The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has hailed the Federal Government for suspending the evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates obtained from institutions in Benin Republic and Togo.
It urged the government to extend its sanction to Nigerian tertiary institutions offering courses without accreditation from relevant authorities.
The students’ body said this in a statement in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, by its National Senate President Elvis Ekundina.
The Federal Ministry of Education had, on Tuesday, raised concern over the use of deceptive methods by some Nigerians to acquire degrees from Benin Republic and Togo in order to secure jobs for which they lacked qualifications.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the government had ordered the immediate suspension of accreditation of degree certificates obtained from tertiary institutions in those countries.
NANS urged the Federal Government investigate the activities of the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and other agencies fingered in the fraudulent activities.
“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 on 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 said.
He urged the Federal Government to collaborate with NANS and other students’ bodies to rid the country of “illegal” tertiary institutions in order to reposition the education sector.
