Group Wants FG to Fight Corruption in Universities

By John Shiklam in Kaduna

A non-partisan society of academics, Egalitarian Movement for All (EMA), has called on the federal government to probe the finances of universities in line with the current bid to stamp out corruption in the education sector.

 Executive Director of the movement,  Dr. James Lawan, in a statement yesterday said the recent suspension of the Vice Chancellor  of  ‎the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Prof Adebiyi Daramola, and the Vice Chancellor of the  Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Prof Olusola Oyewole, was a clear indication  that  the  government was determined  to deal with corruption in all sectors of the economy.

EMA called on the federal government to extend its searchlight to  other universities where similar issues have been raised in order to tackle corruption in tertiary institutions. 

‎The statement called on the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, to, as a matter of urgent national concern, probe the University of Ilorin and the University of  Calabar  in the next round of probes, stressing that there had  been many concerns raised in the two varsities in recent times.

Lawan said the minister must demonstrate that there are no sacred cows in the war against corruption in the education sector and  to prove his sincerity of purpose, saying that the moves by the federal ministry of education to stamp out corruption in the education sector was a step in the right ‎direction.

The movement applauded the courage  of the minister in wielding the big stick, saying people with questionable character should never again be allowed to occupy sensitive positions in the education sector, considering its role in the molding and training of the youths  as leaders of tomorrow.

“The probe must not end with the two but must be extended to other institutions to save the education sector in Nigeria.

“The minister has started well; he has taken the bull by the horns, even as corruption would try to fight back, but  the minister must not relent,” the statement said .