Minister vows to arrest impunity in varsities

The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruquayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, has vowed to arrest the wave of impunity in the nation’s colleges and tertiary institutions.
Rufa’i declared: “Nobody, no matter how highly placed will be allowed to get away with the breach of the law or perpetration of corruption in our colleges and tertiary institutions.”
The minister stated that the 16,000 UTME results that were cancelled in the last UTME exercise was as a result of corrupt practices and other offenses on the part of candidates.
Rufa’i spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the presentation of the Teachers’ Guide for the teaching of the National Values Curriculum in Basic Education, which was funded by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission.
The minister vowed that there would be no sacred cows, as the ministry works for the betterment of the education system.
She said: “We shall be resolute in our decisions as there shall be no sacred cows.
“Nobody, no matter how highly placed, will be allowed to get away with the breach of the law or perpetration of corruption and evil in our colleges and tertiary institutions.”
Rufa’i, who was represented by Julius Ameh, said: “The inclusion of the Guide into the numerous literature available in the education sector, especially on corruption and value orientation, is an obvious indication of the premium, which the administration places on education and its policy on openness and transparency in the conduct of government business.
“It is also an eloquent testimony of the present administration’s determination to heal the wounds of the past, quickly put the ugly past behind and use the new National Values Curriculum to stretch hands of fellowship to aggrieved Nigerians for complete reconciliation.”
She made commitment to use the new curriculum to make significant changes, which will expose the Nigerian child to a sustained valued-based curriculum that incorporates ethical issues into academic studies.
She said: “I have no doubt that with this collaboration with ICPC, the rampant corruption and the cynical contempt for integrity that pervades every strata of bureaucracy will soon become a thing of the past.
“The Nigerian child must be encouraged and taught that integrity pays.
“His self respect must be restored and his growth process rewarded through good mentoring and parental care.”
The Chairman of ICPC, Ekpo Nta, in his address, said that the NVC is applicable at all levels of education and is designed to expose the Nigerian child to a valued-based curriculum that incorporates ethical values into academic studies from the early years to young adulthood.
Nta said: “The curriculum has been infused into subjects and courses at basic, post basic and Teacher Education levels.
“It has also been infused into the curriculum of mass literacy and non-formal education.”
Nta pointed out the need for teachers to be trained and properly oriented on the methodology and behavioural imperatives for imparting the values.
“We, therefore, request commissioners for education and chairmen of SUBEB to organize more copies of the teachers’ guide such that every school in the basic education system in each state is given enough copies for the use of teachers,” he urged.
The Executive Secretary of National Educational Research Development Council, Prof. Godwill Obioma, explained that the National Value Curriculum, approved by the National Council on Education in 2004, was to educate young Nigerians on their duties, rights as well as obligations to themselves and the society.
Obioma added that the partnership of ICPC and NERDC developed the Teachers’ Guide to assist teachers as implementers of the NVC, to have the knowledge of the values, so as to be able to impact it on their students.
Obioma added: “”The Teachers’ Guide is expected to make the implementation of the NVC easier for teachers.
“It is meant to serve as a resource material for the effective implementation of the NVC.”