‘This Is Not Normal’ – Reps Decry Mass Exit Of University Lecturers

Sunnex Egbu

6 hours ago

The House of Representatives Committee on University Education has raised alarm over the mass exodus of lecturers and some non-teaching staff members from the nation’s universities, with no replacements.

Naijaonpoint reports that the outcry follows the committee’s oversight visit to the universities in the South East region.

Speaking on the development, the chairman of the committee, Hon. Abubakar Hassan Fulata, stated that it is dangerous to have lecturers exiting the system through retirement or death without any effort to fill the resulting gap.

He cited the example of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, where the school’s authorities confirmed that over 3,000 teaching and non-teaching staff members had left the service since 2019, either due to retirement or death, and there were no replacements for the vacant positions.

According to Fulata, the Committee on University Education and the 10th House of Representatives were determined to improve the standard of education in the country, which is the reason for the oversight visit to ascertain the actual condition of the universities.

Fulata also urged the management of universities in the country to ensure they comply with federal character principles in appointments and staff recruitment.

He noted that, based on observation, many universities did not comply with federal character principles, urging both old and new universities to correct the anomalies.

He said, “I think it is not normal to see lecturers and even members of non-academic staff leaving the university system by retirement, death or whichever way without replacement.

“It is also not healthy for the university system to have about 3000 leaving the system and only have permission to recruit just about 500 people.

“It is my humble appeal to the governing councils of the universities, Federal Ministry of Education and other relevant government bodies to ensure our university system is working smoothly by ensuring there is no undue vacancies.”