Sequel to recent developments at the University of Abuja, President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday approved a special visitation panel to the University.
This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Ben Ibe, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja.
According to the statement,? the panel is expected to focus on financial audit, project administration and procurement, programmes audit and staff and students audit.
Others areas are admissions and examinations administration, general administration, senate and council affairs and conduct of academic and non-academic staff since the inception of the university.
The statement said that the panel would be inaugurated by the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu? Rufa’i, on? July 25.
It will be recalled that the Federal Government had on April 3 announced the suspension of four academic programmes in the university.
The programmes are medicine, veterinary medicine, engineering and agriculture.
The minister said the action was taken to protect the quality of education in the university.
Rufa’i said the ministry was inundated with complaints by students and their parents on the status of the four professional programmes.
She said it was pertinent to note that before the establishment of the programmes, many factors had to be considered.
The minister identified the factors as physical infrastructure such as lecture halls and theatres, learning resources and staff and consultation with relevant professional bodies.
She said, “these factors were not considered before the establishment of the courses.''
Rufa'i added that students were admitted to the programmes against the advice of the NUC, adding that students of the programmes spent so many years without a graduation date.
She directed that new admissions into the programmes remained suspended.
The minister said the NUC and JAMB would work out modalities to redistribute the students already admitted into the four programmes to other universities.
She said that the ministry initiated the processes to strengthen the governance structure of the
university to ensure compliance and effective programmes development.