Gabriel Igbinedion, chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada (I.U.O) has called on the Federal Government to urgently review its policy of funding university education so that private tertiary institutions can also benefit from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and other education grants.
Igbinedion, who appealed at the 15 convocation ceremony of the institution, in Okada, Edo State, noted that the Federal Government has failed private institutions that paid relevant taxes and levies in critical areas.
The chancellor represented by the Deputy-Chancellor of the institution, Lucky Igbinedion also alleged that the state governments only give scholarship to students that have deprived children of the poor of quality education which private universities symbolise.
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He disclosed that the institution would introduce a scholarship scheme for students wishing to choose careers in science and technology.
He also promised that the institution has finalised plans to offer automatic employment to students of the institution under the Federal Amnesty Programme who graduated with Second Class Upper Division.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Eghosa Osaghae, who said the decision to offer automatic employment to best graduating students got the blessings of the institution’s management no Ted that it was the least the university could do to encourage hard work among the students.
He also disclosed that a total of 634 students graduated from the institution. He gave the breakdown of the graduands to include 11 that bagged first-class; 220 seconds class upper, 248-second class lower while 15 came out with third class.
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He also disclosed that 85 students of the Federal Government Amnesty programme graduated from the institution with Second Class degrees.
The Vice-Chancellor further disclosed that’s the graduands who are part of the 634 graduating students were products of the institution’s Smart Partnership Programme with federal and some Northern state governments.
According to him, under the programme, we have 65 graduating students from Kano, 11 from Bauchi in which one is graduating with First Class degree in computer engineering.
“I have the permission of the Pro chancellor to announce that students from this programme who graduated with Second Class Upper degrees, especially that of Bauchi with First Class in Computer Science will have their appointment slots waiting for them at the university.
He said despite the monumental contributions of private institutions to the nation’s economic development, the federal government has constantly strangulated and starves them of funds by its constant refusal to give them TETFUND and bursaries to students in the private institution of learning.
Osaghae said the institution Smart Partnership Programme with some states in the North has yielded positive results and hope to consolidate on such relationship.
In a lecture titled ‘Restructuring and Future of Nigeria’, Nkoyo Toyo, noted that restructuring must be backed by law to guarantee prosperity for the country.
Toyo said restructuring must not pit one region against another, adding that the centre must be made unattractive so as not to attract agitation.
IDRIS UMAR MOMOH, BENIN
