Akunyili Urges Universities To Restore Sanctity Of Examinations

Prof. Dora Akunyili, the Minister of Information and Communication, has urged Nigerian universities to restore the sanctity of examinations.

Akunyili said while delivering the UNN 39th convocation lecture at Nsukka, Enugu State, on Thursday that the call was necessary for the Nigeria Re-branding Project to be meaningful in the universities. 

 She said in the lecture titled, “Rebranding Nigerian Universities”, that there was need to restore the sanctity of examination since it was the only objective method of assessing knowledge and choosing among  competitors.

 “Without reliable examination, hard work cannot be rewarded. The integrity of certificates obtained from institutions depends on the sanctity of the exanimation.

 “Selling of exam papers or giving them out to any student for any form of favour should never happen,” the minister emphasised.

She said that the university system had degenerated from its original structure, noting that in the 1970s, the products of Nigerian universities competed favourably with their counterparts in other parts of the world.

 “I can remember with a deep sense of nostalgia how parents and students then preferred Nigerian universities even when there were many scholarships abroad”.

“Today, parents pay any amount to have their children study in western countries as those who cannot afford Europe school fees send their children to Ghana,’’ Akunyili said.

She urged university managements to ensure zero tolerance for cultism and stressed that any students found guilty should be sanctioned, likewise lecturers, who supported them. 

The minister urged university managers to deal with all reported cases of cult activities on campus and stressed that the Goodluck Jonathan administration was determined to restore the pride of the university system.

“The president is devoting time, energy as well as resources to improve our educational system,“ she  said. 

The minister said that in order to achieve attitudinal change in universities, Rebranding clubs were being formed in schools  to instill good ethics in young Nigerians.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Bartho Okolo, said the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s vision in establishing UNN was to eradicate poverty and to restore the dignity of man.

“Academic empowerment is the best way to restore the dignity of man,” he said.

Okolo said that he was happy that UNN was now the 7th best university in Nigeria, as against 17th when he assumed office, according to National University Commission ranking.

“The present administration will continue to improve on the university system so as to reclaim its former position as the best in Africa,” he said.

The highlight of the occasion was the presentation of an award of excellence to Akunyili for her enormous contributions to humanity.