By Abasi Ita
A former Vice Chancellor of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufe Alike, Ikwo, Ebonyi State, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba, has urged the Academic Staff Union of Universities to prevent lecturers from undertaking election related duties for the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Nwajiuba said Nigerian universities should not be deployed as operational centres for elections, stressing that such responsibilities fall outside their academic mandate.
He spoke on Tuesday at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, during a valedictory lecture organised in honour of the institution’s outgoing Vice Chancellor, Prof. Maduebibisi Iwe. The lecture was titled “The Crimson’s Comb and the Contemporary Nigerian University.”
According to him, the university is a global institution established to promote teaching, learning and research, and should not be drawn into assignments that distract from its core objectives.
He maintained that ASUU has a responsibility to protect the integrity of the university system by discouraging members from accepting election duties.
Nwajiuba also expressed concern over what he described as a steady decline in educational standards. He cited cases where some lecturers and graduates struggle to communicate effectively in English, and questioned the quality of certain inaugural lectures delivered in recent times.
He called for the introduction of structured language enhancement programmes for students and lecturers who need support in written and spoken communication.
The former vice chancellor further advocated an increase in merit based admissions into universities to at least 70 per cent, arguing that current policies disadvantage some states and weaken academic standards.
While noting that Nigerians have recorded remarkable success in creative industries such as video production and dance, he urged universities to prioritise scholarship and intellectual development.
Despite the challenges confronting the sector, Nwajiuba expressed confidence that the Nigerian university system can regain its strength if stakeholders recommit to its foundational principles and protect it from external pressures.