ICPC bemoans corruption in Nigerian universities

Nnamdi Felix / Abuja

The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, on Tuesday in Abuja unveiled findings made in its pilot University System Study Review, USSR project it carried out in conjunction with the National Universities Commission, NUC.

The project focused on three universities in the country which were randomly selected to represent the entire university system in the country

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka was selected to represent federal universities, while Olabisi Onabanjo University and Salem University were selected to represent state and private universities respectively.

The pilot project study group headed by the NUC Director General, Prof Peter Okebukola, embarked on the project recently and submitted its report to the Board of the ICPC.

Highlights of their findings and recommendation as presented by the Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, indicate that admission and enrollment procedures in the nation’s universities are flawed as rules guiding this process are not adhered to while political interference, lack of proper monitoring and absence of punitive measures against infractions are the order of the day.

The study also looked at the award of degrees, graduation of students, sales of examination questions, gratification to manipulate the award of marks, examination by proxy, delays in the release of result as well as the issue of non graduation of students due to poor record keeping by universities and victimization which the ICPC noted is prevalent in Nigerian Universities.

The research also discovered delays in take off of lectures, non completeness of syllabus in the institutions studied and noted that the NUC ban on operation of satellite campus is complied with in the breach.

The ICPC chairman observed that corruption engendered by incessant strikes ny university lecturers, sale of lecture notes and handouts have badly battered the reputation of Nigerian Universities and accounts for the massive capital flight in the form of school fees paid by parents to give their children and ward better education abroad.

He also pointed out that issues such as allocation of hostel spaces in universities have become an interesting racket in quite a number of universities.

On appointments and promotion of staff, the report revealed that gratification, victimization and nepotism play important roles in the system and generates it’s own culture of corruption.

The issue of contract splitting, inadequate contract monitoring and evaluation were also found to have contributed in no small way to project abandonment as most often, contractors who are corruptly favored in the award of contracts in the universities, abandon the project after receiving mobilization fees.

Mr. Nta also revealed that sexual harassment has a high occurrence rate in Nigerian universities and that petitions bordering on sex related offenses received by ICPC, rank highest in the education sector. He indicated the preparedness of the commission to commence implementation of the recommendations made by the group which the ICPC had accepted for implementation in principle.

He further observed that corruption is at the root of the crisis that led to the recent killing of three students of the Nasarawa state University where students demonstrated over non availability of water, a basic requirement in any university and called on students to seek intervention of the ICPC in such events rather than resort to demonstrations which, most times, turn into violence.