From Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The outgoing Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies of the University of Benin, Professor Felix Ebhodaghe Okieimen, has faulted recent policies of some state governments reducing the number of school days in a week because of the removal of fuel subsidy.
“Why putting education as less important? If health workers must come to work every day why will teachers be told to abandon their pupils for two days of the week?
“It just shows the mindset of the ruling class about the value they placed on education generally. It should be the other way round.”
Professor Okieimen who raised the query while speaking to Journalists at a ceremony organized by his colleagues in the Department of Chemistry of Uniben, to honour him on his retirement, therefore, called on the government to pay more attention to the welfare of teachers, especially Chemistry teachers as done in Germany where teachers are paid higher salaries.
He described Chemistry as the epicentre of everything but lamented that the government is neglecting it.
“Everything revolves around Chemistry. But why is it not occupying the space of opportunities in this country as it is in America? Nigeria is not a knowledge-driven society. We don’t like people with knowledge. Even those that have practically demonstrable knowledge are been messed up by the leadership of this country.
“It appears that this country hates people that have knowledge. Once you’re knowledgeable they bring you down. In Germany, teachers are paid the highest salary. Without teachers, we won’t be where we are. So, why not give them their due respect? Why are teachers relegated to the background? Why are they considered the poverty index of this country?
“We are all beneficiaries of the teachers’ input. They deserve our respect. Teachers in Nigeria should earn high salaries like in Germany. So that the best can teach our children”.
Professor Okieimen, while stressing that Chemistry is the cornerstone of Science, said “God gave the power to recreate to Chemists. They can change one thing to the other”.
He, however, contended 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. 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’s 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 before the pyramid will tumble and fall back to the status quo. They have pushed Chemistry aside”, Okieimen lamented.
He, therefore, canvassed for better funding of universities, saying it is the only solution to the myriad of problems bedeviling tertiary education in the country.