By victor madumere
The Resolution of the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to transform the nation for better, structurally and in human capital, can not be deterred by any opposing force or situation. As Mr President recently commissioned about ten (10) completed projects as many others are in their different levels of completion at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO).
Speaking at the epoch event, the Minister of Education Prof Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i who came in the company of Dr Mac John Nwaobiala, Permanent Secretary federal ministry of education, Hajiya Hindatu Abdulahi, Head of Tertiary education Prof Julius Okojie Chairman Nigeria University Commission (NUC) among others; commended the Vice Chancellor Prof C.C Asiabaka and the 10th governing council led by Dr Emma Enemuo for the land mark achievement by utilizing the available funds/allocation from the federal government judiciously.
The Minister went ahead to disclose the approval of (N130b) one hundred and thirty billion by the President to assist the public funding tertiary institutions in the quest for excellence, she explained that N100b is to assist the institution to upgrade their infrastructural status while N30b is for the clearance of arrears, allowance and other entitlement.
She also revealed that the FG is considering the grant to be a routine thing. As she called on ASUU to call off the strike in the interest of the students and country’s education future.
In his welcome address earlier, the V.C Prof Chigozie C Asiabaka, averred that one can not imagine the level of happiness and sense of relief at the prompt intervention of Mr President through some agencies of the FG in coming to the rescue of the university with the total funding and development of some critical projects in the university in recent time.
Some of the projects sponsored to full completion by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) include; the 1000 capacity lecture theatre, cent for Entrepreneurial Studies Building, Department of Physics Building, School of Engineering and Engineering Technology complex School of Environmental Technology complex, Centre for Nuclear Energy studies and Training complex among other projects completed and some near completion.
He also thanked President Jonathan led FG for their responsiveness to the need of public funding of universities, while expressing optimism that with the FG release of N130b for them, the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities will reciprocate by calling off their two month old strike sooner.
