Haruna Mohammed Salisu
The above titled news article written by a colleague of mine and classmate Hammed Adeagbo which was published on the pages of Daily Trust Newspapers and another one titled BUK Development; Reality or mirage published on universalreporters by the same author is not only inaccurate and misleading but baseless and unfounded allegations from an ill-informed and pseudo-intellectual student looking for cheap popularity.
It is not my wish to join issues with my classmates especially the writer who is a closed friend and whom we have been roommates just last academic session. But our silence on these damning and devastating allegation on the whole of BUK and its prolific crop of intellectuals means two things: on one hand, it means the writer has spoken on behalf of all students of the institution, therefore his opinion could be regarded as reflection of views of the entire students; and on the other hand the issues raised are true, all of which is the opposite.
But let me begin by engaging the writer on the issue of low “students –lecturer interaction”.
Although the writer wrote about BUK which is a very large institution, I will only reflect on mass communication department which I know best.
The relationship and level of interactivity between students and their lecturers in this department is not only mutual, academically inclined and vibrant, but also personal and beyond academic boundaries to include apprentice-mentor and father child like relationships.
There is no gainsaying the fact that some lecturers’ offices are turned to common rooms by students. There are very many examples to cite, but two will suffice here.
Professor Abdullah Uba Adamu, the doubled- barrel Professor and Professor Umaru Pate are highly respected academic moguls in the department, Nigeria and beyond. Students have turned the offices of the duos into their second lecture theatres if not their homes. And I have never for once heard of any case where students were asked to leave because the lecturers are tired of their proliferation into their offices.
While delivering lectures, the duos not only make their lectures interesting and lively for students but also accommodating and tolerating opposing views and opinion from students.
And this is ostensibly applicable to all the lecturers. In fact if truth be told, it is the students in most cases that appear unwilling to talk or contribute during these interactions including the writer.
How many times has the writer contributed meaningfully to academic discourse in the class and at what point was he denied to do that?
What kind of interaction is the writer talking about and at what point were students restricted to contribute in class?
I challenge the writer to name the department or point out specific instances where students were denied the opportunity to either ask questions or make contribution in class including criticism or critiquing of lectures.
Let me be unequivocal here, most of our lecturers are on social networks, our level of interactivity is not only during class lectures but also online. In fact we have a lecturer who visits students in their hostels and spent hours chatting with them. What better phrase should we use to qualify this if not interaction at its peak?
The writer in his second piece described our hostels as “death traps” and that students do “pray for the painted dilapidated buildings not to collapse”, really? Though I don’t want to name names of some universities I visited in the north, but of all universities I visited, none has better and well equipped hostels like Bayero University Kano.
This is also an indication that the writer is poorly informed about the complexities of what make up an institution like Bayero University Kano.
The writer also clandestinely claimed that welfare of students and lecturers “were never prioritized” during the reign of the immediate past vice-chancellor of the university professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed. This is an outrageous utter dismay and an unpardonable lies from a confused fellow.
This is an outright indication of crass ignorance and sheer hypocrisy from someone who sat at the comfort of his bedroom and cooked up lies just because he feel he can write.
The immediate past vice chancellor was one of the most successful vice-chancellors who brought unprecedented development the university ever had. His achievement cut across different areas, ranging from students welfares, expansion of infrastructure, building of more faculties and countless other achievements. In fact, it is on record, it was ex-VC, Adamu. A. Rasheed that ever in the history of BUK donated the sum of one million naira to students to organize grand dinner for themselves.
Interestingly, this is a writer who published an article in an in – house publication commending the former vice chancellor for his achievement just recently but all of a sudden turned out to be his condemner.
What an hocus-pocus from a supposedly learned journalist to be? I hope the writer would not embark on this kind arm-chair journalism as he proceeds to the real world in due course.
Haruna Mohammed Salisu, a 400 level student writes from the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano.
He can be reach on 08063180608.
