From: Petrus Obi, Enugu
Vice Chancellor, Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, Prof. Christian Anieke, has lamented the non-inclusion of private universities in Nigeria in the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) projects as injustice.
He questioned why the government should continue to discriminate especially when public fund is involved.
“I don’t understand why private universities are not included in the TETFUND,” he said.
Anieke who addressed a pre event press conference ahead of the 4th Convocation of the University coming up on Saturday, said that it beats his imagination that private universities are denied the opportunity of participating in the TETFUND since they too are rendering invaluable services to the nation and carry out developmental researches.
He pointed out that the Catholic owned institution is one the fastest growing private universities in the country and should be encouraged for optimum academic development which at the long run would benefit the entire society.
While praising the university for its high academic performance, Anieke pointed out that products of the university are doing very well in government and private sectors while some of them have been given scholarships overseas for their sterling academic performance.
Talking about scholarship, the Vice Chancellor called on all and sundry, especially wealthy individuals and corporate organizations, to give scholarship to indigent but brilliant students to enable attain academic heights.
He disclosed that the University has been trying within their limited resources to give scholarships to their students, pointing out that since inception, the University had given scholarship to not less than 50 students out of which 19 of them are from the northern part of the country.
The vice chancellor had earlier, during the briefing, intimated that 281 students of the university will graduate on Saturday while out of the 281 students, 9 of them got first class.
He disclosed the former governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donal Duke would deliver the 4th Convocation lecture of the University, come this Saturday.