VC urges FG to extend Tetfund to private varsities to boost training, infrastructure

Vice Chancellor, University of Mkar, Mkar-Gboko, Benue State, Professor Dickson Gernah, has appealed to the Federal Government, to extend intervention to private universities across the country in the areas of training and infrastructural development to enable them stand strong in fulfilling mandate.

Gernah made this appeal yesterday at Mkar during a press conference to mark the fourth combined convocation of the University. He intimated that the university had produced 22 First Class students ready to be honoured during today’s convocation ceremony adding that a total of 1,177 and 58 graduands would be awarded first and master degrees respectively. He said 22 students came out with first class, 309 second class upper, 598 second class lower, 246 third class and 8 pass degrees. He explained that the university currently has a total of 1,400 students spread across three colleges of Food Science and Technology, Science and Education and Social and Management Sciences.

He stated that three Nigerians would be conferred with the University’s honorary degrees in recognition of their distinctive accomplishments and remarkable service to the development of the university and country at large including Brigadier General Atom Kpera, Dirk Vander Steen, director of Servants United Mission, USA and Adedolapo Vaatia, Proprietress, Towering Tots Nursery/Primary Makurdi.

He lamented that finance remains a major constrain as they rely mainly on fees and levies from members of the NKST Church as sources of finance, even as he revealed that their current indebtedness has risen to Six Hundred Million Naira made up of backlog of salaries and sundry items, a development he said has continued to pose huge constrain to their operations.

Despite these constraints, he said a number of projects including the construction of two male hostel blocks, installation of heavy machines for engineering and food technology department, restructuring of the university Sickbay as well as other viable physical infrastructure have been achieved. He added that they have established a campus radio to help the training needs of mass communication students. Commenting on cultists, drugs abuse and other social vices that have taken over tertiary institutions, Gernah said University of Mkar is against such social ills as they put God first and at the centre.