TETFUND boss expresses displeasure over institutions’ inability to access funds

Fri, Oct 27, 2017 | By publisher


Education

THE Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Dr Abdullahi Bichi, has expressed displeasure over the inability of some tertiary institutions in the country to access its intervention funds.

Bichi stated this on Friday at the Igbariam campus of Chukwuemeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu University (COOU), as part of the nationwide sensitisation seminar on the general guidelines for accessing and utilising TETFUND interventions.

He said TETFUND was established to arrest and reverse the rot and decay as well as refocus intervention activities in public tertiary education system.

He, however, expressed concern that many institutions were unable to access its funds due to the lack of understanding of its guidelines.

According to him, TETFUND is charged with the responsibility of assisting public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education with funding for infrastructural and manpower development.

“We believe that bringing this awareness to the community of stakeholders will help in improving our efficiency.

‘‘Most importantly, it will help in getting institutions and the communities of beneficiaries to access our intervention funds quickly and faster; and make more judicious utilisation of same,” he said.

The TETFUND executive secretary advised institutions to adhere strictly to the guidelines as the fund would not compromise on them.

In a remark, the Vice-Chancellor of COOU, Prof. Fidelis Okafor, expressed profound gratitude to TETFUND for its numerous interventions which had helped to transform the institution.

Okafor said all of the gigantic projects in the institution were TETFUND-funded including the Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty, Faculty of Agriculture, Engineering Complex, and two auditoriums, among others.

He reiterated the need for state governments to rise to the challenge of funding their universities adequately and not to leave them at the mercy of TETFUND.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the seminar had earlier held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze and Anambra State College of Education, Nsugbe.

The event featured presentations by various departments of TETFUND on the guidelines for accessing and utilising all its interventions.

NAN further reports that the occasion also afforded participants the opportunity to ask questions and seek clarifications on the activities of TETFUND.

The executive secretary also inspected the Pharmaceutical Science Complex, where work is expected to be completed by the end of November. (NAN)

– Oct 27, 2017 @ 15:36 GMT |

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