Recently, I saw a group of five students  analyzing the on-going strike action embarked
upon by the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) lecturers
against the re-appointment of Professor Barineme Fakae as the University’s Vice
Chancellor. From the argument, two of the students were in support of the
strike, two were against it, while the remaining one was neutral,

The first two took
side with the government. From their perspective, the State Governor, Rt Hon
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, as visitor to the institution, has every right to
re-appoint Prof. Fakae, for a second term.

Their reason is simple. At no other time had there been
such  improvement in both infrastructure
and academics in RSUST as it was during Fakae’s first tenure as Acting VC. The
closest to it, according to them, was when the school was elevated from the
status of College of Science and Technology in 1979.

Since then, the institution has remained a shadow of itself,
with the infrastructures taking a gradual but steady nosedive, until Fakae came
to the university’s rescue in 2009.

The present infrastructural and academic rejuvenation, the
safety learning environment and the relative absence of cult activities are key
points they used to buttress their argument. They also mentioned the
accreditation of all the faculties in the institution by the National
University Commission (NUC), and the 19th position of the institution among
other universities in the country as a great achievement, compared with the
school’s distant 76th position before Fakae assumed office.

On the other hand, the two pro-strike students argued that
Fakae was only able to record the current infrastructural development because
no other VC in the  history of the school
had had the kind of financial allocation he got from the State government in
the last three years.

According to them, whatever achievements Fakae recorded was
the result of what they christened “full cooperation” of the State governor.
Their main grouse, however, is the way Fakae has turned the institution into a
family business, to the point that “virtually all the contracts” are awarded to
members of his family.

The cited the supply of diesel and the school’s Information
Communication Technology (ICT) system which produces such items as the scratch
cards students use to register and check their results, as examples.

The “lone ranger” among them, argued from a neutral and
unbiased perspective. To him, both arguments lacked objectivity and do not take
into cognizance the interest of the students.

This is the crux of the matter, as far as I am concerned.
And that should be the concern of anybody who means well for the corporate
image of the school.

Both parties who are for or against Fakae’s re-appointment
may have their points, but the two warring factions should know that rancour
would hardly yeild any good fruit.

In other words, it is not only the development of the
school’s infrastructure, nor who becomes the Vice chancellor, but also the
academic potentials of the students that should be the determining factors of
academic success of any institution.

It is from this light that any critical mind should question
the on-going examinations in the RSUST in the face of the lingering strike by
lecturers of the institution.

Since last Monday, students in the institution have started
their examinations. The question is, how can students write examinations when
their lecturers are still on strike? Who conduct the examinations and who would
assess the performances of these students?

How qualified would the students be in their various fields
when they finally graduated especially when they had not covered some essential
courses due to their lecturers strike? What then, will the National University
Community (NUC) and the rest of the academic
community think of the school’s products?

Going by this new development, it is obvious that both the
government  and lecturers are prepared to
stick to their guns. This is unfair to students.

I expect both the striking students and the school
authorities to take a middle  course for
the sake of the students and the school they claim to be fighting to reposition
for better academics.

While the government
may be required to overlook some of the excesses of the lecturers, the
lecturers too should also adopt a new method of registering their grievances in
a way that would not affect the academic career of the students. For the sake
of the students, the two warring factions should reach a compromise.