•Ex-Unimaid VC, Prof. Jibrila Amin heads panel

By: Joseph Erunke

The federal government yesterday set up a 12-member investigative panel to probe phoney universities selling fake educational credentials to Nigerians.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, who inaugurated the panel in Abuja, named the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Committee of Vice Chancellors, Prof. Jibrila Amin, as chairman.

The committee, which has the acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Dr. Chris Maiyaki, as a member, also has diplomats and security experts as members.

It was given two months to complete its assignment and submit a report for appropriate action.

The investigative panel is to examine the veracity of the allegations of degree certificate racketeering within both foreign and local private universities in Nigeria; review the role of the ministry, its departments and agencies as well as officials (including identifying such officials) in facilitation of the recognition and procurement of the fake certificate in question and review existing policies and procedures related to accreditation and certification to identify weaknesses contributing to the issue.

Also,the committee is to examine the rules, procedures and processes for recognition and accreditation of foreign universities and programmes by the Federal Ministry of Education; establish if unapproved foreign institutions (Degree Mills) exist or not in Nigeria in whatever form with their identities and locations if any; make appropriate recommendations for review of any rules, procedures, processes to prevent a recurrence and sanctions for identified erring officials.

It is equally to make other recommendation that will strengthen the system of recognitions, accreditations and quality assurance of degrees in Nigeria.

The panel’s other terms of reference are to examine the extant rules procedures and processes for granting of provisional licences to new universities by the National Universities Commission (NUC);Examine the procedures and processes for periodic accreditation of programmes in the universities by the NUC and examine their effectiveness in quality assurance of the programmes and without prejudice to the periodic accreditation exercise of the NUC, examine whether or not Private Universities established in the last 15 years have in place prescribed facilities, appropriate management structure, adequate funding of programmes, requisite staff (nature of staff-full time, contract, adjunct, visiting, other types).

Members of the committee include Prof. Jibrila Amin, Chairman;Dr Chris Maiyaki,acting Executive Secretary,National Universities Commission, NUC; Amb. Lazarus Kpasaba, from Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs;Abel Olarenwaju, from Office of the National Security Adviser,NSA; Omeh Nwokpoku, from Office of the National Security Adviser, NSA;Mrs Amina Mohammed Lugga, from Federal Ministry of Youths Development;Mrs Doom Iyortyom, from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB and some directors of the Federal Ministry of Education.