Punch Newspaper
The Ministry of Education has set up a committee to probe the alleged fraudulent means that some blacklisted universities in the Republic of Benin were devising to mobilise their graduates for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps scheme.
Representatives of the committee, drawn from the National Board for Technical Education, disclosed this during a visit to PUNCH Place, Magboro, Ogun State, on Thursday.
Saturday PUNCH had exclusively reported that some blacklisted universities in Benin Republic were sneaking their graduates into the NYSC scheme through collaboration with some private polytechnics in Nigeria.
The report showed that the universities obtained Higher National Diploma and National Diploma certificates for their graduates and students due for graduation through the private polytechnics.
Our correspondent had learnt that after issuing the HND certificates, the polytechnics would then mobilise the affected students for the mandatory NYSC.
Saturday PUNCH had also learnt that the students were asked to pay about N400,000 to obtain the HND certificates from the polytechnics, mostly located in the South-West and South-East states.
A member of the investigating committee and Assistant Director at the NBTE Inspectorate Department, Halilu Aminu, noted that following the revelation, the Ministry of Education directed the NBTE to carry out an investigation into the matter with a view to unravelling the perpetrators.
He stressed that while efforts had been initiated to get the NYSC and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board side of the issue, the visit was necessary to further gain insights into the matter.
Aminu said, “We saw your publication on Saturday, October 11, on the issue of blacklisted Benin Republic universities and the collaboration with Nigerian private polytechnics in the certificate scandal.
“That prompted us that we needed to investigate, as we used to do when we get any information about any abuse of the standards, as far as technical and vocational education is concerned.
“The honourable Minister of Education directed our Executive Secretary to set up a committee to investigate what happened and who are the people involved, so that necessary legal action can be taken to address the issue, because it is a national embarrassment that we are having this kind of scandal happen.”
In his remarks, the Head of NBTE Legal Department, Sanusi Lawan, stressed that the agency was committed to ensuring that issues of fraudulent practices among polytechnics and monotechnics across the country became a thing of the past.
“The board would continue to do its best to stop any illegal activities within the public and private institutions under the purview of the board, and the executive secretary wants to assure the general public that the board will take all necessary steps to stop these illegalities. No matter who is involved, the board will do its best to expose and, if possible, prosecute those behind it,” Lawan said.
He commended PUNCH for its commitment to excellence in journalism and for exposing societal ills for the betterment of all.
While thanking the NBTE team for its proactiveness, the Editor, The PUNCH, Tunji Abioye, assured the agency of the organisation’s cooperation, stressing that PUNCH would continue to produce investigative reports that would make the society better.