The Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Lokoja, FUL, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi has sounded a warning to the federal government.
He stated that any move to scrap the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund will spell doom for the universities.
Akinwumi made the appeal on Thursday during an interaction with a group of journalists in his office while noting that TETFund has become the backbone of infrastructure development in higher institutions across the country.
“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,” the Vice Chancellor said.
He also said the university will follow due process in the admission of students for any of its numerous academic programs, urging applicants to the institution to remain patient.
While explaining the delay in admitting students for its law program, despite having approval of the National Universities Commission, NUC, he said the institution is waiting for visitation from the council of legal education as required by law.
According to Akinwumi, FUL is determined not to run a foul of regulations in its pursuit of the law programme.
He said the delay in the release of the admission list is part of the measures to ensure the program begins on a sound footing.
On funding, the VC said the school has to think out of the box, often falling back on its consultancy unit to augment the federal government and sustain its functionality.
He also hinted that during his tenure, faculties in the university increased from four to 10, notably Faculties of Pharmacy, Engineering, Agriculture, Law, Education Management, and Planing as well as College of Health Sciences.
Akinwumi also said the university has revived the culture of public and inaugural lectures, noting that under his watch more than 20 of such has been organised as against only two before he assumed office less than four years ago. He added that 47 programmes offered in the university have received full NUC accreditation.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel promised effective partnership with the institution.
