University Management and Staff Unions in Nigeria free essay sample

It also notes that high handedness, arbitrariness and corruption, on the part of university administration, are some of the causes of agitation in the system. It is therefore recommended that Nigerian universities need to be re-orientated in consonance with acceptable democratic and international standards. Appointment of people into Governing Councils must be based on merit and not on political or ethnic affiliation. There is also the need to fund the system effectively, so that the goals of university education can be realized. Staff unions must also show restraint in their demands and agitation.Introduction All over the world, universities are recognized as centers of excellence, where knowledge is not only acquired, but also disseminated to those who require it. They are formal institutions set up by the society to be centers of learning, rich ideas and ideals. In its strict sense, Benjamin (2001 ) is of the opinion that universities are ivory towers, where instruction is given and received without harassment and undue influence from the outside world. We will write a custom essay sample on University Management and Staff Unions in Nigeria or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Thus, the universal idea of the university is a community of scholars, free to pursue knowledge without undue interference from any quarters (Banjo, 2001).In the same vein, Hannah (1998) postulates that universities are enterprises that produce and distribute a public good, which is knowledge. Salter (1983) agreed that knowledge production is the focus of universities and that the production of knowledge has always focused on teaching and research. Also Clarke and Edwards (1980) recognized the high level of respect and trust bestowed on the university system in this way: Universities have since their medieval singings, been founded to preserve the positive heritage of society.They are committed to promote societys corporate well being and advancement by refining the ability of its members to select reasons and understand by enquiring into and seeking to explain the development and function of man as part Of the natural world and by acting as guide and critic in those areas which can be informed by a universitys resources of knowledge and specialized skills. Therefore, the important role, which universities play in the society cannot be ignored. To this effect, Rote and Salesman (1 977), maintained that the university is an institution which advances and diffuses consciousness for the entire society.Its output are critical factors for the maintenance and adaptive structures of the society. Citing the incident of violent ethnic conflict between the Fife and Mandrake communities in Sun State of Nigeria, when one of the countrys biggest universities (Baffin Allow university, Ill-elf) had to harbor and protect thousands of people displaced by the fierce communal fighting, Jump (2001) asserted that universities, especially in Nigeria, have 15 AS-idled Volvo. 3 (1) 15-22 undergone further evolution and have gained significance not only as a centre of freedom and truth, but also as a place of refuge and protection. Specifically, the goals of tertiary education (including university education) in Nigeria are: 1 . Contribute to national development through high level relevant manpower training; 2. Develop and calculate proper values for the survival of the individual and society; 3. Develop the intellectual capability of individuals o understand and appreciate their local and external environments; 4. Acquire both physical and intellectual skills which will enable individual to be saltcellars and useful members of the society; 5. Promote and encourage scholarship and community service; 6. Forge and cement national unity; and 7. Promote national and international understanding and interaction. (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004, Section 45). Section 46 of the same document further asserts that universities (and other tertiary institutions) shall pursue hose goals through among others, teaching; research and development; virile staff development programmed; generation and dissemination of knowledge, to mention a few. However, in spite of the laudable goals and objectives, which universities are expected to perform as enunciated above, the various problems and constraints, which confront them, have practically made it impossible for these objectives to be realized.The university system in Nigeria has witnessed a lot of turbulent experiences. The crisis has been characterized by a combination of chronic under-funding rapidly increasing tuned enrolment, inadequacy of facilities, deterioration of physical infrastructure, a growing culture of arbitrariness and suppression in managing the institutions, demutualizat ion of staff and students, incessant student riots and periodic staff strikes.