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.
