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Nigeria: Okojie, NUC Scribe Slams LASU
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Vanguard (Lagos)
27 March 2008
Posted to the web 27 March 2008
Emmanuel Etukugho
Lagos
Dismayed by the high population of students in Lagos State University (LASU) far above its carrying capacity. Professor Julius Okojie, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), said degrees obtained from such an institution won't have integrity.
"About 81.000 students in LASU, just too many. Mow can they graduate from such a school?
LASU degrees from the external campuses have no integrity. Eighty-one thousand students! It's a shame," he lamented.
Okojic wondered how good teaching, learning and research can take place in such an institution.
LASU campuses are found almost everywhere in Lagos metropolis, over flowing with students from varied backgrounds whose admissions likely falling below standard entry requirements for university placements.
"There is need to preserve the integrity of university certificates. At the Anthony Village campus, the road is closed. Tinkers, mechanics, house wives go there, carrying capacity exceeded. After we challenged them, the Vice Chancellor said they've removed 20,000 students, cannot graduate. LASU's MBA most scandalous."
Okojie recalled that when NUC closed down the campus, LASU went to court, which ruled that the institution be given more time to put things in order.
He attributed what is happening now in which some universities just do what they liked to the advent of democracy.
"This is democracy. If it was in the era of the military, they will go there and beat up everyone. Senator Joy Mordi. (Chairperson of the Senate Education Committee) has been told to visit these campuses.
We will go to the National Assembly with some proposals."
He frowned at the existence of some illegal universities in the country, awarding degrees to unsuspecting students. The NUC executive secretary, who was answering questions at a press briefing in Lagos, named one of such universities as "North-Western University, Oturkpo," saying that when he got there, he was shocked at what he saw.
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On the PH.D issue when non-doctorate lectures have been given deadline to obtain what has become the minimum qualification for teaching in the university and the possibility of rushing the programme and issuing certificates out. Okojie allayed fears about monitoring of the process.
"We will do staff audit. NUC got two petitions from Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) and University of Ibadan (UI). That 14 Ph.Ds have been produced by Lead University, Ibadan, in only three years. No staff to even teach undergraduates. We've written to them to stop. We will discountenance Ph.D holders from there. Professors will be found out if they arc actually real professors."
He disclosed that when he visited Wukari. a professor there can't say from which university he graduated. "If the Ph.D not true, the person will die in his own shame. We discountenance."
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