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th ISSN 0795-3089 13 March, 2017 Vol. 12 No. 11 FME, NUC Set Agenda for Accountability in NUS The Federal Ministry of Education has designed a template for quarterly financial report to be sent to it by all Federal Universities through the National Universities Commission in order to ensure accountability and transparency. The Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, (NUC), Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, mni, MFR, disclosed this last week, at a parley with the Executives of the Conference of Alumni Associations of Nigerian Universities (CAANU), led by the Chairman, Dr. Ahmed T. Mora, which came to present to him its Executive Secretary, NUC, Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed with the Chairman, Conference of position paper on how to move the Alumni Associations of Nigerian Universities, Dr. Ahmed T. Mora Nigerian University System (NUS) traced the challenge to the period administrators and the university forward. when TETFund began to allocate setting, he said, became “theatres of huge funds into the system in the corruption, noting that NUC had He acknowledged that NUC and form of Special Interventions, been doing its best to confront these FME were inundated with NEEDS Assessment and High issues through active engagements allegations of fraud and corrupt Impact Funds. The university of Vice-Chancellors and leadership practices by Vice-Chancellors and in this edition We Are Not In Conflict, Competition Donald Duke Delivers Veritas Varsity Convocation Lecture With Professional Bodies -NUC sole regulator of university education, says Prof. Rasheed …Tasks Youths on National Revival Page 5 Page 7 13th March, 2017 Vol. 12 No. 11 of the NUS. funding challenge raised subtly by status in the Council. He urged CAANU is understandable in view CAANU to provide details of Dwelling on the private universities, of the general recession the nation is universities that already have the Executive Secretary argued that undergoing presently. Alumni representatives in their most of them were actually Governing Councils in order to use established with clear understanding Professor Rasheed promised that it to make a genuine case. that universities were social services when the Governing Councils of and not for profit. NUC, he said, had universities would be inaugurated, On the grading of Alumni been monitoring the universities he would make a case to the Minister performances in the NUS, the while a price modulation adopted for the Chairman of CAANU to be Executive Secretary stated that it had helped to guarantee stability invited to present its position. He, would be difficult to carry out such between the rate charged and quality however, noted that the challenge exercises during programme delivered in private universities. He arose from the way most University accreditation without it being observed that any attempt to localise Laws were captured which subjective. He said that this could the staff of a university would recognised Convocation as only be accommodated when NUC encourage in-breeding which was members of the Council. e n g a g e i n I n s t i t u t i o n a l currently rubbing off badly on the Accreditation that is usually not a issue appointment of Vice- He said Convocation mainly regular activity in the system. He Chancellors and eroding the referred to a conglomeration of all told the team that Alumni are universal concept of universities. graduates, workers of the usually built on the stand-point of universities and in some few cases fund raising, especially in He noted noted that the forum was a alumni. He stressed that the only American universities which are good bridge between the Alumni and way to address the issue is to make the home of Alumni-relations. He their Alma Mata and acknowledged provision for representative of other expressed dismay that the culture of that they were a major stakeholder in stakeholders' interest like the fund-raising had not been properly the NUS. He observed that the Alumni to be given a pronounced cultivated in Nigeria. Prof. Rasheed, addressing the CAANU delegation wih some Directors of the Commission Page 2 MONDAY BULLETIN A Publication of The Office of The Executive Secretary 13th March, 2017 Vol. 12 No. 11 merit legally. have a position paper to deliver to the NUC for further discussions. Professor Rasheed advised the team Earlier in his address, the Chairman to focus more on creating awareness of the Association, Dr. Mora recalled Dr. Mora listed some of the and think creatively on fund raising that they were in the Commission concerns of the Association such as: for the universities as this would last October, to brief the Executive the inclusion of the membership of help the institutions to sustain Secretary on the objectives of the Alumni in Governing Councils themselves. He emphasised that as CAANU which includes providing of universities, grading of Alumni stakeholders CAANU had the alternative sources of funding for performance in university responsibilities to be at the forefront Nigerian universities and the accreditation, university funding of setting example in giving. This, maximum utilisation of such and the employment of graduates of according to him, could prompt mobilised funds for the benefit of the universities within a locality to other well-meaning Nigerians to system. encourage succession plan. Others support them in their fund-raising included the Allegation of drive. Some important issues, he observed, excessive recklessness, quality of emerged from the interaction such as private owned universities as well He cited the example of late Mr. the need for the Association to go as funding of Alumni Secretariat by Gabriel Onosode, who as Pro- beyond being a ceremonial platform the Tertiary Education Trust Fund Chancellor of the University of for its members, to serving as a (TETFund). Lagos impacted the Institution by forum for interfacing with mobilising his own funds which university authorities in order to On the inclusion of CAANU in the other donors saw and based on this contribute meaningfully to the Governing Councils, the Chairman integrity, keyed into the programme development of the system. He also argued that this would enable the of transforming UNILAG. He informed the Executive Secretary members contribute to the particularly tasked the team to think that the Association attended the administration of the institutions of other sources to generate funds to m e e t i n g o f C h a i r m e n / P r o - a n d m o n i t o r p o l i c i e s build its secretariat as the TETFund C h a n c e l l o r s o f N i g e r i a n implementation that would benefit was currently reviewing its universities, in December 2016, their alma mater. Grading of interventions in agencies like NUC, where it made presentation and now Alumni performance in the form of which was identified as lacking Dr. Mora receiving copies of NUC Monday Bulletin from Prof. Rasheed Page 3 MONDAY BULLETIN A Publication of The Office of The Executive Secretary 13th March, 2017 Vol. 12 No. 11 university accreditation he stated, accreditation requirements in order TETFund to finance the building of would encourage the university to establish a university culture and a moderate Alumni Secretariat in administration to ensure the a good succession plan. While the universities. presence of Alumni Associations in lamenting the allegation of most universities, especially young executive recklessness on the part of Other members of the delegation ones, as well as encourage the Vice-Chancellors in the course of were the 1st National Vice Alumni to play its role in the their service to the universities, he Chairman, Mr. Tajudeen Olu development of the NUS. He, described the situation as alarming Uthman; 2nd Vice Chairman Hon. therefore, proposed that NUC and also eroding the confidence of Ifaluyi Isibor; Secretary, Mr. should include the allotment of the ivory towers, which used to be Mohammed S. Wada; Assistant scores among the components of the revered by the society. According to Secretary, Mr. Usman Ibrahim programmes accreditation during him, this was disturbing and should Tabari; National Treasurer, Dr. a c c r e d i t a t i o n e x e r c i s e s i n not be allowed to continue. Godwin Akpan; Public Relations universities. On funding, he said that Officer, Mr. Keneth Ereke; Legal role of visitors and stakeholders in The Chairman added that CAANU Adviser, Bar. Ramatu Ahmed university education could hardly be was also concerned about the Liman, President of University of over-emphasised, calling on the quality of teaching and staff welfare Abuja Chapter, Dr. Jerome Agi; Commission to device means to in some private universities, which, University of Benin Chairman, monitor the funding status of most he claimed was not commensurate Joseph Anyanwu and Ex-Officio, s t a t e a n d p r i v a t e l y - o w n e d with the huge fees charged by the Mrs. Bola Ajayi. universities, beyond serving as what proprietors. He also expressed his he termed “business centres.” displeasure on the good grades Some members of the NUC paraded the graduates without the Management present were the D r. M o r a a d v o c a t e d t h a t same level of learning. This, he said, Directors of Quality Assurance, Dr. universities that were not more than is a clog in the wheel of university Noel Saliu; Protocol and Special 10 years are encouraged to employ education in Nigeria. Dr. Mora also Duties, Mr. Chris Maiyaki as well their best graduating students as appealed to the Executive Secretary as Information and Public teaching staff and make it part of to use his good office to encourage Relations, Mr.