By Caleb Ayansina

ABUJA — THE Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, yesterday, said corruption in the education sector, particularly in tertiary institutions, persists due to absence of political will to bring those who violate due process to account.

Consequently, the commission called for strong commitment by political and educational leaders to tackle all forms of corruption in tertiary education system.
ICPC in a report of the National Conference on Transparency, Accountability and Ethical Values in Tertiary Institutions for Sustainable Development, publicly presented to the leadership of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, in Abuja, denied that corruption in tertiary schools was a result of lack of regulatory framework.

Reading the recommendations of the report, Chairman of the University System Study Review, USSR, of ICPC, Prof. Olu Aina, noted that the absence of political will to fight corruption was aided by poor, inactive or manipulated internal checks and balances and seeming abdication of external oversight functions.
Prof. Aina also maintained that over N65 billion accumulated tertiary funds was not accessed by state governments, when there was serious need to develop the education system in the country.