Our trainees were now made up of Science and Engineering graduates from University of

Nigeria , Nsukka, Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka , FUTO, Institute of Management

and Technology , Enugu State University of Technology.

Due to the anticipated variance in the experience of the trainees, we decided to perform a preliminary test involving basic knowledge of Electricity, Automobile engines, Driving and the use of computers.

All but one student had acceptable skills in computer usage (interpret as ability to browse

the web) . Some could drive and while one person had a driver’s license, another had an

expired license as he had not been driving for some time.

In testing them for basic electrical theory – electrical symbols, identification of electrical

components ( resistors, diodes , relays) - the first pre-shock of the state of our educational

system dawned . As we moved further to test on some basic parts and working of an

automobile engine the full weight of the decay of the educational system became

obvious.

The inability of a mechanical engineering graduate to identify a spark plug, piston or

crankshaft with the excuse that nobody showed it to him is inexcusable. The tendency to

blame the lecturers for what a casual enthusiast would know was universal in the mindset

of the trainees.

Some said their lecturers have never shown them a live engine before and that all the lectures were on the black board. Others claimed that they were actively dissuaded by their lecturers by telling them that they were engineers and were supposed to design ‘virtual’ engines not repair real engines.

The road side mechanics some of them had worked with further compounded the problem by feeding them with enough of wrong information to even confuse us as we found it hard to correlate what they were calling some components with what we knew.

For example, below is a partial list of the names brought back from the ‘war front’

What they insist it is What we believe it is

Kam Flawer Cam Follower

Brain Box Ignition Control module

Capacitor Ballast Resistor

In this day and age of internet, where you have to order parts online, it is at least

mandatory that the correct name of the part be known else you may never find what you

are looking for.

Again, the explanations given by the road side mechanics, on how ignition systems and other vehicle subsystems work was inaccurate to the point of endangering anyone courageous enough to apply it . If their instructions were followed certain components might be damaged. For fuel system and ignition system repairs, none of the trainees were able to get any definitive idea of how the systems function.

The real problem was the anything the roadside mechanics did not really understand, they

convinced our trainees that it was not a necessary part of the automobile engine since it

can be removed and the car can still be started and run.

On a positive note, the roadside mechanics provided them with hands-on experience in

dismantling, jacking procedures, in many cases correct engine mounting, suspension and

brake system repairs.

The two ladies were experts in working on brake systems – master cylinder repair , brake lining and pad replacement as well as correct bleeding procedures. The trainees also met very good technicians who were able to repair kick starters and alternators as well as diagnose and repair intermittent failures in the electrical wiring of vehicles.

One of the trainees became an expert in fixing alternator brushes and voltage regulators in two weeks since he said he had earlier mastered soldering at home while working on some hobbyist projects.