Lecturer/student relationship in Nigeria

In my Alma-mater, during my undergraduate days, I had a good relationship with one of my lecturers; the relationship was so good that we were very close. He guided and gave me good pieces of advice that I consider him my mentor. An incident occurred that made me change my views about him which goes […]

In my Alma-mater, during my undergraduate days, I had a good relationship with one of my lecturers; the relationship was so good that we were very close. He guided and gave me good pieces of advice that I consider him my mentor.

An incident occurred that made me change my views about him which goes thus: One day after saying our zuhur prayers, he stayed outside the mosque chatting with one of his friends as usual and coincidently, I met them there but out of courtesy I stayed back and allowed them to finish their discussion. In the process of waiting I couldn’t help overhearing their conversation. One of his friends was telling him that he passed by him in the morning (by 9am) giving lectures and my mentor cut in and said, “No, it was not lectures; it was a snap-test I conducted and I dealt with them (his students) mercilessly.” They both burst out laughing and then my mentor realized my presence, my surprise and quickly changed into another topic. I later asked him, “Mallam (the name I use to address him) is that how you treat us?” He answered me that: “You see, nowadays students do not read their books and lecturers have to devise ways of imparting knowledge into them, it’s not that I am being heartless to you.”

Something almost similar happened to my friend and if not for Allah’s intervention he wouldn’t have graduated this year (2010/2011) as his supervisor, who happened to be a woman and graduated from his department with a third-class degree, boldly told him that she would personally see that he does not graduate that year.

Another one who was made an Imam (leader) in his home town pompously and harshly told us that, “I can do whatever I like in this university and nobody can question me or stop me.”

I was supposed to graduate with second class-upper degree but my department reduced five marks out of our scores in the name of moderation which brought me down to second class-lower. What a catastrophe! I thank God at least that I have not failed in any of my courses.

Another tribulation is faced by my fellow sisters, because they are the most affected group in this malicious act as they are always being intimidated due to either their natural weaknesses or financial inadequacy. Male lecturers use that as an advantage to ruin them instead of improving them spiritually and materially. An episode happened to my sister when her supervisor threatened not to approve chapter 4 of her project unless she accepts to sleep with him. She was actually lucky as she was rescued by the school authority after they asked her to agree to his evil demand and with the aid of school and hotel security he was apprehended in shame.

If not because of the barbaric attitudes of Nigerians, how could a lecturer who ought to be a counselor turn out to be horrible and mean to his students?  From my observations, some of them tend to scare students out of strategy to distance them from asking questions they can’t answer. Indeed, few of them are really nice, friendly and extremely good in lecturing but strict in their policies as if it’s a revelation from the Creator. I once heard a lecturer say that he rather give you his car than give you one mark even if it’s only that mark you need to pass ( amazingly, the car was a Mercedes 200).

Lastly, I will like to add that students need to be hardworking, honest and dedicated to their studies, while lecturers on the other hand should show leniency to their students and approach their job with dedication as it is one of the most respected jobs in the world.

Al’amin wrote from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto