The Nigerian Senate, on Wednesday 19, January 2012 approved 70 years as retirement age for university professors, as it passed the bill for an Act to harmonise the retirement age of academic staff of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
The 70 years retirement age is not exclusive for only university professors, but Professors who are lecturers at Polytechnics and colleges of education are to retire at seventy years also.
However, the retirement age of other academic staff below the rank of professor and non-academic staff in Nigeria Higher Institution is 65 years or 35 years of public service.
The Act to harmonise the retirement age of academic staff of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education fixed 65 years as the retirement age.
In Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, the Act to harmonise the retirement age of academic staffs in higher institution as passed by the senate seems to be violated.
Over the years, Mapaites have been on loggerhead with the management of her Institution to replace some old lecturers who are not capable of proper lecturing at various departments, but, it seems their right of education and freedom of speech are denied.
A great philosopher, Albert Einstein has said, education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. If the words of Einstein were true, then education should be a powerful tool to change the world.
By implications, in an ideal higher institution, all academic staffs should be plain with their students.
A student is the one who learned through formal education and put into practice what he had learnt. But in the case of MAPOLY, students cannot boost of quality education among her mates in other institution.
Investigations have revealed that, some lecturers at various departments are due for retirement. In other words, their lecturing abilities are not encouraging, thereby causing anguish among the innocent students who learned in hardship.
Einstein might have said, education is the best legacies any individual can dream about, but he knew that education is not just about teaching or lecturing at the four walls of classroom, it is about how to derive the knowledge and the manners of practicing what one has acquired. No institution in Nigeria, average of the class would fail a course if the lecturer is competent.
For Mapaites to move forward, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic must be one of the leading Institutions, if not the leading. It means that, the management must be good to her students so as to be good to outsiders.
Above all, Mapaites are aggrieved; they have been complaining, murmuring, soliloquizing and agitating for change of lecturers who are not capable to teach the course assigned to them in some departments.
Course such as, Statistics at the Department of Mass communication in Higher National Diploma level (HND1) and other departments need immediate attention.
If the management wants good image of the institution to be portrayed to both internal and external publics, then, they must find quick solutions to the aggrieved students agitating for change of lecturers before it is too late.
If you believe you have facts and information to share with us in relevance to MAPOLY development. Don’t hesitate to call the Following Numbers; 09085606835, 08088439061 or email ojuroungbesodiq@gmail.com
