The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) jointly signed by Ahmadu Bello University and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on anti-corruption studies will be ready for implementation by the end of next month.
Making this known in Abuja Wednesday was EFCC’s Executive Chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa when he received in audience a management delegation from Ahmadu Bello University led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Kabiru Bala.
The MoU, which was signed on February 25, 2020, will enable the EFCC Academy to run five different academic programmes in anti-corruption studies leading to the award of basic certificate, advanced certificate and postgraduate diploma.
The collaboration was consolidated with the visit to the University in June, 2020 by the then Acting Commandant of the EFCC Academy, Prof Ladi Hamalai, for further deliberation on the MoU.
Receiving the ABU delegation, the EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, explained that he had met the existing relationship between the University and EFCC when he recently assumed office as head of the anti-corruption body.
Bawa also said that he had thoroughly studied all the documents regarding the MoU and that all the necessary approvals would be granted as soon as possible for the implementation of collaboration.
The Commission’s Chairman stated that a machinery had already been put in place for the start of the programmes, as the anti-corruption agency was currently undergoing renovation.
He assured that the process of admission would commence as soon as all the necessary modalities for the MoU implementation were completed before the end of next month.
While thanking the Vice-Chancellor and members of his entourage for the working visit to the Commission, the EFCC’s boss stressed that the country would immensely benefit from the collaboration.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Kabiru Bala, had earlier told the EFCC Chairman that the programmes would have commenced long ago but for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prof Bala explained that his visit to the EFCC was part of the University’s deliberate effort to identify its key stakeholders for collaboration.
“Both the University and the anti-corruption agency stand to learn a lot from each other through the collaboration”, he said.
The Vice-Chancellor congratulated Bawa on his well-deserved appointment by the President, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari as the EFCC Executive Chairman.
The collaboration is essentially to promote learning and service to humanity and to produce high quality personnel and graduates equipped with the required knowledge and skills for the effective fight against corruption, enforcement of anti-corruption laws as well as investigation and prosecution of economic and financial crimes.
According to the MoU, the curricula to be used in teaching the courses should be those approved and in use at the University while the EFCC Academy should admit candidates into the various programmes using the prevailing admission requirements of the University.
Those on the Vice-Chancellor’s entourage were the Acting Registrar, Malam Alhassan Garba; Director, Directorate of University Advancement, Prof Ahmed D Ibrahim; and Deputy Director, Directorate of Academic Planning and Monitoring, Prof Umar Adamu Danbatta.
Others were Deputy Director in charge of Affiliations, Directorate of Academic Planning and Monitoring, Prof Abubakar Ahmed; Director, Public Affairs Directorate, Malam Auwalu Umar; and Special Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor, Malam Auwalu Y Mohammed.
Public Affairs Directorate,
Office of the Vice Chancellor,
Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria.
Wednesday, 16th June, 2021
