NANS Tells FG To Sanction All Universities Offering Unaccredited Courses

CURSORY : Federal Government suspends accreditation of certificate for Nigerian students from universities in Benin Republic and Togo, and now to sanction Nigeria Universities with Unaccredited Courses.

Previously, the federal government suspended the accreditation of degree certificate that were obtained from institutions in Benin Republic and Togo, and the decision have been commended by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).

The student body (NANS) then called on the government to extend it’s sanction to tertiary universities operating in Nigeria that are offering courses that haven’t been accredited by relevant authorities.

The appeal was made in a statement signed by the National Senate President of NANS, Elvis Ekundina, and the statement was given to newsmen in Abeokuta.

It was initially announced that the federal ministry of education showed concern over the use of deception by some Nigerians to obtain certificate from Benin Republic and Togo, with the aim of getting job opportunities, even though the students are not qualified.

The event lead to the immediate suspension of degree certificate accreditation obtained from the institutions of those countries by the government.

NANS reacted to this by calling on the government to start up an investigation into the activities of the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and other agencies fingered in the fraudulent activities of obtaining degree certificates from foreign universities.

According to Ekundina; “While we commend the federal government for its quick decision to suspend the accreditation of degree certificates obtained from institutions in Benin Republic and Togo, it is important for the government to take further steps into investigating the activities of relevant agencies fingered in the fraudulent activities.

“This is the only way the federal government can save its face and restore the battered image of the country.

“We also want to use this opportunity to call on the government to beam its searchlight into the activities of tertiary institutions, especially privately owned ones that are running unaccredited courses.

“These institutions, in their fraudulent acts, are destroying our education sector and swindling innocent young Nigerians of their money by offering them unaccredited courses.

“Like to describe these universities and polytechnics offering unaccredited courses as illegal institutions, as we want the government to deal with them appropriately.”

Ekundina called on the federal government to collaborate with NANS and other student bodies to rid the country of “illegal” tertiary institutions and reposition the education sector.