By Sabi’u Muhammad
One of the imams of the National Mosque, Abuja, Professor Ibrahim Maqari, has criticised and rubbished the conduct and nature of work of Nigerian university lecturers, members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Commenting on the issue of the ongoing ASUU strike, the controversial cleric queried the work of the university lecturers arguing that it does not yield any fruitful results.
In a 2-minute video clip in Hausa that went viral on social media, Maqari boasts, “No one would claim I don’t know university system. If anyone says so, it’s up to him.
“However, I had some knowledge of this position. This position presents several opportunities for disagreements and miscommunication. This work, as we’re calling it, is. In the name of work, what are we doing in the universities? The studies are where? There is no action taken.
“They steal and lie about everything. Each of them plagiarises the work of others. It’s all falsehoods, I assure you (wallahi).”
The retired academic stresses that most of his colleagues only feign carrying out research, but they don’t actually do it. He also laments that they only make an effort to have their papers published just to be promoted.
“It might be claimed, for example, that you are supervising or conducting research. That is false! except for a tiny minority, nothing is being done. They may be acting” (the research). But 80% of them aren’t doing it, which proves that they aren’t doing anything.
“When you see someone performing research, he’s pursuing promotion; therefore, he’d gather the works of his students or joint papers and enhance them to publish as his work merely to be promoted.
“His pen stopped after he was promoted! Did you get the point? How many people, after receiving a professorship, write 100 pages? Visit the universities to confirm! It would surprise you. I’m positive they’re 2/10. After that, 8/10 of researchers leave the field because their primary goal was to advance their careers.
“Like lecturing, it’s tough to find somebody who can complete 10 credit units weekly for a 6-hour course. It’s not much more than that, but I’ve forgotten. We’re down to 4 or 2 credit units, just like you. I took only 4 credit units over around three years.
“Before class, there is no preparation work to be done. It is entirely false. It’s been a 20-year-old handout. There is no investigation. The handout has been ingrained in each student’s memory.
“He has been teaching the same thing for nearly three years, and he is still teaching it now,” he said.
