NUC should be probed over alleged fraud – ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called for the probe of the activities of the National Universities Commission (NUC) over alleged fraudulent practices on university accreditation in Nigeria.

The ASUU’s national treasurer, Dr Ademola Aremu and chairman, University of Ibadan, ASUU chapter, Dr Olusegun Ajiboye, who respectively made the call in Ibadan yesterday while speaking with newsmen also called for the review of the Act establishing the NUC and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Aremu said that it was 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.

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.