By Dele Sobowale

“Stories abound about sticky-fingered Vice-Chancellors who have made good in the Nigerian fashion. In other words, higher tuition fees may only translate into more resources for the boys.” Professor Kayode Soremekun, NOUN UNIVERSITY, PUNCH, June 2, 2015, p 2.

Soremekun had been in the university system for years and he should know quite a lot about universities and corrupt practices. However, even if he knows everything, the logic in that statement escapes an objective reader. Is he saying that because “some sticky-fingered Vice-Chancellors” looted their universities all VCs are to be indicted and their universities should be starved of funds?

If so, this is like saying that since some Pastors steal their churches collection, all collections should be stopped. Since when has guilt-by-association become the basis for deciding a national matter which is basically economic in nature? The following are economic facts which can never be wished away.

First, prices of resources required to run universities generally go up as long as there is inflation. At 5%, prices double in approximately sixteen years; at 10% it comes down to about eight years. Price increases will occur irrespective of whether there is corruption or not. And because universities shop for goods and services, like other organizations, they must generate sufficient revenue to maintain services at a certain standard. When tuition had remained static for over ten years, somebody had been bearing the brunt of the upward spiral of prices. If not, universities deteriorate – as they are doing now.

Second, unless society had decided on free university education, then what we now have is a Public-Private Partnership, PPP, with respect to funding public universities. Under every HONEST partnership, each party must be prepared to pay its own share of the costs of running the organization. If parents/guardians/students, on the one hand had been footing 25% of the bill, they should also be prepared to pay 25% of the increased cost of running the universities.

Third, corrupt practices, which have been occurring since Jacob swindled his father to rob Esau of blessings, are matters calling for strengthening audit procedures. But, even the most honest VC cannot stop prices of vehicles, fuel and air travel, etc or the cost of renovation, from going up. Anybody thinking otherwise is either being self-deceptive, or, out rightly dishonest.