The Government Secretary of the Tertiary Training Belief Fund, Arc. Sonny Echono has advocated for a course of devoid of undue political interference and monetary affect within the collection of college management in an effort to obtain high quality governance and academic progress in Nigeria.
The TETFund boss famous that regardless of the structural framework for appointing College Vice-Chancellors, the choice course of is commonly marred by extraneous points, together with politicisation, corruption, ethnic and non secular bias, an absence of inclusiveness, and transparency.
Echono acknowledged this whereas delivering a Lecture on the Affect of Management Choice on Governance in Public Universities in Nigeria, being the thirty sixth Convocation Lecture of the Federal College of Know-how, FUTO, Owerri, held on the College on Thursday.
He mentioned, “Our universities have develop into more and more native with majority educational and non-academic workers sponsored by native politicians and different leaders from the host communities. Political affiliation has additionally assumed overarching significance within the choice technique of college management.”
He additional mentioned that the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee’s (INEC) involvement of college leaders within the conduct of elections has develop into counter productive, stressing that such has inspired politicians to sponsor candidates for the place of Vice-Chancellor, “in anticipation of returning the favour both to them or their most popular candidates to varied electoral places of work.”
Echono additionally canvassed for autonomy and sufficient funding of the general public universities in an effort to minimise undue exterior affect, saying, “Extreme interference lessens institutional flexibility which is important to enhance effectivity and productiveness.”
He added that whereas authorities funding and public accountability are important to the efficient operations of a college, extreme management can stifle innovation, restrict responsiveness to altering wants, and erode the very rules of upper training that public universities are supposed to uphold.
He mentioned, “Putting the fitting steadiness between authorities oversight and College autonomy is essential for the success of public universities because it promotes educational freedom, fosters innovation, and ensures the long-term vitality of those establishments.”
“As a lot as potential, universities must be insulated from political actions corresponding to Vice-Chancellors serving as returning officers in elections.
“Our universities ought to promote variety in management by encouraging and supporting the illustration of ladies, minorities, and people from numerous backgrounds in college management positions. Using a merit-based choice course of will foster gender equality and social justice.”
