The Executive Secretary, National Universities
Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, has vowed to
report vice-chancellors of universities running
illegal and non accredited courses to the
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related
Offences Commission for prosecution.
He said this on Monday at a press briefing in
Abuja.
Besides, he noted that intellectual decay had set
into the university system due to politics of
appointment of heads of departments and the
effect of the just-suspended strike by the
Academic Staff Union of Universities, which made
lecturers to stay off duty for almost six months.
He said, “We (NUC) are amazed about the number
of vice-chancellors that visit ICPC everyday.
“All these unapproved courses that some
universities are running, the vice-chancellors are
in trouble because ICPC and NUC are not going to
take it. We have to address the issue – including
misapplication of fund for projects.”
Describing the situation as “academic corruption”,
Okojie said the commission had started
sensitising universities on what constitutes
violation of law with a pilot study already ongoing
in a few universities.
“ There is what we call academic corruption. If
you employ students that are not supposed to be
in the system, it is corruption,” he added.
Okojie said NUC would provide information on
universities running illegal courses to the ICPC.
The NUC boss recalled that seven Nigerian
universities were among the 15 that won the
regional competition for African Centres of
Excellence.
He said an additional three had been included in
the list of winners to increase it to 10 from
Nigeria that will get $8 million grant each.