President Muhammad Buhari has warned that the federal government will sanction any federal university that failed to comply with its directive to apply federal character in the admission of new students into the institution.

Buhari represented by the Deputy Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Suleiman Yusuf, gave warning in Benin during the 45th Convocation/49th Founders Day Ceremony of the University of Benin.

“Government hereby directs all federal universities to ensure that henceforth every local government, all states and all geopolitical zones are represented in their admission of new entrance.”

He directed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and NUC to ensure compliance commencing from the 2020 admission season.

He added “NUC and JAMB have been directed to thereafter carry out a comprehensive student audits to ascertain compliance. You can be assured that government will not hesitate to apply sanctions against erring institutions,” he said.

He noted government is aware of the ongoing efforts of the NUC to undertake a comprehensive review of the benchmark minimum academic standards and reform the curricula in all academic disciplines in Nigerian university systems. ”

In this regard, universities must involve innovative strategies for curricula development. Such new curricula must address and proffer solutions to breach the real and perceived skills and knowledge gaps between labour market expectations and what graduates bring to the labour market which presently appears to blight the quality of our graduates.”

While acknowledging the positive contributions of Association Staff Union of University (ASUU), in instigating government increased funding interventions, he advised ASUU and other campus based unions to pay closer attention to issues pertaining to the internal governance of the universities and other tertiary institutions rather than focus almost exclusively on governance at the national and subnational level.

He said the universities are increasingly being ravaged by maladministration, corruption, indiscipline, immorality and different variance of unethical practices such as sex-for-grades right under their noses and challenges ASUU to beam searchlight on the way and manner in which universities are be governed.

On his part, the institution’s outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Orumwense, noted the institution has achieved much in the academic development under his administration. He charged the graduands to be good ambassador of the school as they have been found wanting in character and learning. (Daily Trust)

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