Minister of Education Ruqayyatu Rufa’I, on Wednesday condemned the irregularities at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun (EFFURE) in Delta.
Rufa’I was speaking in Abuja at the inauguration of the visitation panel to the university.
She listed the irregularities to include the inability to attract and employ qualified staff to fill critical vacancies; disregard to due process in staff recruitment; and appointments and misapplication of funds.
Others are the inability of management to midwife the successful accreditation of programmes, loss of confidence by staff and students in the university administration, and disregard for protocol and tenets of public service.
Rufa’I said the irregularities had resulted into “full scale crises that had negatively affected academic activities as well as the growth and development of the university’’.
“The ministry has become inundated with allegations of poor governance at both council and management levels as well as a total disregard to due process at FUPRE.
“All these have resulted in crises in the university; consequently, Mr President has approved a visitation exercise to FUPRE to proffer solutions to the crises.’’
Rufa’I expressed optimism that the panel’s recommendations would lead to the resolution of the crises in the university.
She said the panel was authorised to recall any officer of the university “that is currently on leave and conclude this exercise in 30 days so as to fast track the assignment’’.
The chairman of the panel, Prof. Olurotimi Tayo, thanked the minister for giving them the responsibility and pledged the members’ commitment to the task.
“We will do our best to make recommendations that would lead to finding appropriate solutions to the problems in the university.’’
The panel is charged with the responsibility of examining all academic programmes, policies of the institution and how modifications can be made to achieve maximum productivity, excellence and service.
It is also to investigate the application of funds, particularly the special grants and loans meant for special projects in order to determine the status of such projects and their relevance for further funding.
It will examine the law establishing the institution and see what ways it had been observed by the competent authorities and to suggest any necessary modification to the law in order to enable the university progress.
In addition, it will look at the leadership quality of the institution in terms of the role of the governing council, the vice chancellor and other principal officers, amongst others.