AN interlude appeared to have emerged from the continual but
rather needless brickbats, between the National Universities Commission
(NUC) and the Lead City University based in Ibadan, Oyo State.
There were strong indications that the two contending foes recently assembled their respective teams at the negotiation table, to find a possible common ground on all the major areas of conflict. Besides, a forensic audit team, made up of five Professors, resumed at the University last Monday and is expected to complete its investigation tomorrow.
But why should there be a problem in the first place?
It is a fact that the NUC is the government agency vested with the authority to regulate the activities of all Universities in the country. The powers are comprehensive and precise. They have been designed to check academic fraud, indiscipline in the ivory tower, recklessness of the university administrators and all forms of unethical practices. If the commission chooses to enforce all the laws it has the authority to, many Universities will be in trouble.
It is also a fact that the privately owned Lead City University was granted approval by the Federal Government, through the recommendation of the NUC, to begin academic activities in June 2005. Known then as the “City University,” the approval letter, dated June 3, 2005 and singed by the former Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Peter Okebukola listed nine conditions which the institution must comply with, in the course of its intended activities.
The first condition stipulated that the university would have three colleges at maturity, which are to be established in phases: They include, Management Sciences, Information and Technology and Humanities. The second: the start-up colleges are to comprise the colleges of Management Sciences, Information and Communication Technology and some departments in the college of Humanities. The left-over departments were slated for the third phase. Also included in this second condition: “The College of Law is deferred for now.”
The third: “The University must not have more than two colleges at commencement with 400 foundation students and the figure will peak at 5000 at ultimate development.” The fourth condition stated that the creation of new colleges, departments, programmes and increase in student population must receive the prior approval of the NUC. The fifth condition dealt with the requirements for the establishment of the post graduate programme, which included the attainment of full accreditation status for the relevant programme and that the programe must also have produced at least a set of graduates.
The sixth and seventh conditions stipulated that both the staff, student ratios and the academic staff mix must conform to NUC’s prescribed norms. The eight and final conditions dealt with admission matters.
They stated: “Admission of students must be through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board without prejudice to any other admission criteria you may prescribe and admission on student on transfer and direct entry in the first two sessions after take-off is unacceptable.”
But the relationship between two over the last three years has not been rosy. While the commission accuses the institution of serial disobedience of the law, the institution had also accused the NUC of victimisation and double standard.
The latest faceoff began on July 6, when the commission, in exercise of its powers, suspended the operational licenses of seven private Universities.
They were, Madonna, Lead City, Tansian, Caritas, Joseph Ayo Babalola, Achievers and Obong Universities. The commission accused the institutions of committing five major offences: Unwillingness to comply with NUC regulations; Inappropriate governance structure and ethos; Poor management of academic activities; Generally poor learning environment and Mismanagement of students’ examination records.
The commission also directed the affected institutions to immediately stop further admission of students into all their academic programmes until a forensic audit was conducted.
While six out of the seven affected institutions promptly went to the commission to talk things over, Lead City decided on another course of action. Its management team sent a petition to the Federal House of Representatives, accusing the NUC of victimisation.
It was not the first time that the University would accuse the commission of high-handedness. It had, last year, sent a petition to the Federal Ministry of Education, which persuaded the Education Minister, Prof. Ruqqayyatu Rufai to wade into the matter. When the Minister asked the NUC what the matter was, the chairman of the commission’s Board, Prof. S.A.S Galadanci submitted a comprehensive response, dated March 5, 2011.
An apparently irked Galadanci stated, “the major issues in contention between NUC and Lead City University are the University’s complete disregard for the NUC’s regulatory role in the Nigerian University system and the unbridled inclination of its management to breach NUC quality assurance and operational guidelines since the establishment of the University.
“These include: Commencement of academic programmes before the issuance of operational license as evidenced by the University’s attempt to mobilize students for NYSC in 2007/2008, barely two years after approval.
“Contravention of clause (iv) of the operational; guidelines attached to its license by (the): establishment of the post graduate school in the first phase of operation as discovered by the findings of the Special Verification Visit to the Lead City University in 2006. Commencement of post graduate courses in programmes wherein full accreditation had not been obtained nor the first set of graduates produced from the related undergraduate programmes. Establishment of the college of law without approval.”
He continued, “it is on record that the attention of the University management was drawn to all the operational lapses detected by the Verification Committee. The University’s failure to comply with most of the commission’s operational guidelines since inception is also self evident.
“Indeed, efforts by the commission to call the University to order and maintain quality assurance standards within the University system are frequently treated with disdain by the University management.
“From the fore going, it is clear that the contraventions are deliberate and continuous. Such recalcitrance, if left unchecked, will undermine the commission’s regulatory role within the sector and send a wrong signal to the Nigerian University system. In the best interest of qualitative University education in Nigeria, the operational excesses of the Lead City University, Ibadan, should therefore be decisively addressed.”
The statement, which also catalogued NUC’s various encounters with the University, was re-presented by the commission’s Deputy Executive Secretary, Mr Akinbode Agbaoye as a background document at the House Committee’s hearing held last month. So far, the NUC has lifted the suspension on Joseph Ayo Babalola, Achievers and Tansian Universities following actions taken by them to rectify the infractions leading to the suspension of their operational liceses.
However, information obtained from Lead City University’s website stated that the institution’s operational license “remains intact as the Federal Executive Council, which is the only authority that can grant or suspend such has not and is not in the process of suspending the license as being peddled in the media.”
Besides, the institution uploaded what it described as the “Orders of the House Representatives, ” signed by Uzor Azubuike and Micheal Egwu, purportedly describing the suspension of its operational license as “null and void.”
However, in an advertorial published in a national newspaper last week, the institution’s Registrar, Dr Oyebola Ayeni affirmed that the Nursing programmes had been stopped since March 2001, while the Post Graduate programmes “have been closed down until a fresh approval is sought and obtained from the NUC.”
When contacted, the University’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Dr. Ayobami Owolabi confirmed that the institution had opened talks with the NUC. He declined comments over several issues presented before him. “Since we are discussing with the NUC, I will not want to comment on the matter for now. We are hopeful that all the issues will soon be resolved,” he said.
There were strong indications that the two contending foes recently assembled their respective teams at the negotiation table, to find a possible common ground on all the major areas of conflict. Besides, a forensic audit team, made up of five Professors, resumed at the University last Monday and is expected to complete its investigation tomorrow.
But why should there be a problem in the first place?
It is a fact that the NUC is the government agency vested with the authority to regulate the activities of all Universities in the country. The powers are comprehensive and precise. They have been designed to check academic fraud, indiscipline in the ivory tower, recklessness of the university administrators and all forms of unethical practices. If the commission chooses to enforce all the laws it has the authority to, many Universities will be in trouble.
It is also a fact that the privately owned Lead City University was granted approval by the Federal Government, through the recommendation of the NUC, to begin academic activities in June 2005. Known then as the “City University,” the approval letter, dated June 3, 2005 and singed by the former Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Peter Okebukola listed nine conditions which the institution must comply with, in the course of its intended activities.
The first condition stipulated that the university would have three colleges at maturity, which are to be established in phases: They include, Management Sciences, Information and Technology and Humanities. The second: the start-up colleges are to comprise the colleges of Management Sciences, Information and Communication Technology and some departments in the college of Humanities. The left-over departments were slated for the third phase. Also included in this second condition: “The College of Law is deferred for now.”
The third: “The University must not have more than two colleges at commencement with 400 foundation students and the figure will peak at 5000 at ultimate development.” The fourth condition stated that the creation of new colleges, departments, programmes and increase in student population must receive the prior approval of the NUC. The fifth condition dealt with the requirements for the establishment of the post graduate programme, which included the attainment of full accreditation status for the relevant programme and that the programe must also have produced at least a set of graduates.
The sixth and seventh conditions stipulated that both the staff, student ratios and the academic staff mix must conform to NUC’s prescribed norms. The eight and final conditions dealt with admission matters.
They stated: “Admission of students must be through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board without prejudice to any other admission criteria you may prescribe and admission on student on transfer and direct entry in the first two sessions after take-off is unacceptable.”
But the relationship between two over the last three years has not been rosy. While the commission accuses the institution of serial disobedience of the law, the institution had also accused the NUC of victimisation and double standard.
The latest faceoff began on July 6, when the commission, in exercise of its powers, suspended the operational licenses of seven private Universities.
They were, Madonna, Lead City, Tansian, Caritas, Joseph Ayo Babalola, Achievers and Obong Universities. The commission accused the institutions of committing five major offences: Unwillingness to comply with NUC regulations; Inappropriate governance structure and ethos; Poor management of academic activities; Generally poor learning environment and Mismanagement of students’ examination records.
The commission also directed the affected institutions to immediately stop further admission of students into all their academic programmes until a forensic audit was conducted.
While six out of the seven affected institutions promptly went to the commission to talk things over, Lead City decided on another course of action. Its management team sent a petition to the Federal House of Representatives, accusing the NUC of victimisation.
It was not the first time that the University would accuse the commission of high-handedness. It had, last year, sent a petition to the Federal Ministry of Education, which persuaded the Education Minister, Prof. Ruqqayyatu Rufai to wade into the matter. When the Minister asked the NUC what the matter was, the chairman of the commission’s Board, Prof. S.A.S Galadanci submitted a comprehensive response, dated March 5, 2011.
An apparently irked Galadanci stated, “the major issues in contention between NUC and Lead City University are the University’s complete disregard for the NUC’s regulatory role in the Nigerian University system and the unbridled inclination of its management to breach NUC quality assurance and operational guidelines since the establishment of the University.
“These include: Commencement of academic programmes before the issuance of operational license as evidenced by the University’s attempt to mobilize students for NYSC in 2007/2008, barely two years after approval.
“Contravention of clause (iv) of the operational; guidelines attached to its license by (the): establishment of the post graduate school in the first phase of operation as discovered by the findings of the Special Verification Visit to the Lead City University in 2006. Commencement of post graduate courses in programmes wherein full accreditation had not been obtained nor the first set of graduates produced from the related undergraduate programmes. Establishment of the college of law without approval.”
He continued, “it is on record that the attention of the University management was drawn to all the operational lapses detected by the Verification Committee. The University’s failure to comply with most of the commission’s operational guidelines since inception is also self evident.
“Indeed, efforts by the commission to call the University to order and maintain quality assurance standards within the University system are frequently treated with disdain by the University management.
“From the fore going, it is clear that the contraventions are deliberate and continuous. Such recalcitrance, if left unchecked, will undermine the commission’s regulatory role within the sector and send a wrong signal to the Nigerian University system. In the best interest of qualitative University education in Nigeria, the operational excesses of the Lead City University, Ibadan, should therefore be decisively addressed.”
The statement, which also catalogued NUC’s various encounters with the University, was re-presented by the commission’s Deputy Executive Secretary, Mr Akinbode Agbaoye as a background document at the House Committee’s hearing held last month. So far, the NUC has lifted the suspension on Joseph Ayo Babalola, Achievers and Tansian Universities following actions taken by them to rectify the infractions leading to the suspension of their operational liceses.
However, information obtained from Lead City University’s website stated that the institution’s operational license “remains intact as the Federal Executive Council, which is the only authority that can grant or suspend such has not and is not in the process of suspending the license as being peddled in the media.”
Besides, the institution uploaded what it described as the “Orders of the House Representatives, ” signed by Uzor Azubuike and Micheal Egwu, purportedly describing the suspension of its operational license as “null and void.”
However, in an advertorial published in a national newspaper last week, the institution’s Registrar, Dr Oyebola Ayeni affirmed that the Nursing programmes had been stopped since March 2001, while the Post Graduate programmes “have been closed down until a fresh approval is sought and obtained from the NUC.”
When contacted, the University’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Dr. Ayobami Owolabi confirmed that the institution had opened talks with the NUC. He declined comments over several issues presented before him. “Since we are discussing with the NUC, I will not want to comment on the matter for now. We are hopeful that all the issues will soon be resolved,” he said.
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