03:40
Emmanuel Shebbs
Dr. James Okpiliya is a member of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) Governing Council, a member of the UNICAL Senate and a Lecturer in the Department of English and Literary Studies. Shortly after the expiration of his tenure as the Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Okpiliya was appointed as the Director Centre for Educational Services (CES). In this interview with Gift Adah of Campus Light, the don spoke about the much debated issue of sale of textbooks in universities arguing that it should not be compulsory.
CL: What has been your experience since you achieved this height as the Director of CES?
Dr. Opkiliya: I was Chairman of ASUU before I came over here. I have been used to dealing with people that are more mature than I and with different psychology from the students. I think this new job is just a carryover experience. I deal more with students here and little with staff. I work with students and their leaders to ensure that they are comfortable, to ensure that the mission and vision of the University about them are fully actualized. I have learnt a lot since I came here because life is all about lessons. I have learnt that one needs patience to deal with students. The students call me frequently. When they flash me, I would call back even without knowing who is flashing. When they send me call me messages, I would call, whether I know them or not. It is a lovely experience and of course a new lesson for me.
CL: Can you see any difference between CES students and regular students?
Dr. Opkiliya: Significantly, there is no difference between the CES and the regular students. The only difference is that while the regular students go for youth service, the CES students don’t. Another addendum there is that the CES students pay tuition while the regular students don’t. There is no other difference. The course contents are the same; they use same textbooks and are taught by same lecturers. They use same classrooms and libraries.
CL: Why are CES students not given the opportunity to participate in youth service regardless of the huge sum of money they pay and the time they spend in school?
Dr. Opkiliya: Fine. This argument has been on for a long time. We have pushed it forward to the NYSC and the National Assembly. You know that NYSC is a creation of law. There is a law establishing it. There are certain things that are contained in that law. So, unless those contents are repealed and new inclusions made, there is nothing we can do about it. The law doesn’t cater for the part time programs that are run within the country. Before now, no one ever imagined that younger people will go into part time program. But because of the quest for certificate and the slim quota universities have, students now resort to part time programs.
CL: What is your office doing about it?
Dr. Opkiliya: Well, before I became the director, I was the Deputy Director under Prof. Eze Bassey who was then the chairman of association of Directors of consultancy programs in Nigeria. Since then, we have been pushing this issue of youth service. I am worried because as the Director I want my students to be comfortable in the program they have enrolled for; I want to encourage more people to run the program, thus, raising the IGR level of the university. I want to prove my mettle. If we eventually achieve youth service mobilisation for CES students, we will end up having more influx of students in this program. We want the students to join us in this fight. We are pushing for exclusion certificate but it is not a part of the law. We are trying. It pains me sincerely that these young ones are not allowed to serve their father’s land.
CL: Here, in the campus, the answer scripts of CES students have ‘CES’ inscription boldly written on them which is not applicable to regular students. Why is it so?
Dr. Opkiliya: There are two different sets of students. There is nothing strange there. It is for administrative purposes. It doesn’t affect the marking and grading systems.
CL: If you go to IPPA, IOC and IOE which have higher concentration of CES students, you will find out that there are a lot of practices there which call for questions such are sale of textbooks. What is your opinion about textbook marketing in universities?
Dr. Opkiliya: Good. If you are a farmer you cannot go to farm without your tools. If you are a human being you must eat. If you are student, you must read books. Those books must be relevant to the program and the course you are doing. There is nothing wrong about sale of textbooks in the universities but it is wrong to force them on students. Textbooks are not compulsory. If books are recommended by the department, there should be a benchmark to the cost at which those books are sold. I have told students in all those places that if there are practices which they are not comfortable with, it is their duty to report them to me. They can put the complains on a piece of paper, list the names of those involved and pass under my door. Don’t write you names on it. Make it anonymous and I will surely investigate act on it.
CL: Do you have any advice for the students?
Dr. Opkiliya: The students should read their books and make their parents proud. This is not a time for them to freelance and move about. They should shun unethical practises and be focused.
CL: What has been your experience since you achieved this height as the Director of CES?
Dr. Opkiliya: I was Chairman of ASUU before I came over here. I have been used to dealing with people that are more mature than I and with different psychology from the students. I think this new job is just a carryover experience. I deal more with students here and little with staff. I work with students and their leaders to ensure that they are comfortable, to ensure that the mission and vision of the University about them are fully actualized. I have learnt a lot since I came here because life is all about lessons. I have learnt that one needs patience to deal with students. The students call me frequently. When they flash me, I would call back even without knowing who is flashing. When they send me call me messages, I would call, whether I know them or not. It is a lovely experience and of course a new lesson for me.
CL: Can you see any difference between CES students and regular students?
Dr. Opkiliya: Significantly, there is no difference between the CES and the regular students. The only difference is that while the regular students go for youth service, the CES students don’t. Another addendum there is that the CES students pay tuition while the regular students don’t. There is no other difference. The course contents are the same; they use same textbooks and are taught by same lecturers. They use same classrooms and libraries.
CL: Why are CES students not given the opportunity to participate in youth service regardless of the huge sum of money they pay and the time they spend in school?
Dr. Opkiliya: Fine. This argument has been on for a long time. We have pushed it forward to the NYSC and the National Assembly. You know that NYSC is a creation of law. There is a law establishing it. There are certain things that are contained in that law. So, unless those contents are repealed and new inclusions made, there is nothing we can do about it. The law doesn’t cater for the part time programs that are run within the country. Before now, no one ever imagined that younger people will go into part time program. But because of the quest for certificate and the slim quota universities have, students now resort to part time programs.
CL: What is your office doing about it?
Dr. Opkiliya: Well, before I became the director, I was the Deputy Director under Prof. Eze Bassey who was then the chairman of association of Directors of consultancy programs in Nigeria. Since then, we have been pushing this issue of youth service. I am worried because as the Director I want my students to be comfortable in the program they have enrolled for; I want to encourage more people to run the program, thus, raising the IGR level of the university. I want to prove my mettle. If we eventually achieve youth service mobilisation for CES students, we will end up having more influx of students in this program. We want the students to join us in this fight. We are pushing for exclusion certificate but it is not a part of the law. We are trying. It pains me sincerely that these young ones are not allowed to serve their father’s land.
CL: Here, in the campus, the answer scripts of CES students have ‘CES’ inscription boldly written on them which is not applicable to regular students. Why is it so?
Dr. Opkiliya: There are two different sets of students. There is nothing strange there. It is for administrative purposes. It doesn’t affect the marking and grading systems.
CL: If you go to IPPA, IOC and IOE which have higher concentration of CES students, you will find out that there are a lot of practices there which call for questions such are sale of textbooks. What is your opinion about textbook marketing in universities?
Dr. Opkiliya: Good. If you are a farmer you cannot go to farm without your tools. If you are a human being you must eat. If you are student, you must read books. Those books must be relevant to the program and the course you are doing. There is nothing wrong about sale of textbooks in the universities but it is wrong to force them on students. Textbooks are not compulsory. If books are recommended by the department, there should be a benchmark to the cost at which those books are sold. I have told students in all those places that if there are practices which they are not comfortable with, it is their duty to report them to me. They can put the complains on a piece of paper, list the names of those involved and pass under my door. Don’t write you names on it. Make it anonymous and I will surely investigate act on it.
CL: Do you have any advice for the students?
Dr. Opkiliya: The students should read their books and make their parents proud. This is not a time for them to freelance and move about. They should shun unethical practises and be focused.
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