Chief Afe Babalola, founder, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, says state governors are establishing universities for political reasons.
He said many of such universities were found to be unsustainable after the governors might have relinquished power.
He spoke Sunday at the 9th convocation ceremony of the institution where Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe and the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, bagged honorary doctorates.
“Most disappointedly, the National Assembly for some time now approved the establishment of a one-subject university in members’ constituencies.
“One remembers the fate of state universities established by some governors in their localities, which were not sustainable after they left power.
“I call these universities political universities. I call on NUC, which in law is authorized 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 which were discovered the previous years.
“The damage done to education by these illegal universities is irreparable,” Babalola said.
He urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the National Universities Commission to arrest and prosecute those involved in the operation of illegal universities in Nigeria.
He said this was to safeguard the nation’s education system from imminent collapse.
He advised the commission to stop the creation of what he termed “mushroom institutions “that are destroying the system.
Speaking on behalf of the honorees, Zulum blamed the lack of education for the incessant cases of kidnapping, banditry and killings being witnessed in the country. (NAN)
