Tetfund: Vice Chancellor Appeals Inclusion Of Private Universities Into Scheme
Loading ...From Msughshima Andrew, Makurdi
The Vice Chancellor, University of Mkar in Benue, Prof Iorwuese Gernah has appealed to the Federal Government to consider the Inclusion of private universities into the Tertiary Fund, (TETFUND), scheme.
Professor Gernah made the appeal during a press briefing to mark his second anniversary in office as the third vice chancellor of the institution.
The Vice Chancellor said while the exclusion of all private universities from the scheme has left them in a challenging state, thwir inclusion will improve their standards and enhance their capabilities to deliver quality education to students.
He noted that prior to the establishment of the scheme in 2011, government-owned tertiary institutions were poorly funded “But the scheme has improved management of funds disbursed to these institutions, making them meet up certain standards for quality education for the students”, Gernah said.
Gernah who explained that the University of Mkar was a mission institution thus facing a different scenero stated that not all private universities could generate revenue to fully support their programmes.
“For this reason, Vice chancellors of private universities have been pressing for this for a while. We are not even asking for the same shares but aleast something to assist us”, he said expressing the hope that the National Assembly and the Federal Government will hasten to thwir plights.
He disclosed thas as a way of generating revenue to sustain the school, management acquired land for animal husbandry and established Uni Mkar Farms, within the school community.
“We established a piggery, rabbitery, poultry and grasscutter breeding. We established a water factory for commercial and school use and have revived the milling factory for animal feed production.
“At the entrepreneurship study centre, we have a standard bakery for all kind of pastries, communion bread and we produce communion wine”, he said.
He said the school was working towards acquiring the regulatory approvals to enable it go into the open markets.
The University Don therefore appealed to governments at all levels to settle workers salaries to enable them pay school fees of their wards.
According to him, the school has lost N120 million school fees budget due to unpaid salaries by government.
