From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Professor Olayemi Akinwumi, Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Lokoja, has appealed to the federal government to shelve its plan to stop Tertiary Education Trust Fund in all tertiary institutions across the country.
The Vice Chancellor made the appeal when the new executive members of the Correspondents’Chapel of the Kogi State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), paid him a familiarisation visit at the Felele main Campus of the University on Thursday.
He held that the plan if not arrested could spell doom in the infrastructure development of the nation’s tertiary institutions.
“Stoppage of TETfund if allowed will lead to collapse of the University and Polytechnic education system in Nigeria especially in the area of provision of the needed infrastructure.
“Universities and Polytechnics in Nigeria have relied majorly on TETfund Projects to survive and any attempt to stop it will certainly do more harm than good to the system”
He commended TETfund presence in the Nigeria’s tertiary education system, describing the impact as the life wire in the provision of infrastructural development.
Professor Akinwumi disclosed that his administration embarked on aggressive internal revenue generation (IGR ) to complement TETfund efforts in execution of laudable projects at Federal University, Lokoja.
He said that during his tenure, the University established FUL Felele Consultant Ltd. and the Directorate of Consultancy Services to run Printing Press, Table Water Factory, Farm, Shopping Complex/Lock-up shops, Zoo and Conservatory, Senior Staff Club, and Block of Moulding Industry.
He also hinted that during his tenure faculties in the University increased from 4 to 10, notably Faculties of Pharmacy, Engineering, Agriculture, Law, Education Management and Planing as well as College of Health Sciences.
The VC also disclosed that since assumption of office, 47 Programmes offered in the University have received full accreditation by the National Universities Commission as at June, 2024.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of Kogi NUJ, Segun Salami who also reports for Channels Television, informed the VC that the purpose of the visit was to rub minds with him on effective partnership in publicising the institution’s activities.
