The National Association of University Students, NAUS, has urged the federal government of Nigeria to probe the Tertiary Education Trust fund, TETfund, led by Prof Suleiman Bogoro over an alleged mismanagement of N208 billion intervention fund.
In a statement on Thursday, the NAUS National Vice-President, South-west, David Aridiogo, stressed that the investigation became necessary over an alleged mismanagement in the 2019 intervention fund earmarked to execute special projects in public universities across the country.
The students alleged that poor funding of public universities by TETfund has caused hike in school fees.
The statement read in part: “Nigeria’s university students see Tetfund as an agency that has critical roles to play in the education sector, but with the manner it was being run, attaining the FG’s projection for provision of facilities in the universities and other public institions will be a mirage.
“Nigeria’s university students , at home and Diaspora express serious concern over how N208 billion approved by the federal government as 2019 intervention funds for public higher institutions across the country was being managed by universities’ managements.
“We use this medium to call the attention of the executive Secretary of Tetfund, Prof Suleiman Bogoro to explain how the projects for 2019 is being executed and delivered by the managements as the committee set up by him has submitted reports.
“The direct disbursement shows that each university will receive N826.6 million and we have 43 federal universities and 48 state universities in Nigeria. This was besides the special intervention funds for six universities across the geo-political zones, which amounted to N1billion each.
“This was made public by the executive secretary, Prof Bogoro on July12, 2019 at the annual meeting with heads of Tetfund beneficiary institutions in Nigeria.
“NAUS finds it expedient to demand for explanation from Tetfund over the alarming rate of infrastructural decay in public universities in Nigeria, despite the huge funding by the federal government.”