Without TETFund intervention weeds ‘ll overtake many tertiary institutions in Nigeria – ASCETA Provost
By Steve Oko
The Provost, Abia State College of Education Technical Arochukwu, ASCETA, Dr. Philips Nto, has said that without intervention from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, most tertiary institutions in the country would be overtaken by weeds.
Dr. Nto who stated this during a press conference after inspection tour of facilities at the institution by Journalists, advocated the remittance of part of recharge card charges to TETFund for more efficient service delivery.
Nto also advocated 5% increase on statutory revenue accruing to TETFund.
The former Commissioner for Finance argued that the two percent education tax paid from the assessable profit of companies registered in Nigeria was no longer enough for TETFund considering the increasing demands on the Fund.
He commended TETFund for its numerous interventions which he said had turned ASCETA into huge construction site.
According to Nto, but for TETFund interventions most tertiary institutions in Nigeria would be overgrown by weeds.
The Provost who said the buildings he inherited were built by the late Alvan Ikoku in 1931, noted with delight that the infrastructural challenge of the institution had been greatly tackled with massive assistance from TETFund.
He enumerated some of the projects he executed in the institution with TETFund interventions to include the utra- modern 500-seater library ; Biology Laboratory, Business Education block, and a 350-seater auditorium.
Others include: Physical Education block with Gymnasium Hall and modern equipment; School of Arts & Social Science Block; School of Education block; electronic magic board, furniture, computer sets among others.
” When I came on board I discovered that the institution was blacklisted by TETFund because my predecessor accessed up to 85% funds for a project but later abandoned it. I borrowed to complete so that we can start accessing funds from TETFund, and that is the secret behind the infrastructural transformation magic you see here today”.
The Provost who said he inherited a student population of fewer than 300 when he took over, disclosed that his target was to hit 3000 students before the end of his tenure.
He however regretted that the deplorable condition of the Arochukwu federal road had adversely affected students enrollment in the institution.
” ASCETA is strategically located few kilometers from Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Ebonyi respectively, but our set back has been the poor state of the Arochukwu federal road.
” Under my watch all the problems including poor infrastructure that students complained of had been fixed. The only remaining issue is the federal road and I beg the federal government to please rehabilitate the road.”
The Provost said the institution had concluded plans to run two satellite campuses in Aba and Umuahia as part of efforts to increase student population and shore up its Internally Generated Revenues.
He also said the institution had entered into partnership with the Abia State University Uturu, ABSU; and the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, MOUAU, respectively, with a view to awarding degree in Education.
The Provost further said that under his watch, 20 out of the 22 programmes in the institution had secured full accreditation while two had interim accreditation.
He also said that prior to his arrival, no graduate of the institution had received certificate due to may bottlenecks but expressed joy that he had broken the jinx.
Dr. Nto who disclosed that the institution had up to N700 million available in TETFund for academic development, expressed joy that many of the staff had taken advantage of the fund to improve on their academic qualifications, while those unwilling to upgrade to the minimum requirement were laid off.
On the massive infrastructural development going on in the institution, Nto said ” the desire to make a change is the driving force”, adding that “my father told me to always identify problems and solve them”.
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