By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY – THE Management of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State has described a recent report credited to the National Universities Commission (NUC) alleging the existence of illegal satellite campuses in the name of the University and awarding certificates as disturbing and called on the NUC to arrest prosecute anyone found to be running such campuses.
The university also applauded the reported NUC decision to “investigate the proprietors and recover illegal fees and charges on subscribers”.
A statement by the University’s Head of Corporate Communications and Protocol, Otunba Mike Aladenika which was made available to newsmen in Benin-City on Sunday said the Senate of the University has not approved any satellite campus anywhere nor has it approved that any certificate be awarded in the name of the University to anyone.
He said “Ambrose Alli University is a frontline state University in Nigeria; it is a respected institution; it is more than forty years old, and has produced world class alumni, its current student population stands at more than 36,000. For an institution that towers so high to be “milling certificates” through illegal satellite campuses must be a strange phenomenon. We cannot, therefore, wait to see the outcome of the reported NUC “further investigations” on these reported “illegal satellite campuses.”
On the efforts by the NUC to work against institutions issuing fake certificates, Aladenika said the management was satisfied that AAU was not listed among the “58 illegal degree-awarding universities in Nigeria” noting that with the gains the University has made in research and innovation, it would only soar higher.
While assuring alumni, parents, students and all stakeholders that the current Management of the University under the leadership of Prof Asomwan Sonnie Adagbonyin is more determined than before to take the institution to greater heights, Aladenika said: “AAU remains your University of choice, your institution of pride.”