Okowa tasks varsities on IGR

NIGERIAN universities must account for their internally generated revenues and utilise same for infrastructural development of their schools,
Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, has tasked Nigerian universities to take seriously, the task of generating revenues internally and utilise same for the infrastructural development of their institutions.

Okowa, who spoke in Asaba, the state capital, during a visit by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Delta State University (DELSU) branch, said that financial propriety by the universities was imperative as the government would not be able to fund the schools adequately.

He said: “If we think that government can continue to fund every aspect of the university, we will be making a mistake. The university must run itself so that it can give an account for every money it generates. The state government pays salaries and carries out infrastructure development in our tertiary institutions. The schools need to generate money and use same for infrastructural development. At the federal level, the universities have been able to carry out infrastructural development through monies generated from consultancy services.”

He told the delegation, which was led by the chairman of the local chapter of the union, Prof. Abel Mac Diakparome that tertiary institutions in the country must be accountable, innovative and infrastructure driven so as to make them centres of excellence.

The governor called on the union to continue to partner with government in ensuring industrial harmony in the institution especially, in this challenging times, assuring that government would continue to dialogue with the union on ways of moving the institution and the state forward.

He charged the union to “call on the school management to stay accountable, while we reason together and work together to make the school a centre of excellence.”

Okowa promised to look into the issues of retirement age for the professorial cadre and payment of promotion arrears in the institution, while also calling for the completion of the payroll and contributory pension schemes of the school.

Diakparome assured Okowa of the union’s partnership with government in the maintenance of the existing industrial harmony in the institution.