By David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
Association of Deans of Student Affairs in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria (ADOSATI) has said that it holds the key to the resolution of crisis on university campuses in the country.
The group stated this during its just concluded annual national conference held at Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka.
Prof Chukwuemeka Ezeonu, the INEC resident electoral commissioner in Imo State who delivered the association’s keynote address  called on the deans of students affairs to develop a strong relationship with students on their campuses, as that was the only way to earn their confidence, which he said was key to resolution of conflicts involving students.
Ezeonu who was himself a former dean of student affairs while speaking on the theme; sustainable peace building and crisis management on our campuses; listed some of the ills bedeviling the country’s education system, saying that chief among them were poor funding and emphasis on paper qualifications.
He said that emphasis on paper qualification among students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria was killing the country’s education system.
He said, “There is too much emphasis on paper qualification in Nigeria, rather than knowledge, skill and competence. Most students with requisite knowledge, skill and competence but lack the ability to reproduce what the teacher taught often feel frustrated.”
He said such emphasis on qualification usually frustrated most students to the level of taking solace in bribing lecturers for marks, while the female among them resort to offering sexual gratification to lecturers, just to acquire certificates, thereby abandoning the skills and competence they earlier acquired.
He said the burden of managing crisis in tertiary institutions rest squarely on the shoulders of Deans of students affairs, and that the deans must try to establish interpersonal relationship with students..
 their confidence as that was the only way they could access information about cases of planned restiveness among students.
He condemned the rising cases of drug addiction among students, while calling on the association to dedicate part of its three-day conference to fashion ways of stopping the trend as deans of student affairs were usually the closest to students, and can talk them out of such dangerous lifestyle.
Earlier, the president of the association, Prof Stanley Udedi expressed concern over the  situation of Nigeria students, which he said is characterised by uncertainty and lack of trust in the future.
He said, “The  conference is expected to proffer solutions to these myriad of challenges bedeviling our institutions. We will take into account the youth unemployment, which adversely affects students performances.
