The General Overseer, Dominion Chapel International Churches, Abuja and the National Vice-President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (FCT branch), Bishop John Praise, has said that corruption among lecturers in Nigerian universities will not cease so long as government continues to pay them poorly.
He therefore called on government to assist in arresting the trend of strikes by workers' unions in the universities by paying the lecturers wages commensurate with their colleagues in developed nations.
The Bishop spoke with THE PUNCH in Abuja after being conferred with the award of “Most Outstanding Peace Initiative Bishop” from the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students.
He said, “Definitely, strikes are not necessary and government must do everything within its powers to ensure that ASUU, NASU and all others don't go on strike by paying them what they desire. Can you believe that some professors do not have a good car to ride whereas members of the National Assembly are collecting millions of naira as allowances?
“That is why corruption is going on in our universities; students have to buy results and certificates because of poor remuneration of lecturers. The lecturers sell handouts and look for other odd means of survival. That trend must stop if the academic standard of our universities must be raised.”
According to him, the future of Nigeria belongs to the 40 million Nigerian students “who are the younger generations that will take over from the present generation.”
Praise stated that children need a very good foundation for their education to be appropriate and well articulated.
