Management of the Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) has described, as unfair and unacceptable, the continued exclusion of private universities from the list of beneficiaries of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, said this, yesterday, during an interactive session with newsmen in Ekiti.
She said that even though private universities offer a viable alternative to public institutions, even complement and aid the drive of the government to increase the accessibility and quality of education, they do not receive any form of funding from TETFund.
Olarinde said: “Consequent upon the failure of public universities to fully accommodate a majority of qualified candidates, licenses were granted to private individuals and organisations to establish private universities in 1999.”
“A careful reading of relevant sections of the law shows that the intention of the lawmakers in imposing education tax on registered companies in Nigeria is for advancement of education in various levels and categories through rehabilitation, restoration and consolidation of education in Nigeria.
“Curiously, by the provisions of Section 7(1) of the Act, private institutions, including universities, are excluded from benefiting from the funds collected from companies, which are mainly private.
“It seems clear that Section 7(1) of the Act contradicts the provisions of Section 3(1), and violates Section 18 of the 1979 Constitution.
“The exclusion of private institutions, apart from the contradiction between Sections 3 and 7 of the law, is obviously unconstitutional, unfair and unjustifiable.”
Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor has said that ABUAD is currently mentoring some foreign and Nigerian universities.
She listed some of the universities to include the 33-year-old Benue State University, University for Industrial Development, Ghana and International University of Grand Bassam, Cote D’Ivoire,
Others included Benson Idahosa University, Ado Bayero University, Bayero, Federal University of Technology, Akure (for Medical Programmes), Ecole Professionnelle Specialisee
– La City, University, Republic of Benin and Western Delta University, Delta State.
