The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Wednesday applauded the Federal Government over the suspension of the evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates obtained from institutions in Benin Republic and Togo.
To this end, the student body called on the government to extend its sanction to tertiary institutions operating in Nigeria who are offering courses without accreditation from relevant authorities.
This was contained in a statement signed by NANS’ national Senate President, Elvis Ekundina, on Wednesday.
The Federal Ministry of Education has on Tuesday ordered the immediate suspension of accreditation of degree certificates obtained from tertiary institutions from these countries from some neighbouring countries following an investigative report.
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Reacting to this, NANS called on the Federal Government to commence investigation into the activities of the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and other agencies fingered in the fraudulent activities of obtaining degree certificates from foreign universities.
“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 however important for the government to take further steps into investigating the activities of relevant agencies fingered in the fraudulent activities.
“This is the only way the Federal government can save its face and restore the battered image of the country.
“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 who are running unaccredited course.
“These institutions in their fraudulent act are destroying our education sector and swindling innocent young Nigerians of their money by offering them unaccredited courses.
“Like to describe these universities and polytechnics offering unaccredited courses as illegal institutions as we want the government to deal with them appropriately,” Ekundina said.
He 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.
