A Chat with the Department of Philosophy’s Acting H.O.D

-With Juwon, Wonuola, Damilare, Tolu and Jumoke

“Philosophy has the capability to equip you with straight thinking anywhere…”-H.O.D

The department of philosophy recently appointed a new acting head and the National Association of Philosophy Students Press engaged him in an interview. Let us enjoy the excerpts.

NAPS PRESS:Can we meet you sir?

H.O.D:My name is Francis Nduka Offor, I was born on the 5^th of May 1966, I share the same birthday with Karl Marx (laughs). I am from Delta State. I had my primary and secondary education in Benin and also attended Edo College for my A’levels. I did my B.A in philosophy and political science at the University of Ibadan. And my M.A was also in philosophy at the University of Ibadan. I worked in Asaba as an Administration Officer. I was invited by the department in 1998 as an Assistant Lecturer and rose through the ranks. In 2010, I became an Associate Professor. I am happily married with four kids; 2 boys and 2 girls.

NAPS PRESS:What is favourite food?

H.O.D:I don’t really have any. But I enjoy pounded yam and ogbono soup.

NAPS PRESS:What has your new status changed about you?

H.O.D:The new status as the acting head has just made me realise that there is more to this job than just lectures. It has conferred on me the responsibility of taking more responsibilities. As HOD, I will be acting on behalf of my colleagues. There will be no chance for private decision, but collective decision which would be subscribed to by colleagues and I have also been given more children. Formerly, I talk about my four children but now I have more children.

NAPS PRESS:What is your philosophy towards life?

H.O.D:I have a very simple philosophy towards life and it may not be appealing to others, whatever you find yourself doing, do it well. This is the reason I said that; I wanted to read law, so I wrote JAMB five times. It wasn’t like I was not passing jamb then, but I was missing some marks for the cut-off for law, so the next year, I picked philosophy and scored even above the cut-off of law. So it was predestined . When I got into philosophy, I forgot about law and decided to do philosophy with everything in me, I did philosophy like my life depended on it and I attained good grades both in my B.A and M.A and that was why I was called back. The difference between one discipline and another is the effort you put into it and the grace of God upon you. Philosophy has baked more bread for me than some of my friends that read law. And I am sure you know that philosophy has the capacity to equip us with all we need out there.

NAPS PRESS:What do you intend to achieve as HOD or acting head?

H.O.D:A lot, there are some assignments that come along during your tenure as HOD and you have to do it but you will still have your personal project or target, or two things you want to achieve. I have other plans of consolidating the department. My predecessors have done so well, and one of my plans is to build on what they have achieved. My plan is to consolidate on the gains we have at the moment and open up new frontiers. Very close to my heart is getting the department involved in more collaboration with other universities both within and outside the country, so that we can participate in joint researches; teaching staffs and students. We can also do the exchange of students at short term basis. We can pick our best students to go abroad for two weeks, and that way, we expose our students to researches and also encourage colleagues to participate in conferences and seminars and we will explore whatever financial assistance the university can give. The department is also making plans to change some of the structures of the department in order to make it befitting for easy assimilation and carrying out of duties.

NAPS PRESS:Can you evaluate the Nigerian education standard and systems, what do you think can be done to improve the current realities?

H.O.D:The educational standard contrary to popular view has not really dropped. From primary education, we will find out that kids of nowadays are more intelligent than us, the kind of education they are receiving is different from what we received, but despite that, we still blend with the era. It is just that there are many distractions that take students away from their books. Students and staffs are very intelligent especially when given the opportunity to compete outside Nigeria.

NAPS PRESS: What is the position of students in your order of priority?

H.O.D:As you know, we are here because you are here. The students occupy a topmost position. In the mission and vision statement I presented to the Dean, I included the welfare of students because it is very core in every administration and we want students to benefit from the plans of the department and we are also ready to encourage the various organs of the student body and whatever they want us to do within the university confines, we will try to do it. We will be happy and very proud if we hear that philosophy students are doing well and winning awards.

NAPS PRESS:What extra-curricular activity were you involved in during your undergraduate days?

H.O.D:I played football, in fact I was part of the first team that won the Dean’s cup for the department. I was also the Managing Editor of Zik Hall Press and Naps press. I like sporting, reading, watching local home videos because I find it very difficult understanding foreign movies and I ride bike.

NAPS PRESS:You find logic very easy and interesting, what advice do you have concerning the challenges of logic?

H.O.D:Logic is one of the few technical courses you do in the department. One of the challenges students face is that they form their opinions or views about the course before they come in contact with it. Older colleagues might have scared them with stories of how difficult logic is. The truth is that logic is one of the simplest courses to do well in. It is a phobia that needs to be worked on. Once you attend classes and you practise often, it becomes very easy and a part of you. Logic is not mathematics. My dexterity in the course was due to the training I got from the best lecturers of logic. When I came to teach the course, I did not start teaching because I am good at it, I had to understudy for 4years and I have taught logic in different levels and universities.

NAPS PRESS:Word of advice for NAPSITES?

H.O.D:We can point at one or two philosophers that are doing well in the government or public sector. Philosophy has the capability to equip you with straight thinking anywhere and that is what you need to do well in the outside world. My advice is that Napsites should cultivate these qualities that philosophy avails them because these are what will ultimately help them in the various areas they find themselves. And while as students, endeavour to do good, so that when you come back sometime in the future, the department can vouch for you and present a good image of you. You will always need the department.