By; MOHAMMED KAWU, Bauchi
The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) shutdown the operations of 46 illegal national Certificate Of Education (NCE) and Study Centres awarding institutions in Bauchi State.
A letter to this effect was on Wednesday September 5, 2022, sent to the Bauchi State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Aliyu Usman Tilde by the commission, saying that the affected institutions and centres have been given one month within which to close down or face the full wrath of the law.
Signed by the commission’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle, the letter recalled that it had in October and November 2021 conducted a nationwide verification exercise to fish out unapproved NCE awarding institutions/study centres, with the support and cooperation of his office.
Prof. Paulinus Okwelle stated the report of the exercise was submitted to the Federal Ministry of Education and the Commission was directed to immediately close down the Institutions/study centres identified.
“The Commission therefore wishes to draw the attention of the State Government to that effect and to plead for your assistance to ensure the closure of the aforementioned institutions and any other illegal NCE awarding institution in your state”.
The letter enumerated the Colleges/Study centres identified as operating illegally in Bauchi state to include College of Education Mayo Belwa affiliated to College of Education, Azare; Abubakar Adamu Mu’azu College of Education, Boto; Al-Iman College of Education, Nasarawa. Nasarawa, Bauchi; and Apex College of Education, Limnan, Katagun. Katagum, Bauchi
Others, the letter said, are College of LGA Education, Bununu, Tafawa BalewaTafawa Balewa LGA; College of Advance Studies, Magama. Gumau, Toro; College of Arabic and Islamic Studies,Toro; Dr. Suleiman Adamu College of Hygiene and Bauchi, Bauchi; Environmental Health Science, Bauchi, ECWA College of Education, Bayara; and Garba Ibrahim Institute of Education.
Similarly included in the closure are Murkazul Islam Institute of Arabic and Islamic Azare; Studies, Azare Sahib College of Education, Bauchi; Sardauna College of Education, Bauchi; Sheikh Adamu Abubakar College, Azare; Sunnah Bauchi College of Education, Toro; Thomas Moor Institute, Bauchi; Urat Memorial College of Education, Bauchi; Diamond Teachers Training College of Education, Bauchi; and Ibrahim Bello College of Education, Magama Gumau, among others
Prof. Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle said, “In view of the above development, therefore, the affected Colleges/study centres have been given one month within which to close down, or face the full wrath of the law.
It could also be called that the Bauchi State House of Assembly had earlier in July 2021 decried the proliferation of 45 illegal institutions awarding National certificate of Education (NCE) in the state.
The House then in a motion moved by Mr. Mohammed Babayo, representing Hardawa Constituency, described the proliferation of the illegal higher institutions in the state as worrisome.
He said that the development would have a long-term effect on the state’s educational development, revealing that only 13 out of the 58 privately-owned NCE awarding institutions were registered with the National Commission of Colleges of Education (NCCE)
The proliferation of NCE awarding institutions in the state is going out of hand, the lawmaker said, and urged the state government to liaise with the NCCE and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to ensure thoroughness and proper regulations.
“There is need to blacklist all illegally operating higher institutions in the state. We need to discourage our people from patronising them,” he told the House.
