Tuesday, 8 October 2013
THE Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, has expressed displeasure over the failure of government tertiary institutions to access the N73.87 billion grant domiciled at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
He expressed his displeasure on Tuesday in Abuja at a meeting with Pro Chancellors and Vice Chancellors of federal and state universities over the unaccessed grant.
He said that N73.87 billion ought to have been disbursed to the institutions ``but the money remained unaccessed as at June 2013.''
"As we discuss the funding of tertiary education in Nigeria, there is one source of concern: many Nigerian universities have not accessed funds due to them at Tetfund."
"As at the end of June, information available to me indicates that about N73.87 billion which should have been disbursed to tertiary institutions remained unaccessed for one reason or the other."
"A question that I want to pose, for which an answer must be provided, has to do with why institutions cry over the lack of adequate funding while funds due to them remain untouched."
I have directed that the specifics of the institutions with outstanding funds be provided to me.
"The National Universities Commission and Tetfund should provide more details of these institutions.''
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), has it that the minister said that top on the list of defaulters are; University of Lagos with an un-access sum of N4.3 billion, University of Calabar N4.2 billion and Anambra State University, N4.1 billion.
Wike disclosed that universities have yet to access N35 billion of the grant, representing 47 per cent of the total amount, while funds un-accessed by polytechnics amounted to an estimated N16 billion, which is 21 per cent of the total amount.
He said the amount for colleges of education stood at 12 billion, which is 16 per cent of the amount.
The minister, therefore, said "university managements do not have the moral grounds to complain of lack of funds when indeed they have funds with TETFund lying fallow.''
He listed some other universities that were unable to access the funds to include University of Benin; N1.6 Billion, University of Ibadan; N2.7 billion, University of Maiduguri; N1.1 billion, University of Jos; N3 billion, University of Port Harcourt; N3 billion and University of Markurdi; N2.3 billion.
Others are Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; N2.2 billion, University of Nigeria, Nsukka; N2.8 billion, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University; N2 billion, Bayero University Kano; N2.3 billion, Federal University of Technology, Owerri; N1.6 billion, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife; N2 billion and Niger Delta University; N2.2 billion.
Further listed was Usman Dan Fodio University; N2.8 billion, Ananmbra State University; N4.1 billion, Federal University of Technology, Yola; N2.8 billion, Kebbi State University; N2.8 billion, University of Lagos; N4.3 billion, University of Calabar; N4.3 billion and Nigeria Defense Academy; N472 million.
Wike, therefore, set up a seven-man committee headed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr McJohn Nwabiala, to work out modalities for easy access of the funds.
The committee, which has seven days to submit its report, would look into the impediments in accessing the grant. (NAN)
