The Trouble With Professor Peter Okebukola, Executive Secretary, Nuc, The Trouble With Nigeria

By

Maiyaki Agbaoye Nnadi

m_nnadi@yahoo.co.uk

 

 

Come June this year, all things being equal, Professor Peter Okebukola would finish his first term as the Executive Secretary of the now famous National Universities Commission (NUC) and again all things being equal, Professor Julius Okogie, Vice-Chancellor, Bells University of Technology (President Obasanjo’s university) will takeover as the Executive Secretary, NUC. If you have not established the very obvious link then you must be a non-Nigerian or you must be coming from outer space. Let me help you then a little if you are still wondering, both men are close to OBJ.

 

What is most worrisome about the two issues is that, firstly after all the atrocities that Professor Peter Okebukola has committed, some of which made headline news and many more which did not but are well known in the universities’ circle and to Mr. President, Mr. Vice-President, other top government functionaries, and security agencies, he is going to leave office a free man. Professor Peter Okebukola has made it clear that he is leaving after his first term in office, while skeptics like me would rather wait until the day he leaves office than believe a word he says, I am really stupefied by the prospect of his getting away with all he did. Should I provide the details of Professor Okebukola’s stewardship of the NUC to buttress my argument? At least the N55 million bribery scandal was public knowledge. However, only people in the university circle may know of the N600 million scandal involving Professor Peter Okebukola and Professor Babalola Borishade. Yes you guessed right, Professor Borishade the present Minister of Aviation. You may say the man has a track record of disservice to Nigeria.

 

To get the full story, why don’t you ask ASUU to fill you in? Sometime in 2001 and not too long after Professor Peter Okebukola became the Executive Secretary, NUC, he on the authority of Professor Babalola Borishade, the then Minister of Education, released the sum of N600 million for the purchase of the Abuja Office of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). In his directive, Professor Borishade submitted that he had received the verbal approval of President Obasanjo on phone authorizing the release of N600 million for the purchase of the building. Curious enough in the memo from Professor Borishade to Mr. President and on a copy of which he issued the directive to Professor Okebukola, the cost of the building was N500 with a 5% agent’s fee. The total sum should have been N550 million, but the money released was N600 million. But more important is that until Professor Borishade left office as the Federal Minister of Education and till date no written approval of Mr. President in respect of the release of the N600 million has been provided either by Professor Borishade or Professor Peter Okebukola. This is a fact as there is evidence to this effect, which has been made available to Mr. President. Yet no action has been taken against Professor Peter Okebukola or Professor Babalola Borishade.

 

This links to the problem with Nigeria. Are we really to believe in the so called fight against corruption of the Obasanjo administration? Is the anti-corruption only good for the Tafa Baloguns of this world? Why is Professor Peter Okebukola so dear to President Obasanjo? This leads us to the second issue.

 

Professor Julius Okogie is the past Vice-Chancellor of University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. After finishing his term as the Vice-Chancellor, he was appointed as a Visiting Professor at NUC by Professor Peter Okebukola. At NUC he was made Chairman of the Standing Committee on Private Universities (SCOPU). The Committee charged with the responsibility of receiving and assessing applications for the establishment of private universities and recommending to the NUC Management Committee approval for the establishment of a private university after it has supposedly met all the laid down requirements. It was the Professor Julius Okogie led SCOPU that recommended the approval of the Bells University of Technology (Mr. President’s university) only for Professor Okogie to leave NUC to become the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the university. It is only in Nigeria that such blatant disregard for ethics is excusable.

 

As if that was not enough, Professor Julius Okogie is now tipped to takeover as the Executive Secretary, NUC as a further demonstration of the privilege seeking, power patronage and bedroom manners of some Nigerian academics. Professor Peter Okebukola was made Executive Secretary, NUC by Professor Babalola Borishade who was made Minister by Mr. Obasanjo. Professor Peter Okebukola served his master right and so his master’s master. Though, it is believed that Professor Okogie had the late Mrs. Stella Obasajo clout, he has joined the band wagon of the master-servant-power-patronage seeking club. He served his master right and so must he be rewarded with the Executive Secretary, NUC. Professor Peter Okebukola has served his master right and must be left off the hook and allowed to finish his tenure in peace.

 

What is the lesson in this is it that if you want to survive in Nigeria, even as an academic, you must lick ass. What a shame if it be so. Could this theory be true for Mr. Abubakar Atiku seemed to have served his master right, but he is not being rewarded aright? Or is that a different kettle all together? Where is the link in all this? The link is in the fact that neither Professor Peter Okebukola nor Professor Julius Okogie is appointed on merit. They are appointed on the ‘merit’ of their friendship or subservience to Mr. President. Why no interview is conducted for candidates for the post of the Executive Secretary NUC when an interview is required for the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor? Why is the Executive Secretary of NUC allowed to stay in office for two terms of five years each when a Vice-Chancellor is only allowed one term? Why is this not part of the reform program of Mr. President for the university system? What is wrong with NUC is what is wrong with Nigeria. So much talk no action, law is for the poor people, but only selected rich are punishable.

 

Finally, this piece would not be complete without a word on Professor Peter Okebukola and the Catholic Church. Professor Okebukola established the NUC Consultancy Unit with part of its responsibilities, against good advice, the preparation of academic brief and master plan for prospective private universities in partial fulfillment of the requirements for approval. Thus NUC writes the documents and submit same to itself for analysis and recommendation. These documents are usually written by staff of the Commission. The fee collected from the client is shared between NUC, the Consultancy Unit and the Director and his staff involved in writing the document. Professor Peter Okebukola collected the sum of N10 million through the Consultancy Unit from the Catholic Church for the master plan of its proposed university. However, instead of asking the requisite department to write the document, he directed that NUC sublet the contract to another consultant for the sum of N7.5 million, while NUC kept the sum of N2.5 million for acting as a middle man. Professor Pete Okebukola is a Catholic and not even his church was spared his venom. It is believed that the sub-consultant is a group of NUC staff, cronies to Professor Peter Okebukola.

 

Haba Peter, haba Julius, haba Babalola, haba Olusegun, haba Nigeria, God save us all.