The Registrar of the University of Ilorin, Mr Emmanuel Obafemi, says corruption is creating instability in the education sector.
Obafemi said this on Monday in Ilorin while delivering a keynote address at the inauguration of the university’s SERVICOM Frontline Officers.
SERVICOM is an acronym for “ Service Compact With all Nigerians,” an initiative introduced by the Federal Government to promote the principles, ideals and tenets of service delivery in government establishments.
Obafemi said corruption had negatively impacted on the nation’s sense of probity, accountability and transparency.
“ Inefficiency, service dissatisfaction, dishonesty and all sorts of vices, which are by-products of corruption, continue to be the biggest obstacle to national development,’’ he said.
The registrar said service failure had created an unstable educational environment reflected in strikes, cultism, brain drain, student unrest and examination malpractice.
According to him, universities are multi-purpose complex organisations devoted to knowledge generation, transmission, application of knowledge and public service.
Obafemi described the education sector as “ the number one engine for sustainable development, driving all other so-called critical sectors.’’
He called on public officers to be wary of what he called “red flags” such as unnecessary delays in decision-making and actions.
According to him, other red flags are situations where there is insufficient funding for commitments, availability of unexplained wealth and affluent lifestyle.
Earlier in his address of welcome, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, said SERVICOM had the mandate of ensuring that all aspects of the life of the university met global best practices.
This, he said, was with emphasis on processes, procedures, timeliness and standards.
Ambali said the SERVICOM Unit must have the capacity to respond to service failure as quickly and as fairly as possible.
He also called on the unit to continuously evolve new ways of solving national challenges.
Ambali urged the frontline officers to maintain good conduct and ensure that the university emerged an international centre of excellence. (NAN)
