The Federal Government has described as unacceptable, the report by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission (ICPC) of unwholesome practices in some Federal Universities in Nigeria .
Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu, who expressed dismay over the alleged report, on Tuesday, in Abuja during the inauguration of visitation panels for 38 Federal universities and four inter-university centres,tasked members of visitation panels to the Institutions to do a thorough job.
He said Government was by the inauguration laying a solid foundation for the restoration of the highest ideals of the University system in Nigeria, which would be marked by the uninterrupted academic calendar, quality teaching and learning infrastructure and enrolment of foreign students among others.
He said President Muhammadu Buhari approved the constitution of the visitation panels following agitation by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and staff unions about governance deficit in the institutions’ coupled by the ICPC report of high-level unwholesome practices in some Universities.
Adamu ,who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Arc. Sonny Echono, said the inauguration of the panels, was part of efforts by the Federal Government to reposition the university system in the country.
He noted that the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guiding the establishment of federal universities and inter-university centres in the country require that from time to time, stock taking on the activities of those institutions be carried out by panels of knowledgeable individuals for the purposes of improving their efficiency and effectiveness.
According to him, the main objective of the visitations, therefore, is to appraise the performance of the institutions, in terms of the leadership qualities of the Vice-Chancellors, Principal Officers and the Governing Councils to ascertain the extent to which they have fulfilled their mandate for public good during the period under review.
“This explains why the exercise also looks closely into financial management, administration and the overall conditions for teaching, learning and research in the affected institutions.
“As provided for in the laws setting up all public universities in the country, visitations are conducted every five years. The last of such exercises was carried out in early 2011, covering the period 2004-2010.
“In effect, the current exercise will cover a 10 year period and all panels to be inaugurated shortly are expected to present two separate five-year reports; 2011-2015 and 2016-2020,” he said.
