- provoking lecture which dwelt on things that must be done for the revamping of the nation’s educational system and added that efforts should be made to advance the crèche, nursery, primary and secondary schools which he said were the foundations of every education.
In his own speech, the Vice Chancellor of RSU, Prof Blessing Chimezie Didia said the lecture would be beneficial for effective university management.