The way parents pampered their children by exposing them to excessive affluence that makes them unable to pass examination independently is significantly contributing to sex-for-marks scandals in Nigeria’s various universities.
The Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Professor Ibrahim Garba, made this known during a phone-in Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), programme.
He also identified decay in moral upbringing of children, and in society in general, as another important factor aiding the disturbing trend.
He added: “University is not like secondary school, as students are free on the assumption that they are matured. Since we don’t have the right to restrict the liberties given to the students by the system, we put in place measures that would protect them.
“The decay in our moral training is alarming. Parents no longer correct their wards where they go wrong. Children are now the ones controlling their parents. Some of these students are over pampered.
“Some parents have gotten illicit funds; therefore, they release this money to their children without control. You can have a student with money in her account that is far above her lecturer’s salary. You see students driving expensive cars or using expensive mobile phones.
“All these make the students lazy and therefore have to resort to other means to pass exams. This makes them to even take themselves to some bad elements among the lecturers for them to pass exams. However, we put stringent measures in place to punish anyone involved in this bad behaviour.”
As part of measures to improve students’ welfare, according to him, the university has constructed more students’ hostels for the first time in 40 years, saying that ABU is now cultism-free.
