The management of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja has announced the suspension of a lecturer in the institution for allegedly forcing students to buy textbooks in order to pass examinations.
Usman Salisu Ogbo, Rector of the institution made this announcement during a courtesy visit to the school by Comrade Sunday Asefon, President, National Association of Nigeria Students, (NANS) alongside his entourage.
According to the Rector, who withheld the name of the staff, the situation is a clear injustice to the educational system for any lecturer to impose textbooks, popularly called handouts on students before they could pass their examinations.
In his words, “We had cases whereby some lecturers would insist that if students failed to buy their textbooks, they would fail their examination. We also have cases whereby those students that bought books and those that did not buy will be separated. This is pure wickedness.”
“Buying of textbooks is not a justification for students to pass their examination. We always encourage our students to read their books, that is why we insisted that lecturers who have books should place them in our school bookshops and not make it compulsory for students to buy them. Despite our clear intentions, some cabals are not happy”.
