VARSITY DON SEEKS ENACTMENT OF GUIDANCE, COUNSELLING BOARD

A professor of Guidance and Counselling, Prof. Augustine Ojugo has appealed to the National Assembly to enact a National Counselling Board to regulate the activities of the Guidance and Counselling profession in the country.

He called on the National Assembly to expedite action on the bill submitted to it, by the leadership of the professional association since 2015.

Prof. Ojugo made the appeal while delivering the 93rd Inaugural Lecture of the Ambrose Alli University, titled: “Neglected Pathways in Guidance and Counselling in Nigeria”.

He lamented that the absence of an enabling law and in consequence, of a regulatory board, was impacting the profession negatively, pointing out that the presence of a regulatory board would help to bring sanity into the practice of Counselling in Nigeria.

” There are many things that are being done which are not right but cannot be challenged because there is no legal basis to bring up such grievances.

“For instance, it is specified that schools should not operate without Counselling Centres. Yet, many schools flagrantly disregard this government’s directive.

“Again, it is made mandatory in the National Policy on Counselling, that counselors should not be engaged in other school assignments outside their counseling roles. Still, counselors are being made to teach school subjects in many of the schools where they serve”, he pointed out.

Speaking on the neglected pathways in counseling, Prof. Ojugo identified five areas which he said include, lack of career structure for the counselors in schools; poor visibility of counselors outside the school system; over-emphasis on service delivery at the secondary school level; narrow conception of Counselling in NUC’s proposed curricula; and the delay in the enactment of the National Counselling Board Act.

In his recommendations, the Guidance and Counselling expert urged Organized Labour and religious organizations to enlist the services of counselors, just as he called on NUC and other regulatory bodies such as NCCE and NBTE, to make Counselling Centers an item in their document.

Speaking at the occasion, the vice-chancellor of the university, Prof. Benson Osadolor emphasized the importance of Guidance and Counselling and pointed out that it makes a great impact on the lives of persons, communities, families when properly provided by well-trained personnel.

Prof. Osadolor used the opportunity to reassure the university community of his commitment to repositioning Ambrose Alli university in line with the vision of the Edo State governor, His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.