Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Adamu, has called on the Committee of Vice Chancellors to take a critical look at the complaints of plagiarism and examination misconduct in the universities.

Adamu, who made the call while delivering a keynote address at the opening of 20th Anniversary Conference and Awards of Exam Ethics Marshals International, said the high level of plagiarism in universities was very alarming and urged his colleagues in the ivory tower to map out measures to stem the tide.

Adamu, represented by Prof. Akaneren Essien said, “The committee of vice chancellors should take the issue of plagiarism very seriously. Anti-plagiarism software should be installed in all the universities to check plagiarism.”

Condemning the rampant cases of examination misconduct in the various universities in the country as well as the suppression of such cases through external interference, the NUC Secretary commended the Exam Ethics Marshals International for their dogged fight against exam malpractices in Nigeria.

Also speaking, Founder of Exam Ethics Marshals International, Mr. Ike Onyechere, described exam malpractice as system destroyer of a nation’s future.

He regretted that, Nigeria over the years have allowed the menace of exam malpractice to permeate all levels of the education sector without deliberate and conscious effort to checkmate it.

“What we are talking about here is people who live on exam malpractice in this country. It is a monumental disaster. Unless we successfully tackle the issue of exam malpractice, we cannot win the war against corruption,” he said.

He also condemned the situation where politicians play politics with education by promising to offer free education when they could not pay teachers’ salaries and maintain infrastructure in schools, calling on all well- meaning Nigerians to stand up and fight the menace, noting that, the survival of the country rests on quality and responsive education by the citizens.

On his part, Prof Abednego Ekoko, Chairman of Board of Exam Ethics said that, the war against exam malpractice might take long but would be realised for the good of the country.

He said that all hands must be on deck to ensure the total eradication of the menace.

The Sun