Our universities and other institutions of higher learning are plagued by two major problems, namely falling academic standards and moral decay. Both represent daunting challenges to a society’s development efforts and its future. The public has however tended to focus more on the former, sometimes to the near neglect of the latter, even when it is clearly just as important if not indeed more important than the worth of a certificate. Which is why Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma’s intervention in the moral debate about our universities is both very significant and timely, as it will hopefully push the issue to the front burner and get the concerned stakeholders in the education sector a little bit more interested in such an important area of our national life.

Speaking at the 3rd and 4th combined convocation of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NUSK) about a fortnight ago, Governor Doma who is also the Visitor to the university "charged authorities of the universities and other institutions of learning across the country to make moral education a necessary component of education in Nigeria. "It is my belief that this will stamp out cases of cultism, examination malpractices, violent crimes and other vices in our educational institutions". We applaud and recommend such a call, especially in a situation where such calls are rare and not so bold.

A university is a place of learning, research and the untrampled intellectual exercise of the mind within the bounds of responsible behaviour. It should also add knowledge and capable of advancing workable solutions to society’s complex problems and challenges. Above all, it should be a moulder of character and this where Governor Doma’s charge on moral education comes in. As good as the certificate the graduand holds is, he is nearly a lost case if he or she has no good character. Yes, to produce top class graduates is good, even excellent, for a country, especially a developing one as ours, needs capable hands to drive our urgent development needs. Still the academically brilliant product of our universities devoid of good character content is a huge liability rather than asset in a society in which character ought to matter as much as brilliance and competence if not more. In fact there are people who have argued whether the chap with the lousy character deserves the top marks he gets. After all, is it not possible he may in fact have obtained them in ways not exactly transparent?

Lack of sound moral teachings and civic education in our universities have created situations on the campuses where a good number of the students have become social misfits who engage in destruction rather than learning. They are the cultists, those who cheat during exams and the drug addicts. They have turned the quiet, the peace and the serene environment of learning in our universities into zones of crisis and violence. The citadels of learning are gradually becoming nests of unpoliced crimes scenes and lawlessness.

Of course poor facilities, dearth of qualified academic personnel, poor remuneration, the growing commercialization of education and the general decay in the larger society have all added to the toll on the overall education in the country. None however is perhaps as injurious as the moral deficient of the students. It is open to debate whether our present backwardness, politically and economically speaking, is not in large part due to the moral quality of our leaders, some of whom are products of our universities. Would the level of corruption, for examples, be as high and pervasive as it is today in the country, if we had an education system that places high emphasis on the character of a person rather than just the craze to obtain a certificate, sometimes at all cost?

Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma has made a bold charge to our universities to produce graduates, who apart from having good degrees, even more importantly possess the kind of quality of character that will make them fit to lead the country in its onerous journey to greatness. The authorities of the universities ought to heed this timely call, especially those at NSUK. The state university should be at the vanguard for the new Nasarawa not just in the areas of scholarship, the training of manpower, research and its commercialization, but critically also in producing honest, diligent, hardworking and patriotic citizens. This is the clarion call to NSUK and other universities, if our dear country as a whole is to overcome its current problems of development and become the place all of all us desire.