"students Education Loan Fund Meant To Provide Opportunity To All Nigerians Especially Those From Poor Homes", President Tinubu
Pesident Ahmed Bola Tinubu said the Students Education Loan Fund is meant to provide opportunity to all Nigerians especially the exceptional brilliant students and those from poor homes who ordinarily may not have had the fund to access University education.
Tinubu made this known while presenting his address in Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike Ikwo 7th and 8th combined convocation ceremony at the University convocation arena.
He disclosed that the Federal government under his watch is commited to funding University education and providing more specific intervention such as NEEDS assessment to increase access to University education for all Nigerians.
The President who was represented in the event by the vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria,Nsukka, Prof. Charles Igwe urged the labour unions and labour associations in the university system to do their utmost to address the issues of poor work ethics, avoid industrial actions which will depreciate the quality of academic programs.
He pointed out that his administration has always been concerned about the industrial harmony and peace in the universities, adding that he is happy that such peace has made this convocation worthwhile.
"The federal government is committed to funding University education and providing more specific intervention such as NEEDS assessment and others.
"My administration has always been concerned about the industrial harmony and peace in our universities . I am happy that such peace has made this convocation worthwhile.
"I want to encourage the unions and labour associations in the university system to do their utmost to address the issues of poor work ethics, avoid industrial actions which will depreciate the quality of academic program
Tinubu opined that he had to take the hard decision and removed fuel subsidy which has brought untold hardship to Nigerians momentarily so as to tackle the economic problems of the country.
"We have to take hard decisions which short term impact has brought difficulties in the condition of living on the masses without which the socio-economic development of the country would have been in shambles.
"The absurdity of Nigerian exporting crude oil earning, foreign exchange , in the process only to import refine petroleum products and in the process spending more foreign exchange than it has earned in the export of crude oil. From this, the obnoxious payment of the fuel subsidies in many cases for funding refined petroleum products has been eliminated.
"Consider again that the four refineries in the country could have become non-functional at the same time in spite of the homongus amount spent on turn around maintenance. These absurdities was sustained by the regime of fuel subsidy as long as this subsidy subsisted This condorum was bound to persist and we had to take the hard and inevitable decision of removing this dubious payment of fuel subsidy", the President said
In his remarks, the Chancellor, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo, HRM Dr Michael Aremu Adetotun Gbadebo commended President Tinubu for his commitment to revertalizing University education in Nigeria.
Gbadebo said that the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund and the recent appointment of Jim Ovia to chair the board of the fund.
"We have to take hard decisions which short term impact has brought difficulties in the condition of living on the masses without which the socio-economic development of the country would have been in shambles.
Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Sunday Elom commended the President for his determination to reposition university system in the country through various policies and programs of his administration which includes the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Safe School Initiative and exemption of universities from the integrated Payroll, Personnel Information System (IPPIS) among others.
Two eminent Nigerians, Chief Martin Elechi the former Governor of Ebonyi State and Anambra popular Industrialist, Chief Innocent Chukwuma were awarded Honorary Doctorate Degrees by the university during the convocation.