THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Sokoto Zone, has called on the National Universities Commission (NUC), to investigate alleged corrupt practices by Vice-Chancellors (VCs) of some universities across the country.
Jamilu Shehu, the ASUU Northern Zonal Coordinator in a statement in Katsina on Friday, said that vice-chancellors of some universities were defrauding unsuspecting students and parents.
He said the corrupt practices are taking place in the zone which includes the Usumanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Umaru Musa Yaradua University Katsina and Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero in Kebbi State.
Others are Federal University, Dutsin-ma, Katsina State, Federal University, Gusau and Federal University, Birnin Kebbi.
According to him, some Vice-Chancellors were deceiving and defrauding unsuspecting students and parents by pretending to have kept the academic session running, despite the closure of universities by the Federal Government due to COVID-19 pandemic.
He added that there were some universities in the zone that demanded payment from students for the purpose of academic gowns to participate in online matriculation.
“We know of some universities where students were mandated to pay for academic gowns in order to participate in online matriculation and graduation ceremonies.”
“There were also reports of some VCs involving surrogates and relatives as supervisors of the candidates writing examinations during the lockdown.”
“We, however, call on the NUC to investigate these issues with a view to saving the university education from decay,’’ Shehu said.
The union also decried the recent relocation of Federal University Dutsin-ma Katsina from its permanent site to the former take-off campus, due to the insecurity in the North-West.
“It is also embarrassing that two universities in the zone established 10 years ago namely, Federal University, Gusau, and Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, have been operating without Establishment Acts.
“We therefore call on the Federal Government to take urgent and necessary steps to remedy the situation,” Shehu said
“It is also embarrassing that two universities in the zone established 10 years ago namely, Federal University, Gusau, and Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, have been operating without Establishment Acts.
“We, therefore, call on the Federal Government to take urgent and necessary steps to remedy the situation,” Shehu said.
The ICIR investigation had revealed how millions of government fund was illegally spent and diverted by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lokoja, Angela Freeman Miri.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94