The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the Federal Government to probe the activities of the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and other agencies fingered in the award of fake degrees from the Republic of Benin and also Togo.
This came after the education ministry under Tahir Mamman suspended the accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo.
The ministry made the move following a report by Daily Nigerian Newspaper showing how its reporter went undercover and got a university degree in Cotonou in six weeks.
However, in a statement in Abeokuta on Tuesday, National Senate President of NANS, Elvis Ekundina, also called on the government to extend its sanction to Nigerian tertiary institutions offering courses without accreditation from relevant authorities.
The statement said, “While we commend the Federal government for its quick decision to suspend the accreditation of degree certificates obtained from institutions in Benin Republic and Togo, it is important to investigate the activities of relevant agencies fingered in the fraudulent activities.
“We also want to use this opportunity to call on the government to beam its searchlight into the activities of tertiary institutions, especially privately-owned ones running unaccredited course.
“These institutions in their act are destroying our education sector and swindling innocent young Nigerians of their money by offering them unaccredited courses.
“I like to describe these universities and polytechnics offering unaccredited courses as illegal institutions which should be dealt with appropriately.”
Ekundina called on the Federal Government to collaborate with NANS and other student bodies to rid the country of “illegal” tertiary institutions towards repositioning the education sector.
