The National Open University of Nigeria has revealed the closure of five illegal study centres in various parts of Lagos State.
The
Media and Information director of the institution, Malam Ibrahim Sheme
made the disclosure today, September 2, explaining that the decision was
taken due to reports from concerned citizens.
He added that NOUN has now formed a committee whose responsibility is to monitor the activities at its study centres nationwide.
“We
will continue to clamp down on the activities of such centres, whose
main aim is to defraud Nigerians of their hard-earned incomes, given the
economic situation in the country today.
“We just visited Lagos to monitor our centres and their operations and discovered five illegal study centres operating there.
“Anyone
who wants to run a study centre must go through the due process by
officially registering with the institution, subject to meeting all the
laid-down criteria.
“It is not by doing
it illegally or by way of fraud. Those who discuss with NOUN for such
purpose are given permission to do that, after meeting the prescribed
requirements.”
All those discovered to have
been behind the running of the illegal study centres in the name of the
institution would be facing legal action.
Sheme
also condemned collaborations with the owners of some major schools
within the state for allowing operators of these illegal centres to
advertise such in their institutions. For this reason, school owners
would also be prosecuted alongside the operators, as Sheme stressed that
ignorance of the law is never an excuse.
“These
owners of such schools who allowed the centres to be cited in their
school premises will also face sanctions because they ought to have made
their findings.
“NOUN’s major mandate is
to give access to education to all Nigerians who desire quality
education, irrespective of age or social status.
“We
will, therefore, not allow anyone or group of persons to infiltrate
that mandate and that is why we will continue to monitor the nooks and
crannies of the country to keep these people in check."
He
promised that the institution will do more to sensitise the public
concerning the activities of the illegal centres and their operators
while seizing the opportunity to implore the general public to be on the
look out for such centres and to bring it to the institution's
attention.
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