The Registrar of the University of Ilorin, Barrister Mansur Alfanla, has called on the federal government to establish a dedicated agency to oversee the financial operations of public universities across Nigeria.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin over the weekend, Alfanla highlighted the challenges posed by the current arrangement, where multiple government establishments are tasked with auditing and monitoring university finances. He described the setup as retrogressive and prone to inconsistencies in findings.

The Registrar emphasized that a centralized oversight body would bring uniformity, streamline processes, and eliminate conflicts arising from divergent assessments by various agencies.

“Multiple agencies performing financial oversight function is very displeasing and retrogressive. If the government establishes a centralised body for that function, it will get rid of the inconsistencies that often arise due to divergent views of the agencies.

“One problem is the oversight function of different agencies performing one singular function. Honestly, it is very displeasing to have different agencies doing that. It is not too good at all. It is retrogressive and drawing the hands of the clock backward. We need to say the truth and the whole world is supposed to see us.

“We have government institutions with overlapping functions. The National Assembly will come to look into our financial books, Accountant General will come, Auditor General will come, NUC will come, Federal Ministry of Education will come, that is a duplication of duty.

“I think there should be a designated body that will be doing this for and on behalf of the federal government so that it will be one body rather than multiplying such functions which often lead to inconsistencies.

“These agencies often have divergent views. What an agency acknowledges to have been done rightly, another one will come to say it has been done wrongly. So, let them come up with uniform policies and to be monitored by one body”, he said.

Alfanla lamented the lack of funding for the public institutions, saying that, “Another problem we are facing is finance. Our universities, University of Ilorin inclusive, we are lacking funds but I'm certain things will improve”.

On the security situation in the University of Ilorin, Alfanla bemoaned the activities of some cattle herders, who stray into the school campus and destroy farmlands and other valuables.

He said, “Another challenge is the issue of security. We have the cattle rearers, coming into the campus, destroying property of people by way of their farm lands. They go there, they destroy, they herd their cattle into the farmlands to eat.

“In fact, I was once a victim. About five of us cultivated eight hectares of land for beans. The plantation flourished but during the time of harvesting, these people came and destroyed everything with their cattle”.

The varsity scribe expressed dissatisfaction over the prevalence of brain drain across the public institutions in the country and urged the government to look for a way to stem the ugly tide.

He said, “Part of the challenges we are having is this issue of brain drain. People abandon their work, going elsewhere by way of 'Japa'. It is affecting not only the University of Ilorin, but many universities in Nigeria, and it is something that should be looked into by the federal government.”

Admitting that the government has its share of the blame for the problems, Alfanla urged the lecturers to be patient, saying that, “We need to sacrifice for this country before this country can get back on the right track. I'm not saying that the government, too, does not have its own share of the blame. It does.

“We don't need to run elsewhere. Those that we ran to didn't call another place. Unfortunately, these people go there to build the economy of that place, and they are running down the economy of Nigeria”.

The Registrar lauded the management of the University of Ilorin for actively engaging labour unions in the institution and placing a high premium on the welfare of staff, adding that this has led to optimum service delivery and as well as uninterrupted academic sessions.

He said, “I want to say the university in the present is quite blessed, and it is very rare to have the crop of leadership we are having presently at the University of Ilorin anywhere in the world.

“We engage our union leaders and let me tell you, you know, at times, even when a strike is declared, either nationally, let me say it, the branch people will need to look back and say, are we going or we are not going, for obvious reasons.

“Is there anywhere in Nigeria, any Nigerian university, where staff members were given about 25% waiver, in the payment of their biological children's school fees? It is never done anywhere. It started last year in the University of Ilorin and we are maintaining it this year also, that is welfare.

“Staff are sent to go for one form of training or the other, locally and internationally and of course, again, when the leadership of our unions have issues and they present them, we give them listening ears.

“That is what is happening. If the government or federal government is doing that, there will be nobody saying, I'm going on strike.”