The Vice Chancellor of Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, Prof. Christian Anieke, has said that most Nigerian graduates are not fluent in their use of the English language.
Anieke said this when speaking with officials of the National Universities Commission during a visit to the university on Friday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that NUC officials were in the institution to assess its postgraduate programmes.
Anieke said the GOUNI had identified the use of English as the major weakness of many graduates from other institutions, stressing that some first-class graduates found it difficult to write or speak correct English.
The VC noted that the face of every university was its postgraduate school and as such showed the university’s research strength.
He said, “This is why we introduced a course called ‘Communication in English’ and the students’ inability to use the English language correctly could be due to their background.
“In the PG School, we ensure that when you write your thesis, it will be strong enough to be published in a journal and if not publishable, then you have not written a good thesis.
“You may not have a lot of students here because a lot of Nigerian students want it easy, but the quality is very important to me.
“NUC is championing national integration by sending those in charge of academics of the universities to institutions outside their regions.
“I see this as very important for the growth of our universities.”
Responding, one of the representatives of the NUC, Prof. Kabiru Dandago, gave the assurance that there would be nothing like a witch-hunt during the team’s visit to universities and that they would maintain a high level of objectivity in the discharge of their duties.
