Federal Government  has, warned universities across the country against encroaching beyond their approved mandate.

The government said this through the Minister of Education,  Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i at the public presentation of  the  government white paper on the 2011 visitation exercise to 26 federal universities and 3 inter-universities in Abuja yesterday.

Rufa’i cautioned the universities against infringing on the mandates of polytechnics and colleges of education to award National Certificate of Education, NCE, National Diploma and Higher National Diploma.

She also admonished the varsities against the pressure of generating fund which drives them into frivolities such as indiscriminate awards of honourary degrees.

According to her, “Universities must focus on their approved mandates of awarding Degrees and Higher Degrees while they leave the award of NCE, National Diplomas and Higher National Diplomas to the Polytechnics & Colleges of Education.

“Some Universities have also veered into areas that are clearly outside their competence; it is foolhardy for a University of Agriculture to float programmes in Law and Management Studies. NUC has been directed to invoke statutory powers to ensure compliance.
”You will recall that on 14th February 2011, on behalf of His Excellency, Mr President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, the Ministry inaugurated the Visitation Panels to Federal Universities and Inter – University Centres, for the period between 2004 and 2010.

Twenty-six (26) Federal Universities and three (3) Inter – University Centres were therefore visited.”
She therefore said President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the White Paper for the 2010 Visitation Exercise for implementation by the Councils & Management of the concerned institutions.