First and foremost, let me start by recommending the gestures and efforts of Dr Mansur Muhammad Bello of the Federal University Gusau, Dr Shahid Sani Anka Abdu of Gusau Polytechnic, all of Zamfara state; and Sadeeq Naseer of Kaduna Polytechnic, for standing by my side and, of course, yes their perseverance towards making me what or where I am now, whom without them my pen would have been written on something outside academia, I am grateful.
I might sound weird or unprofessional, because looking at my present career and profile as a whole, but in life some information were only meant to be personal unless if it’s time for them to reveal arise.
Although in life we are always learning, and we’ll forever remain learners except if one stops moving, because every day there’s a new development or idea, but for the sake of record in the future and proper clarification, my journey began as a writer in the social media space, and mostly I used to focus on political and social life, thank God now I am counting three research papers and journal, though I am yet to join academic line.
As someone who is interested and has passion of joining the academia in the future, I find it a bit necessary to remind my fellow aspiring lecturers to know where exactly they are going into, so that they will prepare themselves before the time.
Fellow aspiring lecturers, it is good for you to comprehend that, lecturing is a good career and there is nothing wrong with it, because through it one can earn pride and honour, and I can say with certainty that it is not quite lucrative; it is more of sacrifice.
Generally, as far as I am concerned, the salary structures of both CONUA and CONPCASS were mainly for them to upgrade their curricular vitae, meaning for them to be undergoing academic programmes and researches. There is no lecturer either in the university or polytechnic that is earning N600,000 as a gross, but the burden attached to the salary is beyond imagination.
More so, I know well that one could ask, what about the Tetfund and research grants, are they not meant for the lecturers to be undergoing the above mentioned? Yes, they are, but now they are more of privilege.
However, you should also note that you are joining a circle that does not pay well. Besides, if you want to know more of your discipline, you will likely end up getting a loan from either your cooperative society or your bank. Nonetheless, lecturing earns honour and glory, and there will be no regret at the tail end.
Furthermore, it is also a circle that does not welcome laziness because sometimes one can spend a whole day or half of it trying to come up with new ideas, making scripts, among many more. So, tell me how a lazy man can cope with the situation?
Though I am not a teaching staff, but sometimes I do sacrifice my monthly earning and time to update my CV, just to prepare before the time, even the joint papers cost some amount of money.
At this juncture, I am extending my solidarity message to lecturers across the country for their selfless services and wishing us good luck. May Allah make it easy for us all, amin.
Abubakar Muhammad Sani,
Kaduna
