HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY IN HIGHER INSTITUTON
High institutions in Nigeria and education in general, of late have suffered a lot of
setback , the reputation of our colleges and universities have been brought to the lowest
ape due to the conflict that have continued to escalate between lecturers and students
which mainly revolves around the issue of sex for marks, extortion of money for
upgrade of marks and outright sale of grades and degrees, collecting money from people
who never attended lectures or even participated in any form University education. This
has resulted to graduates from Nigeria Universities least respected around the world, to
the extent that some institutions abroad do not even accept some graduates from certain
institutions in the country to further their studies.
It is an abnormal, on the practical side as we noticed that, the consequence of this had
continue to fuel the hydra headed monster called cultism in the universities where
outright hand twisting are employed and bribery are explored as a way of graduating
people who do not merit such. Before now, high institutions especially universities
around the world are known to be places where the best of brains are trained for the
development of their nation and the world at large. Now our country high instutions
have been seen as a place of grooming corrupt practices amongst youths.
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YORDEL Africa a non-governmental organization for the past twenty six years having
worked to give directions, create opportunities, restore values, empower the youths to
guarantee their future. Our goal in YORDEL, in education sector, have been to assist
the government look at the gaps that exist and how to bring back the glory of learning,
education and knowledge in Nigeria. To enhance the lives of our students to improve
our national development and to make our student acceptable worldwide and our
graduates employable as global candidates and world class staffs.
To achieve this, there is need to redress the image of the universities and higher
institutions in Nigeria. This is the duty every university and higher institutions should
see upon her own self to redeem her image and restore confidence in the learning and
administrations of such institutions.
YORDEL Africa by this project proposes to work with various universities and
institutions to fashion out ways that are general and peculiar to each institution and how
best we can work to restore this and build a better image of higher instutions across the
country. We would like to meet with your institution at its own invitation to form a
partnership and start a process of rebuilding this lost hope in our various instutions.
One other hand an institution that has suffered this image destruction and has become
difficult to restore, because early steps or actions were not taken to restore dignity is
‘The Nigeria police’. We all see the corrupt practices that is happening today in law
enforcement agencies, we do not want this to repeat on our educational sectors, hence
the need for urgent attention on this matter.
It is also important that as we work on this, YORDEL will stand as an advocate and
human right defender for lecturers in institutions who are wrongly accused or intimated
by students. We hope to work with your institutions and its lecturers to ensure that
proper justice are obtained and that such manipulation shall stop.
On the other hand, where it is also found out, that lecturers are the ones who intimate
students to extort money or for sex as exchange for learning and marks, YORDEL will
stand as their defence and work with such students to ensure that such intimation is not
sustained. This has become very paramount because there is a written conspiracy that
once a student complains about such treatment. There is a gang up that makes it near
impossible for such student to graduate. It is that effect that cries to the highest heaven
that someone is beaten and you said that person should not cry. YORDEL will stand
with such student under our human right advocacy program to ensure that justice is
done.
We therefore request to your university to develop a committee that can work with us
in this so that we can restore the image of the university, the dignity of learning and
quality of the output of your institution we can be reached for further discuss and
clarification if need be.
Thank you!
The Executive Director,
Grace Ozioko.