Private varsities’ VCs move against ‘moonlighting’ among lecturers

culled from punch

The Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of Private Universities in Nigeria has decided to host a website where the list of all lecturers in the private universities will be uploaded to checkmate ‘moonlighting.’

Moonlighting, according to the Vice-Chancellor, Redeemer’s University, Mowe, Redeemed Camp, Ogun State, Prof. Debo Adeyewa, is an unethical practice where a lecturer works on full-time basis in more than one institution.

Some lecturers, because of the desperation of some universities, urge to make more money and dearth of PhD holders to drive the nation’s universities have resorted to picking up appointments in more than one universities.

But the committee of VCs of private universities during their meeting hosted by the Babcock University, Illisan Remo, Ogun State, rose against the act and urged members to support one another in nipping the ‘evil’ in the mud.

“It is immoral and illegal for a lecturer to be working as a full-time lecturer in two or more universities. We should all rise up against it and I want to urge all of us to work together to fish out all these lecturers. They should be sacked as soon as they are identified,” Adeyewa pleaded with his colleagues.

The VCs also set up a committee to lobby the National Assembly to amend the section of the law that prevents private universities from accessing funds from the public sector, particularly from Tertiary Education Trust Fund.

The vice-chancellors, who expressed worries at the level of some desperation of some private universities to recruit lecturers, urged members to always guard against violating the Nation al Universities Commission’s rules in all ramifications.

At the end of their deliberations, the over 20 private universities represented at the meeting agreed to create a website where all the names of lecturer in their employment would be uploaded. They advised members to visit the site before they issued appointment letter to any new lecturer.

The outgoing Chairman of the committee, who is also the Vice-Chancellor, Bowen University, Prof. Timothy Olagbemiro, while reeling out the recommendations arrived at after the meeting, said a committee that would document the status of private universities vis a vis their contributions to the nation’s transformation agenda has been formed.

The committee, made up of six VCs and two registrars, is also charged with the responsibilities of identifying and studying the laws establishing and governing private universities.

The VCs also called on members to be assertive, transparent and diligent while carrying out their duties.