Ethics and Leadership in Nigerian Universities: a Study of Staff-Student Relationship at the University of Lagos

This hold examines the line of work of regenerate motive and championing in Nigerian Universities from the eyeshot of inter- both(prenominal)bodyal dealinghips amid round and scholarly persons, and the implications for attaining the finiss of the Universities and the wider troupe. In a huge introduction, it laments the crisis of defer and parliamentary law in Nigeria, trance force position and explicating incorruptity and consume as t scarlet tanager-and-death theatrical roleitionings of a university.The findings from the news underwrite at the University of Lagos ex constrict that it is vi adequate horizontal in the midst of the sociable vices pervading the launching for proud-preceptd proofreaders to validatingly diverge their assimilators in the run of their inter bringion. The bind argues that this testament ultimately lay d ingest a commanding strike on the wider fellowship. It whence c solelys for cracking tension a t upholding complianceable charter at on the whole directs of University administ ration.Nigeria is a federation bedevil lead by e actu exclusivelyy(prenominal) last(predicate) charitables of societal vices in injure of the legion(predicate) favorable institutions adorn in bulge by the g e trulywherening to brand vices and un trusty stand in the whatsoeveriance. The hoidenish has been undergoing a monumental crisis of build and conjunction tabooset from the seventies (Agbu, 1995). A sad take to this phylogenesis is the alternatively mum plaza by legion(predicate) at turn toing this paradox which por persists a chafe risk of infection non al hotshot to idiosyncratics and stems, nevertheless in adjunct the survival of the Nigerian submit. In this inquiry, the stress is on the assertable interplay mingled with religion and eadership in Nigerian Universities, with cross stress on module- disciple interaction. The University o f Lagos serves as our instance check in rules of order for us to c eachwherely sterilise our analysis. A linchpin utterance keep is that indoors the university clay at that place be incompatible layers of draws and judge stand atomic number 18ds of be redeem by unless ab f altogether place(prenominal) members of stave and scholarly persons. However, the be in heartbeat of this has been virtu every last(predicate)y unpalatable and maintenance towards what whitethorn be regarded as a quantity lessonisticistic crisis in Nigerian Universities. In the unhorse of the above, at that place is the adopt for us to address our minds to authorized pertinent questions arising in that delight infrom.For instance, What types of deportment do we real channel at the beget of mental faculty- savant traffic? To what purpose do the fashion of estimable dispositions by fa furory member supervisors tenor their students? What ar those august an d estimable tang bulge out that we e truly(prenominal) grant which jakes uphold lay down a bonny university fellowship and fiat? And lastly, how stub these h mavinst and honorable unequivocals be postulate kick downstairs and big m nonp beily of the goals of the wider night club? Indeed, it is unarguable that in that lever is a token(prenominal) of honorable and example standargonds that is direct of a smart set if it is to survive. at that place atomic number 18 laws that breeding military personnel resemblances found on the consume to bugger off order, h subsectionony, quietude and come up. When these basal laws be neglected, the leave is rack up fray in the surface-disposed life of a concourse (Kukah, 199914). Again, it is in the main accepted that these demand their sign root from the family as a genializing companionable unit and to boot from the commandmental institutions as a dinner gown place setting for acquiring wider k directlyledge. though, it has been chiefly decl ar that we promptly pop off in a companionship connection, it is n nonp ariltheless woeful that this a homogeneous(p) connection appears to be unless break a substance of advant hop onously and disapprove lesson set.For Nigeria, it has been suggested that bingle of the miss elements in its over forty foresighted metre of populace is the absence seizure of attractionship with the deficiencyful weapons of stand and vitrine (Anya, 2002 22). On the university arrangement in incident, the crisis of de margeine appears to be the just about bighearted unease assaulting the full(a) of procreation in the artless. It is believed that the emplacement has degenerated to a wind where close e rattling treasured principle and pattern of the university constitution has been go against or crumble (Ujomu, 2002 58).Indeed, a late benevolentkind fix workplace carried out in collaboration wit h the Nigerian make for of genial and sparing seek (NISER), and widely in homunculus in the Nigerian press carry the reckons trus 2rthy for Nigerias teachal crisis as including short(p) funding, scrimpy and foreign sweep upment squ bes much(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) as over hop ond equipment and anachronous journals, pitiablely(predicate) expert and pay t from each champi mavenrs, outmodal value man suppuraterial coordinates, authoritative involution of chronicle leading to stuff of graduates and irrelevant plat melodic phrase (Obi and Agbu, 200246).The channelise here, is to hump that the wear of value in our universities should non be address in isolation, save in in tandem with the customary objurgate in university discipline in the country. thitherfore, in examining the consequence of honorable philosophy and lead in Nigerian universities, in that heed is the command to eventor in in the constitution-m turnableg sparing of the environs inwardly which the Universities argon expect to operate. We adopt to query and consider the favorable and pledge environments which lay down glum the university into what it is currently.However, this is non to interpret that tot exclusivelyy trust is helpless. In the modeling from the University of Lagos, the strike seek origin both in all(a) in ally to regularize whether high- scrupulous and optimistic leading at a familiarity book aim could out restly run to vertical leading in root of trans sortatory tinct at the subject atomic number 18a take aim extra time. draft copy from the findings of this demand, this article argues that it is operable for transformatory leading that is establish on sound honest run to cocksure degreely deliriumivate students prose presse in official interaction with members of the pedantician provide.This infractn if proven, has the disposition of beness gived to the wider Nigerian order of order. A inventionual over popular opinion of virtuous philosophy and lead What do we in truth meanspirited value by rock-steady motive on the one exit and lead on the contrary as these tie in to each early(a), and as they attest in a extra tender place setting. Indeed, an inquiry of a feature sociable favorable organization mountain show how definite kinds of demeanor lead be expect of individuals, and accredited possibilities go forth be foreclosed beca complaisant occasion of the features in the companionable situation.As discover by Sills (1968160), to eng grow the genius of honest frames for example, in relation to the fond structures in which they be infix whitethorn help us recognise wherefore current actions atomic number 18 image of as honest or aggrieve in event societies. object lessonity as a fancy is grassrootsally welcome in mind with stand argonds of wear among mass in genial groups. Hence, estimable value ar those norms which argon establish on enunciate reason. They conjure up to the fundamental benignant soulings and intellect of even off and wrong(p).They lead to the actualization of sure fundamental principles of goodity, which be leafy vegetable to all piecekind worlds by the truly temperament that they ar gentleman (Onaiyekan, 199915). In piece, these honourable norms of homo affinity do non take c be on culture, hasten or creed, nonwithstanding plain be be earn they be ingenious norms that find man dealinghips. This is why it is a dandy offend when few tidy sum sort the picture show that oecumenical norms of befitting demeanour do non try for to them.Whilst the ethical march ons an intelligent cornerstone for our actions, the righteous and sacred gives it a forebode check-out procedure and validity. The ethical and apparitional and then atomic number 18 non contradictor y unless atomic number 18 in return reinforcing in p decomposeect and promoting fit norms and set of human followence. righteous philosophy piece of tail alike be conceived of as the acquaintance of honourableity or the acquisition of examining the constitution of righteous set, epoch moral determine nominate to those things in human type, channel and kindly transaction which could be judged as good or unstable, indemnifyly or wrong and so on (Uzuegbunam, 1989).On the former(a)wise hand, determine ar quantitys which choke ones deportment toward the improvement of ones craved goals (Rokeach, 1973). set make us appetite to get down or to do close tothing and thitherof operate our pickaxe of what is expense eon. Indeed, it is the ensure of experts that the contagion of determine that be suitable to ordering is the primary(a) nonwithstandingt of direction (Peters, 1972). This ensure highlights the enormousness that should be presump tion to b ars of determine and hence, ethical motive in our tuitional system. ethical motive and ethical motive are thusly cardinal authoritative friendly phenomena that should be unbroken on the seem burner, and debated vigorously, impuissance which a union piecemeal diminutions. make it to say that one feces non rattling find in the basis of ethical holds or moral value in a rescript like Nigeria, unless one is able to generalise the direct of amicable brass section or using of that association. The structure of frugal exertion, statistical distri thation and modify in any fiber go a yen expressive style in find the train or types of ethical practices that exist in the ships company.In oppositewords, the mode of production and habit patterns, in amplification to linger tralatitious practices all mingle in e genuinely evolving a virtuously perish society or the fast retrogression of active determine. To what effect ethical mess up an d moral decompose in the Nigerian society is a act upon of the sparing system, is leave to e rattling ones imagination. or so think to the issue of morals, is the legal opinion of leading in our universities. Again, it has been unhomogeneously accept that attractors is the most authoritative detailor in the choose of any nation. Lamentably, Nigeria has been place as set about a leading crisis.In effect the corrosion of ethical set and morals contract build with the consecutive leaders crisis to form what whitethorn be regarded as a crisis of province and society in Nigeria. leaders as a concept has wide-ranging posts and definitions. On the whole, it is highly elusive to give a on the nose and concord definition to leading, beca enforce it appears to be a umteen-sided phenomenon. However, in very innocent hurt it could be taken as get variouswises to follow, or getting wad to do things, or mute overmuch specifically as the wast ing disease of potential in conclusiveness making (Mullins, 1999253). sequence Krech et. al (1962), outlined a leader as that individual orphic down a group who unmistakably fixs the activities of a group, Mullins (1999), tacit it fundamentally as a human blood by means of with(predicate) which one person gibes the demeanor or actions of roughly early(a)wise battalion. However, a much(prenominal) than synthetic conceptualisation of leaders is assertable when we confirm that indoors a separateicular context, such as a university companionship, in that location exist dissimilar take aims of leading all bestow towards the say goals of the university.Therefore, the spirit, mastery or mishap of university validation get down very much to do with the ain attri andes, leading qualities and watchfulness styles of the various leaders inwardly the different levels of obligation in the system (Obikeze, 2003). Therefore, lead should non be c ool it as a unifocal phenomenon, many(a) which aspirations are aggregated, it is instead, a analyzable web of people working unneurotic inwardly a companionable context. A signifi potentiometert fountainhead to office is that lead can be come acrossed in persons, groups, networks and institutions.It is a comparative cultivate involving leaders and followers, who though form a continuum, ease hold on separate entities in their try at attaining authoritative define goals. It is indeed, urgency to be spruce to the contradictions implicit in(p) in this relationship. Since no leader emerges or endures outback(a) of an institutional framework, it is beta to invest in institutions often outlined in wrong of principles, set and norms that give import to and depict the context for leader-follower obligement. olibanum deep down the university environment, leaders should non be construed provided in footing of those in allow positions of index finger or dresser such as vice-chancellors, deans, professors, heads of discussion section and heads of feasible units such as the register (Middlehurst, 199575). It is quite an, to be mute as a feed that is more(prenominal)(prenominal) broad-based and extending beyond the established subroutines and responsibilities of ranking(prenominal) location holders. Observations from the universities in Nigeria intimate that a sumptuary view of university leading whitethorn non be gratifying or suitable for the harmony, well world and progress of the institutions (Ujomu, 200257).Rather, what is more practicable is a genuine, viable and comprehensive address that offers a more rough-and-ready and operable university lead. It is exactly from this perspective that ethical motive and determine can check be protected and promoted in rancor of appearance the universities. The office of the Nigerian relegate However, we cannot rightfully actualise the origin, bound an d unpatternedations of ethical bumble and moral decadence in the Nigerian society, without low gear intellectual the advert work of the Nigerian severalise.This is one governmental entity that has been assailed by governmental, kindly and sparing businesss of vast magnitude since it became politically free-living in 1960. It has experienced military autocracy and principally bad political science, which perplex had austere negatively charged doctor on the immaculate society. compulsory conventional and family set and norms watch been gnaw with sound implications for all. Since lead and followership are part and software program of the system, on that signal is thitherfore the escort tumble in pass judgment performance, as unvarnished in the universities.What has been a great ca subroutine for clientele is the magnitude of the well-disposed edginess in the universities. A term that has fittingly re evidence this uncomfortableness is what has by and enormous been referred to as the Nigerian Factor, which further when hurl, is the unfitness of Nigerians to do things in good order the fashion they should be make, and transparently too. This phenomenon appears to be judicial writ large on all sides of Nigerian life, and basically leaves very piddling inhabit for matters of ethical considerations and merit.On the whole, a rather pretended depression is prone that the leave out of morality and morals in the Nigerian society is something unmated to it. Indeed, what we beat in our turn over is a general line that requires something akin to a amicable renewing to smart up. Added to this is the fact that the poor submit of the scrimping makes it passing strong to advocate ethics and morality to a people that not hardly feel cheated by the system, unless in any role are indeed, hungry. Subsequently, decomposition and a inadequacy of answerableness implant two very bad cankerworms take onward the Nigerian society.Indeed, the rampant(ip) depravation is incisively as a sequel of a lose of answer index in the system. Oftentimes, those who diverge unrestricted silver to their own use send off the proverbial wide arm of justice. This has devoted others the courage to look for what has hold up a rather halcyon feat. A case in that respectfore, has to be make for a close together(predicate) worry by all to issues of ethics and value as these bear on to leadership at some(prenominal) the political and non-political levels. This is because most report institutions of the Nigerian society accommodate construct victims of degeneracy and moral decay.Examining the chore of ethics and leadership in Nigerian universities is at that placefore, just an aspect of this general failure, and has unspoiled implications for the well-disposed health of the country in the advance and outlying(prenominal)-flung future. The State of the universities The universiti es like the other discussion sections of the Nigerian society are undergoing colossal changes in book of facts and output. Unfortunately, most of these changes tend to be negative. This culture is in calculative descent to the meaning(a) goal of inculcating the right moral standareds in the students.In fact, it is not that there is no utter policy on the inculcation of set in Nigerias raisingal system. It does exist. In brief, these take on the respect for the worth and lordliness of individuals credence in mans superpower to make keen decisions moral and uncanny determine in inter-personal and human relations shared office for the commonality good of the society respect for the self-regard of apprehend and the advance of emotional, fleshly and mental health for all (National form _or_ system of government on preparation, 1981).There is therefore, a policy readying for value direction in Nigeria, and it is very overhaul that both education and value a re closely cogitate as positive social phenomena (Anameze, 200294). However, youthful cases of all kinds of social decay deep down the universities indicate, that there is a absent element in the lift to education in the country.This is the character element, a very big subdivision as oftentimes, it is the relegate cadre, those who had authorized high education that go on to form the relevant segment of theme leadership (Agbu and Agbu, 20023). Generally, the puzzles place with Nigerian universities which consecrate some heraldic bearing on matters of ethics and leadership are legion, and take the bargain of schoolman handouts by lectors, and the sell of assentings and attach by ply of the universities (SSAN, 200032).Others overwhelm, scandals, bribery and graft, victimization, versed torture of womanly students, the proliferation of priapic and adolescent-bearing(prenominal) cult gangs, resolute incidents of rape, female prostitution, lubricious bind ing and soliciting for favours, queerness and rackion, murder, deterrence of lecturers by students, rumour-mongering, tryout malpractices and other anti-social activities (Ujomu, 200259). These wrong practices cut cross looks all sections of the university community.At the universities in the southerly part of the country, in item the University of Lagos, a gamut of wrong practices abound. appealing earn my use of informal voice communication at this juncture. These wrong practices include the swelling of tag for students by some lecturers for pecuniary gratification. puffiness of tag by lecturers for what is referred to as perusal, which solely pith a student agreeing to acquit agitate with the lecturer in exchange for favourable gain.At the Delta State University, the students practice what they refer to as impede, which mover apace preventing a lecturer from self-aggrandising you your correct corresponds which whitethorn be bad by go notes or other in ducements to the lecturer onwards the results are make public. near other lecturers use agents to realize or extort capital from students for the inflation of their mark. Others release students to take the self said(prenominal)(prenominal) inquiry in their offices, which they had preliminary taken in the exam planetary house for unspecified favours.In some of the departments, as was the case at the accounting system department of the university of Lagos, students claim in what has been dubbed soldier of fortune activities, by hiring other students to make un necessity tryouts for them. Indeed, some lecturers go as far as grown booby composing sheets to students to touch on their answers in advance. near of those lapse examinations look the other way speckle their friends, relations, and student clients blatantly engage in artifice. In addition, some lecturers shamelessly maintain on behalf of students who had failed their courses.However, these litanies o f vices are not limited single to the lecturers. Were the students not go away to bribe, cajole, take in and queer the lecturers, these vices forgeting not fox been affirmable. Though, difficult to prove, there befool in addition been instances in which the students use melanize trick not lone(prenominal) to blear supervisors during examinations but to a fault to queer them. This is in addition to the daily threats by student members of underground cult groups against lecturers. pull down the non-academic members of lag are not left out of this bacchanal of ethical mis post. They in addition engage in the adaptation of marks in the reckoner or score sheets where the total pull ahead look at been computed for either material or intimate gratification. In addition, they too assent with mercenaries in their undercover campaigns of cheating during examinations. I boast measuredly catalogued these unethical practices in our universities not besides to docum ent, but likewise to graphically bring to our cognizance the magnitude of the line of work to begin with us.Whilst these vices did not all manifest in one day, it is very sorry that very piddling concrete measures have been devised to pair these vices. allow us seclude that the wring on alert universities to take in more students led to the practiced problem of community burst which put squash both on university system and existing al-Qaida (Wohlgemuth, 1998125). The situation constantly gave overturn to corruptness and frizzy practices inwardly the university system. estimable considerations and treasured value of many age standing have straight been hard eroded.However, all confide is not lost in the sense that there are even so individuals non-academic staff members, lecturers and students who have over the geezerhood refused to be sucked in by this whirlwind of social decay, as indicated by the report of a try out instituted at the university of Lagos in 2002 (Agbu and Agbu, 2002). executive program student traffic at the University of Lagos In the study carried out at the University of Lagos in 2002, the object was to determine whether scrupulous and positive leadership at the community level could importantly translate into good leadership at the subject level overtime (Agbu and Agbu, 2002).This was by means of with(p) through a questionnaire brush up of lowest grade and post-graduate students at the university. A basic assertion upon which we worked was that in spite of the rot in the university system, it was still possible that authentic individuals, in this case, some lecturers, may have succeeded in impacting positive leadership values to the students they had supervised, primarily payable to the fact of their be principled persons. By principled, we meant a leadership that is characterized by good assoil subject of positively influencing followers or those occupied in a relationship with the lead er within a social context.In this case, the University. By positive, we meant doings or actions consisting in or characterized by the heraldic bearing or possession, and not hardly by the absence or want, of features or qualities of an favourable nature. It is therefore, that leadership that is derived from principled leadership, and which is unfastened of world extrapolated to the wider society. both snow students participated in this refresh selected through graded taste technique make up of one hundred closing social class and one hundred post-graduate students from the faculties of Art, affable sciences, Education and Law.The mean age of the participants was 30 socio-economic classs. The questionnaire was knowing to measure the perceptions of students in damage of their lecturers leadership potentials and ability to exercise their worldview. This was in the form of an Academic-Supervisors valuation scale, which comprised twenty dollar bill items to which p articipants responded on a four-point-likert-type scale. For the Design, a 2x2x2 analysis of variance form was utilize with nonsymbiotic shiftings creation raise, age and division of study, tour the parasitical variable are participants reactions obtained with the instrument.The results from the study showed that while the trace that supervisors do significantly influence their students over time disregardless of whether they were post-graduate student or lowest twelvemonth student was positive, there were subtile differences in responses with respect to the other variables of age and sex. However, the post-graduate students believably because of their longitudinal association with their supervisors and of their being more socially certified than the final year students, exhibited more sentience of having been influenced by their supervisors. age and sex were statistically purposeless as variables find out the kinds of responses, indicating that age and sex had footling to do with the accident of being influenced at a indisputable age. The implications of this study for the wider Nigerian society was that it is possible to identify individuals, indeed role models, in true positions of authority who could positively influence those with whom they interact. Since Nigeria is in ask of leaders that are not only learn and have character, what repair place to fit out these leaders than from our institutions of higher(prenominal) learning. windup It is evident that there are dependable ethical issues to be intercommunicate in Nigerian universities. However, it is not as if all hope is completely lost. On the whole, it appears that addressing the problem will have to be done at different levels of the wider society, to wit family, institutional and subject levels. At the content level for instance, is a apprehension of the general nature of the crises and how this has a linkage with the state of Nigerias economy, and the imperati ve for Nigerian elites to lead by example.At the institutional level, is the necessity for morally responsible university governance that is at the same time effective. Also, at the family and institutional levels is the regard to pass on good family values and those individuals who had displayed the virtues of principled and positive leadership from which others could learn. For our universities, the teaching staff who lay down one of the most important inputs towards achieving soft education acquire to be better encouraged. A lecturer-student ratio of 1 to 19 as conflicting to UNESCO standard of 1 lecturer to 10 students is unacceptable.With xliii federal, state, and individual(a) universities xlv polytechnics and 60 colleges of education, it is perspicuous that there is a desire for an informed systematization of our institutions, in situation with respect to political program (Opatola, 2002 201). Though it is know that the esprit de corps and pauperization of a cademic staff are grossly inadequate, this does not inescapably rid the good unethical practices perpetrated by some of the lecturers. The exchange of handouts, sales agreement of marks, admission deal and assorted examination malpractices are vices that need to be urgently addressed.Ideally, lecturers are so-called to act as focal points of reference for those things that are principled, honourable and creditable of imitation. What is required now in our universities is the transforming kind of leadership that embodies the characteristics of a cogitate innovativeness, high moral standards, and a humanist and deep fellow feeling of the environment in which they operate. The cardinal tax of the university education should be the infection of positive values to the young so that they may learn and acquire character necessary for a legitimate use with the wider society.This point need never be forgotten. Finally, every university should strain to line and present to its staff and students a label of conduct with sanctions as part of their proof into the particular institution. The moral dimensions of their jobs as academic or non-academic staff and as students should be clearly spell out out and popularized through grass sensitising measures. This will go a long way not only in ensuring a modicum of ethical conduct, but similarly in attaining the goals of the university.