Nigerian Lecturer Accused Of Using OOU Students As Labourers On His Farm Under The Guise Of Course Title Mechanized Farming

The students of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye have been deceived into commercial farming by a lecturer under the guise of a course with the title ’Mechanized farming’.

The lecturer in charge, one Mr. Bada ushers students into the hard labour of farming under the horrid desert-like temperature of the school. The lecturer who forces, beats, curses, and intimidates students into this act has to the umpteenth time been questioned about the correlation of the course title, Mechanised Farming, with farming with primitive tools (hoes, cutlass etc).

The school authorities has also been called to notice but it has been swept under the carpet. This affirms to the speculation around the school that funds meant for the purchase of modern farming equipments was embezzled by the lecturer and some ‘giants’ in the school management; even because of their silence to the continuity of this event. 

Mechanised Farming was introduced by the National Universities Commission (NUC) but it is being used to exploit the students.

These students whose welfare is not in the school’s priority list faint, get injured and sometimes get bitten by snakes during the farming period. They are helpless, cannot complain, but just have to comply because the lecturer has made it a policy to fail students who do not come to the farm, as the Mechanized farming attracts marks.

We the students of Olabisi Onabanjo University cannot take it any more. We solicit for help. We are being enslaved. And to top it all, we can’t compete with our mates globally who are taught Mechanised Farming the way it is meant to be.