…says budget in the federal ministry of health is less than national assembly that are only 469 people.
By Divine Sam
Retired professor Emmanuel Oladipo Otolorin, President, Ibadan College Of Medicine alumni association (ICOMAA) Worldwide has said that members of the national assembly in Nigeria are sumptuously earning much more than their contemporaries in the world.
Prof Oladipo Otolorin stated this in line with the provost college of medicine University of Ibadan Professor Olayinka Omigbodun
who during her speech at the symposium organised by the college of medicine University of Ibadan class of 1990, lamented the poorly paid condition of the university lectures by the federal government.
Prof. Olayinka raises alarm the devastating payment situation of University lecturers in public universities. She said even the professors are earning wages that are not sustainable and liveable despite working 24 hours of their days to better the society, according to her and if the situation continue like this there will be nobody left in the public institutions.
The provost said the government should understand that lecturers in the university need to be properly paid because some of the lecturers taking resignation regarding the poorly paid wages in the government institutions.
Speaking also Dr. Babajide Falana a geriatrician who practice in Alanta Georgia regretted that professors who Labour all along to beautify the society with reasonable and responsible people are place on a low budget income.
Dr. Falana described the situation as tragically worrisome, he expressed total disappointment on the dilapidated academic environment. ” I left this place 30 years ago and it worst than I left, but I see the spirit is still high so there’s still hope”
Interacting with Newsieevents shortly after the symposium the president of ICOMAA Professor Emmanuel Oladipo Otolorin said Nigeria is a country where merit and hard work no longer pays, professional excellence are no longer rewarded rather rewarded based on political powers.
Oladipo who is a retired professor of obstetrics and gynaecology and former jhpiego County director in Nigeria said ” it is sad that people who have spent years to become professors in the university are paid so poorly while legislators in Nigeria are the highly paid legislators in the world, but when the professors are attracted to place where they are better values and they leave, the legislators now said they must have a bill to stop them isn’t that funny?
“We don’t value excellence anymore, we valu mediocrity and politics. As an academician, there are three things which are expected of us, teachings, service and research. But look at the teachings environment ministry of education poorly funded, the quality of education is going down and as academicians we are not happy. In the area of service the hospital, there is no equipment you prescribed drugs for patients they can’t find it until they are outside. The budget in the federal ministry of health is less than national assembly that are only 469 people, 109 senators and 360 House of representative but their budget is higher than the budget of the ministry of health that looks after over 215 million people”
Prof. Emmanuel Otolorin also commended the the reunion of his colleagues, as a president of the alumni it’s pleased to see the class of 1990 come together for a reunion and for them to contribute immensely to the growth and development of college of medicine where they graduated.