A legal icon and university administrator, Chief
Afe Babalola (SAN), has called for the
arrest and prosecution of those operating unaccredited universities in the
country, saying their activities are inimical to academic growth and quality
education.
He suggested that degrees in sciences and
humanities among other academic areas should be minimum qualification to study
medicine and law as obtainable in Britain and other advanced countries.
The legal luminary told the National Universities
Commission (NUC) that the best way to discourage illegal universities in Nigeria
is by meting out stringent sanctions on operators, describing this as a
veritable way to halt certificate racketeering in the country.
Babalola stated this in ABUAD on Monday while
playing host to NUC team, which came there on assessment tour and evaluation of
the level of compliance to good governance in the institution.
According to Babalola, "Get those operating
illegal universities arrested. It is a common knowledge that there are many
illegal universities masquerading as real ones. I urge you to recommend to NUC
a more drastic action against the proprietors or owners of such institutions.
"I attended primary school during the colonial
days. If I had attended just ordinary primary school that we have today, I
could not have passed London GCE Ordinary and Advanced Levels with which I went
to the university. That is why quality education is very crucial.
"Why do we lower our own standard to ordinary
school certificate? JAMB must take note of this."
Commenting on the lopsided admission policy in
Nigeria, he said: "Even in admission, 200 should be minimum mark in JAMB
to secure admissions to the universities, but the mark had been deducted, and once
JAMB allowed this to happen, then it has lowered the standard already. The minimum
should not be so ridiculous. I hereby suggest a universal cut off mark, which
should not be less than 40 percent of the total mark."
The school administrator urged the commission to
rework the curricular being used in the universities, saying the present ones
in operation lack modernity and not in touch with the reality of the 21st
century economic growth.
The eminent lawyer urged the NUC to begin a process
of ranking universities by itself to prevent fictitious organisations from
hijacking the process and rate based on sentiment, thereby damaging the
reputations of credible institutions.
In his response, the NUC team leader, Prof. Yekeen
Sanusi, said the NUC would continue to strive hard for excellence by enforcing provision
for adequate infrastructures and personnel in the universities.
Sanusi added that one of the major challenges
across the world is the issue of quality governance, describing it as very
important "because it was assumed that once there is good governance, then
every other thing will work.
"Good governance changes lives, landscape, experience
as well as brings quality, and that is why we are here to learn. We want to say
that the universities should be staffed adequately.
"For any university to scale the hurdles of
good governance, NUC needs data about equipment, staff and students, because it
is the cumulative effects of these that will help the development, expansion and
growth of our university."
Sanusi stated that the infrastructures available in
ABUAD gave him the overwhelming impression and conviction that the university
is focused on quality.
"I want to recognise the great achievements
this university has recorded. What you have done here is not for the university
alone, but for Nigeria and Africa-our father land."
The acting Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof.
Sylvester Ojo, on his own, said: "Apart from the fact that our students
have won national and international laurels in Law, Medicine and Engineering,
we are the only university that has commercial farm in the federation."
He said the university was able to achieve such feat
because of motivations in terms of prompt payment of salaries, academic
sponsorship and scholarships for teachers and students who displayed exemplary
brilliance.
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