Chancellor and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, has denounced the closure of all universities in Nigeria by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, as directed by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof Abubakar Adamu Rasheed.
Babalola stated that Adamu has no kegal and recognised power to direct the NUC to close down the universities, pointing out that the blanket closure of the universities will damage students of Nigerian universities.
Babalola discllosed this in his address during the fifth induction ceremony of 123 medical doctors who recently graduated at ABUAD, held at the Alfa Belgore Hall of the institution in Ado Ekiti.
In the words of Babalola: “The problems have been worsened by [the] scarcity of money by banks and automated teller machines, ATMs, all of which [made] transportation back home more dangerous than ever before.
“Under the NUC Act of 1974 and the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act of 1985, the minister has no statutory power to issue a directive to NUC to close down universities. I refer in particular to Section 4(2) of the 1974 (NUC) Act.
“If you want to destroy a nation, you don’t need bayonets, bombs or nuclear warheads. All you need is to destroy the education of the nation.
“The illegal closure has adversely affected the curriculum, particularly in respect of private universities which are reputed for their predictable academic calendar and absence of strike actions”, added Afe Babalola.
