Dr. Omanhe Phillipa Idogho prides herself as the first female rector of the Federal Polytechnic in Auchi, Edo State. True to type her admirers credit her with a lot of firsts. For instance, she is the first rector to break the jinx over the conduct of convocations in the institution. Before her intervention, many graduates of the polytechnic had for decades had graduated without being offered their diploma certificates or statements of result.

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Perhaps, Nigerian universities may be on the way back to the good old days when research and technology were the hallmarks of teaching and learning. The strides made by some universities, including privately owned ones are indications that the nation’s ivory towers are about to rediscover themselves as real citadels of learning and research.

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Foundation for Sound Mind and Crisis Intervention, FOSMACIN, appears to be worried with the poor reading culture among Nigerian youths and some adults. Blessing Isonguyo, president of the organisation told Newsworld that only 13 per cent of candidates who wrote the 2008 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination made five credits including English Language and Mathematics, while two per cent got the same score in the National Examination Council, NECO, organised examination. She said this stimulated the organiation to institute reading clubs in schools in the state.

This obviously is not the best of times for state owned tertiary institutions in Cross River State. The institutions, Cross River State University of Technology, CRUTECH, College of Education at Akamkpa and the College of Agriculture at Obubra, are in serious financial straits. Investigations by Newsworld have shown that both teaching and non-teaching equipment in these institutions are obsolete.

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For about one year now, the Akwa Ibom State University, AKSU, the 34th state university in Nigeria, was alleged to be enmeshed in power crisis. The principal characters in the brawl were said to be the pro-chancellor and chairman of the institution’s governing council, and members of the university senate led by the vice chancellor. The scuffle, Newsworld gathered was that Okon Eminue, an associate professor of political science, who is the pro-chancellor, had been exercising arbitrary powers since becoming the chairman of the governing council.

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Hope seems to be coming  alive again for the Nigerian  educational system with the federal government enthusiastically pledging to improve the sector. The latest assurance came in response to discredit against the system by Nigerians and particularly, members of the academia working in the universities.

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Barely six months after its vice -chancellor, VC, was sacked based on the recommendations of a visitation panel, the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma in Edo State is again engulfed in the trenches of crisis. The VC was removed over his inability to supply needed information about the university’s total population of staff and students, revenue and expenditure profile and liabilities: a move which was viewed by the government as indicative of a corrupt system.

In 1997 when the dethroned Libyan leader, Col. Moummar Ghaddafi, visited Kano, northern Nigeria, his host and late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha had treated him to retinue of armed security personnel on a visit to Friday Muslim Juma’at prayers. Besides the prayer session, which witnessed the full presence of many Muslims in the city, it was regarded as a mark of special privilege for the visitor, and Ghaddafi too felt honoured when he delivered a public lecture.

he Cross River State College of Education was excised from the state University of Technology, CRUTECH in 2008. Since the excision of the institution from the university, the college has not known peace. Academic activities in the college have severally been disrupted due to industrial action by staff of the institution.

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