by Oge Okonkwo

 The National Universities Commission (NUC) has been called upon to defend its activities  by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) concerning alleged fraudulent practices on university accreditation in Nigeria.

The call was made in Ibadan while speaking to newsmen by the ASUU’s national treasurer, Ademola Aremu and chairman, University of Ibadan, ASUU chapter, Olusegun Ajiboye, where he also called for the  review of the Act establishing the NUC and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Dr. Aremu said it was questionable and unbelievable that the  Professor Julius Okojie-led NUC could  give a clean bill of health to universities where the Needs Assessment Committee set up by the federal government found rot in terms of deficient human capital and infrastructure.

Leadership News reports:

He added that the activities of NUC had been tainted by alleged frauds over accreditation.

“In NUC, there are so many frauds going on there. NUC to us in ASUU has outlived its usefulness. When government gives appointment, it knows the kind of people they take and most of the time they are people who can compromise anything. Very recently, The River State University of Technology conducted an examination under some fraudulent situations when academic staff were on strike and NUC came out to say the examinations were conducted under normal conditions.

“The fraud going in NUC over accreditation of courses in Nigerian universities must stop. If JAMB is working well, there will be no need for post JAMB and that is why we are saying the laws that established JAMB should also be reviewed”.

While maintaining the union’s stand on full implementation of the 2009 agreement, Dr Aremu stressed that government cannot call for renegotiation without implementing the 2009 agreement.

Also speaking, Ajiboye lashed out at the government for claiming that it had no money, saying that the federal government should declare the money made from other sources rather telling Nigerians about crude oil earning.

He disclosed that the Federal Inland Revenue Services realised over N5.6 trillion in 2012 while the DPR allegedly declared over N700 billion in 2013.