Victor EzejaThe National Universities Commission (NUC) has denounced a purported list of fake professors in some Nigerian universities being circulated on social media.
The list contains about hundred names of people said to be “fake” professors in some Nigerian universities.
An electronic medium that first circulated the list had mentioned NUC as its source.
However, a statement from the Commission quoted Dr. Noel Abiodun Saliu, Deputy Executive Secretary in Charge of Academic Directorate, as saying that the list did not emanate from the NUC. He described the information as “mischievous and unfounded” and is the handiwork of mischief makers who are out to tarnish the image of the universities mentioned.
Saliu added that the publication was also meant to undermine the work of the NUC as the apex regulatory educational agency in Nigeria.
Also reacting to the report, one of the universities mentioned in the list, the University of Lagos (UNILAG), said none of those listed ever worked in the institution at any point in time.
A statement by the Head, Communication Unit of UNILAG, Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem urged members of the public to disregard the report circulatinh on social media.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the university management hereby explicitly refutes the five names listed as ‘fake’ professors of the university.
“Members of the university community and general public are enjoined to completely disregard the report as the persons listed are not our staff, and have never worked, at any point in time and in any capacity at the university,” Alaga-Ibraheem stated.
She assured that the University is committed to continue being a citadel of higer of learning that adheres to standards for quality education.
Also reacting to the report, Redeemer’s University, Ede Osun State, denied having fake professors as listed.
In a statement released on Saturday, Mr Adetunji Adeleye, Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs Directorate of the university described the list as an “abominable publication.”
Adeleye explained that the University has never had any of those professors listed as fake work in any capacity at any point in time in the institution.
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“We hereby inform the general public that those ‘professors’ are not known to us and anyone who deals with them as individuals or group, does so at his or her own risk,” Adeleye stated.
He urged the general public to be wary of fake news being circulated on social media by mischief makers, and “always cross-check facts at the NUC, the regulatory body that oversees universities in Nigeria.”
Also the management of Abubakar Tarawa Balewa University (ATBU) issued a statement on Saturday, debunking the list of fake professors from the school.
The statement signed by Zailani Bappa, Director, Directorate of Information and Public Relations, ATBU said: “Among the listed 100 alleged professors are the names of seven that were mentioned as staff of ATBU.”
“While the authenticity of this story itself, remain in great doubt, the management of ATBU wishes to categorically state that none of the mentioned professors is a staff of the university, nor have interacted with the institution at any given time in whatever capacity.
The school management advised stakeholders and the general public to disregard the story,which it described as an attempt to smear the hard earned reputation of the university.
Undercover Report of Certificate Racketeering
These are coming on the heels of a recent publication of the investigative report by Daily Nigerian Newspaper titled “UNDERCOVER: How DAILY NIGERIAN reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks.”
The reporter while under cover, unravelled fraudulent activities conducted by some syndicates who enable people, especially Nigerians to get degree certificates from some universities in Benin Republic and Togo within a short period of time even without visiting the schools.
According to the report, all a beneficiary needed to do was to pay the amount charged by the agent right from Processing admissions to graduation stage.
During the investigation, the undercover reporter bagged a degree in Mass Communication from a university in Cotonou in six weeks.
Scanned copy of the certificate shared online bore the authentic scan code of Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies (ESGT), Benin Republic.
According to information on the certificate, the reporter purportedly began his programme in 2018 and graduated on September 5, 2022.
ESGT is said to be fully accredited by the governments of Benin Republic and Nigeria.
The reporter later proceeded for national youth service with the fake certificate and was verified to participate in the mandatory one year national youth service scheme. He succeedeed in being verified to serve, camped for three weeks before terminating it, having concluded his investigation.
Days after the report went viral, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education suspended verification of certificates obtained from Benin Republic and Togo.
Augustina Obilor-Duru, the acting director of press at the Federal Ministry of Education, said the decision followed the report published by Daily Nigerian exposing certificate racketeering from some neighbouring African countries.
Obilor-Duru said the Ministry was suspending accreditation of certificates from the affected countries until the conclusion of an ongoing probe on the matter.
The director said the probe would involve the foreign affairs ministry of Nigeria as well as those of the two countries, the education ministries in the two countries, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the NYSC.
He said the issue of fake unaccredited institutions and certificate racketeering is a global problem that all countries are grappling with.
“The ministry has also commenced internal administrative processes to determine the culpability or otherwise of her staff for which applicable public service rules would be applied,” the director said.
“The issue of degree mill institutions is a global problem that all countries grapple with.
“FME has been contending with the problem including illegal institutions located abroad or at home preying on unsuspecting, innocent Nigerians and some desperate Nigerians who deliberately patronize such outlets.
“Periodically, warnings have been issued by the Ministry and NUC against the resort to such institutions and in some instances, reports made to security agencies to clamp down on the perpetrators.
“The ministry will continue to review its strategy to plug any loopholes, processes and procedures and deal decisively with any conniving officials.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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