Political Science department of Lagos State University which was established in 1986 made history on Thursday 8th of December, 2022. As the department produced its first PhD graduate after 36 years of existence.
The Department has midwife two other Departments, the Department of History and International Studies and the Department of Public Administration more recently.
Paul Sewa Thovoethin an Associate Professor of comparative politics and the head of the Political Science Department at the Lagos State University, became the first lecturer to have produced a PhD graduate in the department of political science. In interview with Associate professor Paul Sewa (PhD) to News Peddler, he said that “I feel like a father that is blessed with his first child”.
Given the reason as to why the department of political science of Lagos State University could not produced a PhD graduate before now, he said, not until we now have adequate PhD holders and Professors in the department, we have muted the idea of accepting PhD students for long, since many were Mr with few PhD holders.
“Over the years when I joined the service of Lagos state university in the year 2001, we have very good mentors in the person of late Prof. Abubakar Momoh, and Prof. Said Adejumobi. Over the years they have established in the department of political science, that the department needs to be thoroughly grounded before we take up any post-graduate programme. Most of the departments that grew up after political science have produced several PhD holders.
“Along the line our mentors inspired us and we have several PhD holders and most of us did our Ph.D. outside Nigeria, some in Britain, South Africa, Belgium, Canada, and the USA. On that basis we build up the department and came up with Post-graduate programs, MSc. Political Science, and thereafter PhD. political science.
“The first set of students were four in number who started about 5 years ago and we try to guide them, so they can become the best PhD Product in the history of Nigeria and globally.
“When we started this, I never knew that, I will be the first lecturer to have produced a PhD graduate in the department of political science, because I started as a Co-supervisor to late Prof. Bamgbose but along the line when Prof. Bamgbose got ill, I tried as much as possible, to stand in for him, and may his soul rest in peace, he passed on.
“Thereafter, I became the main supervisor, after that, I set a target, so I said, PhD Is not rocket science, we have passed through this thing and we can do it, in two to three years, we can produce a PhD graduate. Based on that, I said, Mr now (Dr) Tukur Mustapha let us work together and Fastrack the whole process, along the line the guy was very serious too, I was pushing him and he was also encouraging me. As time goes on, I realized that within two years that I took over from Prof. Bamgbose, his work was ready and he was good to go. When he presented his prefield, we had little corrections but it was fantastic he did those corrections, and here we are today and I know he will be very happy.
“As an average academician, one of the best things that could happen to you is to reproduce yourself, if you are a father, growing up and you don’t have kids, you’ll have problem, so for somebody like me that started this academic work around 2001, I met people there and I am now reproducing myself, that means I am sound, if you are not sound enough, you can’t produce a PhD graduate. Well, I am not talking about any other departments but at the level of political science at Lagos State University, for me to have reproduced myself, I have produced a PhD graduate, is a great feat, which made me felt fulfilled, Dr. Paul said.
He further said “I know that, I will still produce several other PhD graduate but being the first to do so, in the history of the department, my joy is like when a father has a first child, he will be very happy.
At least I can boldly say that in my sojourn in academics, i have reproduced, and being the first, any other person should be happy. I am still surprised, “is it a dream” but it is a dream come to past, I have dreamt about it and it came to past.
Dr. Paul expressed his views on forthcoming 2023 general election.
“The coming election should not be on sentiment or tribalism and we need to enlighten our people on this, because the effect of policy, made by anyone that emerges will affect everyone. They should look at credible candidate, someone that can deliver, shunning all tribal sentiments and religious bigotry, that is when we can move forward as a nation.
“We need a strong electoral institution, and I commend the current INEC chairman Mammud Yakubu for his efforts to make sure that the electoral process is to some reasonable extent free, fair, and credible. He is trying his best with some of the innovations he has brought to place, the electronic systems, with that, we hope the vote of the people will count in the coming election, he added.
Mustapha Adedeji Tukur now Dr (PhD) did his undergraduate at the University of Ife where he studied international relations in 1994, and where he also did his M.SC in 1999.
“I actually came to LASU as a pioneering PhD student that was admitted in 2017. I am lucky and privileged to be the first PhD student to graduate from the department, and I am very fortunate to have been supervised by the current Head of Department, who had been a friend, brother, and teacher, Associate Professor Paul Sewa Thovoethin. Working under him is not like that of a student to the lecturer but like a brother, I appreciate my co-supervisor too Dr. Abiodun Fatai who also guided me, the late Prof. Bamgbose who also make an impact before he died.
“Despite that, the department is new in postgraduate study, the system has also laid a good foundation, and it will continue to be a model to other postgraduate schools. I learned lots of things there, for instance, the culture of mutual respect and other modalities, the department has built in the program which will be in my mind forever.
“As the first students, there are several petty challenges but the major challenge was the covid-19 when we were locked down for a year which prolonged the program more so I can’t say that there were challenges that were too complex.
“I enjoyed everything about my supervisor, he responds to me as fast as possible possibly. I had a good relationship with the department as a whole and even the faculty at large.
“A couple of people have met me even the alumni of the department asking me to share my experience, I told them that PhD is not sympathy, it requires a lot of effort, self motivation, and rigor but what I discovered is that a lot of people are not ready to work or face the rigor. The gap between the first and second degree with Ph.D. is like comparing a swimming pool to Lagoon.
“You need to have enough self motivation and zeal to face it but one thing I can assure anyone that wants to pursue his or her PhD in the department of Political Science is that you will enjoy the environment of good people, cordiality and you will get your best, if you are ready to put in the requirements.
“I feel so much rated, during my viva, one of the things the Dean of the Faculty said was that, whenever the history of the department is written, my name will be mentioned. That also gave me that joy, even finishing the PhD itself is what should be celebrated. I feel so much happy and excited, he added.
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