You are all corrupt, JAMB registrar blasts private universities

Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede has lambasted some private universities in the country for aiding academic corruption and decadence.

He accused some private university operators for going against many laws guiding university operations in the country.

Oloyede spoke in Abuja at the opening ceremony of a two-day summit on Nigerian private universities with the theme: “Private University Education Delivery in Nigeria; challenges and opportunities” organised by the National Universities Commission.

He explained that the purpose of opening up the university space by the Federal Government to private operators seems to be defeated because of some of the sharp practices operators of private universities undertake.

He said: “Government opened up the space few years ago for private operators to come complement government effort in providing university education to Nigerians, but it seems like the aim is gradually being defeated.

“When you visit some private universities, you will be ashamed for Nigeria. From the structures, you will know that something is wrong.

“If you take a deeper look, you will discover more decadence and rot in their operations. Some of the proprietors choose to run the universities like a family business and it ought not to be so.”

The JAMB registrar explained that only Vice Chancellors are recognised by law as being in charge of day-to-day running of the university.

According to him, every other person with ceremonial titles plays supportive roles.

“If I were to be university proprietor, I will prefer to take the position of Chairman of the Council because of the control power attached to that office,” he added.

NUC’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, said the commission was currently processing about 303 new applications for the establishment of new private universities.

He said 208 out of the 303 applications are on step three in the processing of their applications, while 63 applicants representing 20.79 percent of the total applicants, were on step six having only submitted their completed application forms and strategic documents and are waiting first verification visit.

He added that 30 applicants, representing 9.9 percent were on step eight and have had first verification visit conducted to their proposed university campuses.

The Minister of education, Malam Adamu Adamu, said the running of a private university was a serious business which required greater discipline.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Sonny Echono, the minister urged private universities to address the major challenges militating against their operation, which he identified as staffing, poor or non-implementation of university governance arrangement, excessive proprietor influence, inadequate funding among others.