Federal Executive Council yesterday gave approval for six new private universities.

They are Admiralty University, Ibusa, Delta State; Spiritan University, Nneochi, Abia State; Precious Cornerstone University, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Others are Pamo University of Medical Sciences, Port Harcourt, Rivers State; Atiba University, Oyo State; and Eko University of Medical and Health Sciences Lagos.

Minister of Education, Mr Adamu Adamu, told journalists after FEC meeting, that more requests for private universities’ approval were underway.

He said Nigerian Universities Commission would take the issue of accreditation very seriously “and if any university fails to meet their standard, we are going to deregister their courses and if enough courses are deregistered, it will lead to the closure of the university.”

On why government was finding it difficult to keep to the agreements reached with the non-teaching staff unions of tertiary institutions, especially on earned allowances, salary shortfalls and reinstatement of sacked teachers in staff schools, Adamu responded: “As far as I know, we had sat down with the unions, we met and these issues had been thrashed out, I don’t know that there was problem that rose later because I travelled out of the country and came back yesterday (Tuesday). 

“But as far as I am concerned, these things had been addressed before I left and the formula that was used to share the money was agreed by them. They sat down with the officials in the ministry of education and agreed. So, the money was not for ASUU alone, it was for all the unions. 

“The shortfall in salary is being addressed. On the teachers of staff schools, it will certainly take time. Government has accepted the court verdict that says they should be reinstated and they will be reinstated. I think the only issue before I left was that they will be in salary relevant to what they are doing, they are not university staff, so they will just be receiving normal salaries like the grade level they get.”

Daily Trust