EKSU VC lauds FG on NEEDS assessment funds for varsities

Vice Chancellor, Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, Prof. Edward Olanipekun, has commended the Federal Government for initiating the NEEDS assessment intervention funds for universities, saying that they have helped in battling infrastructural deficit in the country’s Ivory Towers.

Olanipekun said this in Ado-Ekiti, at the weekend, while receiving the Ministry of Education’s NEEDS Assessment Project Monitoring Committee.

The vice chancellor described the funds as product of struggles and relentless battles fought by various unions in the universities.

ALSO, Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Mohammed Aruna, who spoke on the significance of the funds, said his team was in Ekiti State to monitor how the funds were being expended.He said the monitoring was necessary to prevent the initiative from being defeated by corruption.

Aruna, who is also the National Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), appreciated the vice chancellor for being dogged in the prosecution of several developmental activities in EKSU.

“I am impressed with the laudable projects I am seeing. The EKSU VC has been able to convince us that the standard of education can be enhanced with minimal funding.

“With what I have heard from you, the management team has really thought outside the box to generate money internally, block leakages and initiate programmes that would ensure good Infrastructure and better welfare package for the survival of the university,” he said.

He praised the newly-elected SSANU executive members of EKSU, urging them to work harmoniously with the management team for stability and high academic standard to be achieved in the institution.