The founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), has called for the closure of unaccredited universities across the country.
He said their activities were inimical to academic growth and quality education.
Babalola told officials of the National Universities Commission (NUC) that the best way to discourage illegal universities in Nigeria is by meting out stringent sanctions to operators.
The eminent lawyer described this as a veritable way to halt certificate racketeering in the country.
Aare Babalola spoke yesterday at ABUAD while hosting the NUC team during their assessment tour and to evaluate the level of compliance to good governance in the institution.
He said: “Get those operating illegal universities arrested. It is a common knowledge that there are many illegal universities masquerading as real universities. I urge you to recommend to NUC a more drastic action against proprietors or owners of such institutions.
“I attended primary school during the colonial days. If I had attended just an ordinary primary school, like we have today, I could not have passed London General Certificate in Education (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? The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) must take note of this.”
Commenting on the lopsided admission policy in Nigeria, Aare Babalola 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 per cent of the total mark.”
He urged the commission to rework the curricular currently in use in the universities, saying it lacks modernity and is out of touch with the realities of 21st century economic growth.
The eminent lawyer urged the NUC to begin the ranking of universities by itself to prevent fictitious organisations from hijacking the process and rate based on sentiment, thereby damaging the reputation of credible institutions.
He suggested that to have degrees in sciences and humanities and other academic areas candidates should have minimum qualification to study Medicine and Law, as obtainable in Britain and other advanced climes.
NUC’s team leader Prof. Yekeen Sanusi said the commission would continue to strive hard for excellence by enforcing provision of adequate infrastructure and personnel in the universities.
Sanusi added that one the major challenges across the world is quality governance.
The academic described it as very important “because it was assumed that once there are good governance, then every other thing will work”.
He added: “Good governance changes lives, landscape, our experience; it brings quality. 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 ivory towers.”
Sanusi noted that the infrastructure at ABUAD gave him the conviction that the university focused on quality.
“I want to recognise the great achievements this university has achieved. What you have done here is not for the university alone but for Nigeria and Africa, our father land.”
ABUAD’s Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Sylvester Ojo 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.”