The management of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo, has called for the arrest and prosecution of operators of illegal satellite campuses in the name of the university.

The university, in a statement on Saturday, reacting to a recent report credited to the National Universities Commission (NUC), described as disturbing the purported existence of illegal satellite campuses running in the name of the university.

The institution’s head of corporate communications and protocol, Mike Aladenika, admonished the NUC to go all out to arrest and swiftly prosecute anyone found guilty in the illegal operation.

Mr Aladenika applauded the reported NUC decision to “investigate the proprietors and recover illegal fees and charges on subscribers”.

The statement added that the institution neither ran any satellite campus nor did it give anyone the permission to do so on its behalf, either directly or indirectly.

“The Senate has not approved any satellite campus anywhere; it has not approved that any certificate be awarded in the name of the university to anyone emerging as “products” from such illegal campuses either.

“We have continued to emphasise this. We are glad that by reportedly using the tag “illegal” for such satellite campuses, the NUC is on the same page with us.

“Surely, anything the university has not approved is illegal, null and void,” he said.

The spokesperson asserted that the Ambrose Alli University was a frontline state university in Nigeria that had earned the respect of all stakeholders in the last 40 years.

“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.”

Expressing delight that the regulatory body has come out strongly against institutions issuing fake certificates, Mr Aladenika said the school was satisfied that AAU was not listed among the “58 illegal degree-awarding universities in Nigeria”.

According to him, with the recent gains the university has made in research and innovation, it will only soar higher.

While assuring alumni, parents, students and all stakeholders that the current management under the leadership of Prof. Asomwan Adagbonyin, was more determined than before to take the institution to greater heights, Mr Aladenika said. 

(NAN)