Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The Nigerian Library Association (NLA) has called on President Bola Tinubu to restore the appointment of a special adviser on Library and Information Matters who would double as the librarian of the Presidential Library as it was in the day of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The association has indicated that the Head of Service has refused to utilise special waivers to employ librarians that would fill vacancies arising from retirement and job migration.
The NLA also labeled the management of Covenant University, Abia and Kwara State Governments as bad examples for allegedly appointing non-librarians to head their libraries despite an initial interface.
The President of NLA, Mr. Dominic Omokaro, stated yesterday in Abuja that the association is hoping to see the federal government’s intervention through the enforcement of existing regulations and guidelines that mandated the appointment of qualified librarians to leadership positions in libraries.
Announcing its forthcoming 62nd Conference and Annual General Meeting that would hold in July and with the theme “Promoting Diversity and Inclusiveness through Innovative Library and Information Service Delivery in Nigeria,” Omokaro stated that the NLA could no longer take this gross abuse of the laws of the land as it concerns the sector.
He said: “We also want the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to help restore hope to this critical sector that helps in shaping the needed manpower for national development by the restoration of a vibrant library system in Nigeria by appointing a special adviser to the President on Library and Information Matters who should also double as the Librarian of the Presidential Library as it was in the day of President Obasanjo.
“It will amaze Nigerians to know that despite the embargo on employment by the federal government, special waivers has been given to some MDAs to employ staff to fill vacancies arising from retirement and job migration but the Head of Service of the Federation has not seen the need to give waiver for the employment of librarians in the Federal Civil Service.
“The NLA has observed with deep concern the pervasive practice of employers of labour appointing non-librarians to head Libraries across the country.
“This troubling trend not only undermines the expertise and professionalism of trained librarians but also hampers the effective management and development of library services in our nation.
“Some of these employers are Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, who in spite of engagement by the Librarians Registration Council of Nigeria appointed a non-librarian to head the university’s library not minding the name they call it, which is a key component for resource verification and accreditation of courses in the university.
“The Kwara State Government, appointed a non-librarian as director of the State Library Board; The Abia State Government also engaged non librarians to head the libraries in the state Ministry of Justice and the State House of Assembly and many others too numerous to mention.
“This is aside the non-deployment of professional librarians to man the libraries in all the Federal Unity Colleges across the country.
“Again, the Federal Capital Territory that should be a model for other states to emulate is suffering same fate with regards to the Library and Information Sector. The City Libraries in Wuse and Gudu Districts of Abuja have just one or two professional librarians and the school library system in FCT has collapsed as well for failure to employ librarians to man their school libraries.
“It may interest you to know that the school library system in Nigeria has totally collapsed; we do not have librarians manning school libraries anymore because there is no replacement for retiring and promoted librarians in the school system.
“We intend to continue to engage the government through the Federal Ministry of Education to see whether we can be captured in the renewed hope agenda of the present administration.
“We also hope to engage the Hon. Minister of the FCT on this issue since we know that the current minister is a lover of education.
“We want to use this medium to call upon the federal and state governments, employers of labour, and regulatory bodies in the library and education sector to take immediate steps to remedy these anomalies.
“It is imperative that leadership positions in libraries be rightfully filled by qualified and certified librarians who possess the requisite knowledge, skills, and commitment to advance the field of librarianship in Nigeria.
“The federal government should through the office of the Head of Service of the Federation give employment waiver for the employment of professional librarians in the Federal Civil Service. State governments should also do the same.
“We also call on the president to give the order for the completion of the National Library of Nigeria’S headquarters that has remained uncompleted since the 2nd Republic despite the approval of funds by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for TETFUND to complete it.”
