Vice chancellor seeks inclusion of private varsities in TETFund

Vice Chancellor of the Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, Prof Christian Anieke has appealed to the federal government to include private universities in the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) to enable them compete effectively with their counterparts in government institutions.

Prof Anieke who made the plea while addressing reporters on the forthcoming 4th convocation of the university noted that the inclusion of private institutions in the fund would not only assist in more research activities but also equip them for better training.

The vice chancellor said it was unfair to exclude private universities which are contributing to the training of nation’s manpower, empowerment and
employment from the fund generated through tax payer’s money, stressing that government must be seen as contributing to the overall development
of the educational sector.

“It is not enough to approve licenses for the private universities. The government should go a bit further by including them in Tetfund to
enable the institutions contribute to research and development. The products of private universities are Nigerians who will also contribute to the
manpower needs of the country. It will be unfair to continue to deny them this and that is why I am appealing for a change of heart and not
allow individuals continue to struggle to meet with demands of higher education”, he stated.

While shedding more light on the activities of the university since inception, the vice chancellor said the institution has continued to offer scholarship to a student from each of the 19 northern states of the country each year as a way of encouraging learning and hard work, adding that several competitions that attracts scholarship were being observed in the school.

Prof Anieke also described the institution as one of the fastest growing tertiary institutions in the country with about 3000 students and currently operating four faculties, said plans are underway to begin law programme and postgraduate school.

He however lamented that paucity of funds had hindered the infrastructural development of the school.

Despite the challenges, the vice chancellor said the institution has continued to make giant strides with one of her students Micheal Okoro winning a scholarship to study at the New York University among others.