Teacher of teachers retires by Yemi Olus

Until his retirement last week, Remi Anifowose was head of the department of Political Science, University of Lagos. He started teaching at the University from September 24, 1973 on his return to Nigeria with a doctorate degree from Manchester University.

In this interview with NEXT, he speaks about the standard of education and the qualities of Nigerian lecturers. Below is an excerpt of the interview.

His decision to work at the University

All my life I've always loved teaching and I have been a teacher for 50 years.

I entered the University of Ibadan in 1966 and got a degree in Political Science in June 1969. In September, I went abroad for my postgraduate studies under the sponsorship of the Ford Foundation. I came back in 1973 and since then I have been here. This is even though in 1972, I got an appointment with Shell BP while I was in Britain.

Shortly after I got that offer, a friend who called me to say that the University of Lagos' Vice Chancellor was trying to recruit lecturers. He asked me if I was interested in meeting him and I said "Yes". So I was given an appointment to see the VC. He asked what my plans were; I told him I wanted to teach.

A few days later, I got a temporary letter of appointment pending my return to Nigeria. So, I had two appointments: I could join the Shell BP or come back to Nigeria to teach and I opted for teaching. But again, I remember that teaching, especially in the university, was still a prestigious job then. People wanted to become lecturers.

The present status of teaching

Shortly before I came back, I was told about the predicament of lecturers. Then the military were in power. ASUU was on strike and the military government was asking them to pack out of their quarters, threatening to sack all of them if the strike was not called off. Shortly after that was the Udoji Commission, which also tried to erase the prestige and uniqueness of working in the university.

There were a lot of allowances that were paid exclusively to the lecturers. The prestige accorded them was eroded. This led to the eventual brain drain. We also know the budget for universities has decreased. Even the facilities are not sufficient; the laboratories are not well equipped for the sciences. What we find, as a result of this, is that lecturers became disillusioned and powerless. This forced many of us out of the system.

On the perceived fall in the standards of education

I entered the University of Ibadan in 1966. Upon reflection, those days were the golden age of good education in Nigeria. All the facilities were there, the lecturers were there. I stayed in a hall and I stayed in one room throughout the three years I spent in Ibadan.

We had university workers to clean our rooms, change the beddings. We ate free and superb food. So tell me, which student coming from a hamlet who was lucky to be in that environment would not make the best of it. We had university scholarships. I was a beneficiary. Now, all this has stopped.

The quality of lecturers now

Well, these days you find that those who come into teaching do so as a last resort. They are not committed, they are not dedicated. Even if they are dedicated, the environment they have found themselves in has a bearing. This environment is not conducive for teaching and research. What they are paid is not enough for their upkeep. You hear of lecturers selling hand-outs and collecting money from students, violating the university's regulations. This has serious consequences on the quality of education.

The relevance of his book on political violence to the Nigerian system

The idea of working on political violence came to me in 1969 when I got to Britain. I registered for my M.Sc in Political Science.

As part of the requirements, you had to write a desertification and my supervisor then, the late Professor Dudley and one Professor Davies Austin who had been in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania; they were familiar with what happened in Nigeria during the first republic.

They said to me: "Why don't you try to look at the violence that disrupted the much contested elections? Why do people rebel and resort to violence"? I said "Okay, I will do so". Then at the PhD level, my supervisor told me that the previous project I had worked on was good. He then said, "Why don't you extend it to your PhD? Do a comparative study of outbreaks of violence in politics. I readily agreed.

I came to Nigeria and did a serious tour. I went to Kaduna, Makurdi, Katsina then Lagos; I was in different parts of Western Nigeria. I met different categories of people. I met the politicians, I met chiefs, talked to the market women, students, and thugs and from my experience, and I knew why people participate in political violence.

The leaders of these acts are the politicians in search for political power. With power you have everything. Nigerian politicians see politics as a do or die affair. They know what this power can bring to them. They go into violence because they want this power at all cost. This is the secret to political violence in Nigeria.

It has been like that since the first and second republic till now, So, I'm not surprised at what is happening in Ekiti State. It is still the same desperation for power that is at work, by both contest-ants.

Maintaining the work/home balance

Once you are married to a university lecturer, you have to be understanding because he needs to make his mark and spends considerable number of hours in his office.

My wife knows that once I'm not at home, I'm usually in the office. Because of that mutual understanding, there has been no palaver. I have been married since 1976 and I have 12 grandchildren now. My wife retired as a public servant working in the Ministry of Education in Lagos.

Generally I thank God.