The Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), has urged the National Universities Commission (NUC) to prosecute operators of unlicensed universities across the country.
Babalola, who decried the rising spate of illegal universities with their “fraudulent insignia dotting virtually every part of the country”, said the NUC should work with the security agencies to arrest and prosecute their promoters.
This, the legal luminary said, is among the plausible solutions to safeguard the nation’s university education from imminent collapse.
Babalola spoke at the weekend at the ninth convocation ceremonies of ABUAD.
The eminent lawyer said the days of treating illegal varsities with kid gloves should be over by now because they are wreaking havoc on the Education sector.
He also warned the 36 governors against establishing universities in their states for political reasons.
According to him, many of such universities become unsustainable when the governors leave office.
During the graduation ceremony, ABUAD conferred honorary doctoral degrees on Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi; the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, and the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Sulu Gambari.
Babalola said: “Most disappointedly, the National Assembly, for some time, now approved the establishment of one-subject university in their constituency. One remembers the fate of state universities established by some governors in their localities, which were not sustainable after left power.
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“I call on NUC, which, in law, is authorised to approve establishment of universities, to ensure that the conditions laid down in law are strictly followed.
“The NUC, on its website, had been publishing names of illegal universities annually. This means no action had been taken against those discovered the previous years.
“The damage done to education by these illegal universities is irreparable. I call on the Federal Government, the Ministry of Education, the NUC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to identify these universities, their operators and teachers and take appropriate sanctions, which include forfeiture of the property and imprisonment of collaborators.”
The legal luminary said ABUAD had spent N620 million in the last 10 years on reward mechanism for students, academic and non-academic workers who demonstrated exemplary qualities in character, scholarship, entrepreneurship and leadership.
Speaking on behalf of the honourees, Governor Zulum said lack of education had been chiefly responsible for increasing cases of kidnapping, banditry and killings across the land.
The governor urged Nigerians to sustain the nation’s unity in words and actions.
“We shall work together to ensure the unity of our nation. The reason we are facing insurgency, banditry and killings in Nigeria is as a result of lack of education and high unemployment rate among our youths. This university and others should strive to address all these problems by providing quality education that will guarantee jobs for our teeming youths.
“This is the first time I get a honourary doctorate in any university since I became governor. This is not because universities were not willing but I decided to get this because of the credibility of this university and its founder.
“This is not for political reason. This university is just 12 years. Looking at the academic quality and infrastructure, one would think it is up to 100 years.
“Two problems are facing our education: the mismatch between the Education sector and industry, and the mismatch between graduates and labour markets. But I know that this university has been offering quality education that can provide jobs for our youths.”
Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi said the state was proud of ABUAD.
“This university is tourism for us, not only in education but in medical areas. This is because we have one of the best hospitals in Nigeria here in this university,” he said.
Fayemi urged the graduands to design their lives in most profitable ways by imbibing the spirit of “delayed gratification”.
The governor advised them to also imbibe candour, integrity, honesty, competence as qualities that would help them to successfully navigate through life.
“But this university must stay here till eternity. We want Baba Afe Babalola to stay with us forever, but this is not possible. But with this university allowed to stand forever, we will continue to feel Baba’s impacts and his love for humanity,” he said.
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