Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Mr. Sonny Echono, has said 175 abandoned projects, sponsored by the fund, were in higher institutions.
He said the abandonment stemmed from the attitude of some heads of institutions who would stop work on projects started by their predecessors.
Echono spoke in Lagos at the opening of a two-day seminar for Desk Officers on TETFund Interventions in Beneficiary Institutions.
He decried the situation in which some vice chancellors, rectors and provosts would turn campuses to personal estates.
“We are giving priority to completion of abandoned projects and we are doing that this year and next. I am advising heads of institutions not to jettison inherited structures and projects. Some heads abandon some projects because they were not the initiators.
“We are learning a wrong lesson from our political environment. Now, on campuses, we have caucuses and when a new man comes in, he brings in his people. Sometimes, in doing this, expertise, competence are abandoned. I will advise heads of institutions to appoint people who will add value to the system.
“Among the abandoned projects, we have some we just need to do a little work. Many of such are to be inaugurated in the next one or two weeks. Some are not like that and the contracts may have to be determined,” he said.
Regarding the library project at University of Lagos that has been abandoned for over five years, Echono said Federal Executive Council, (FEC) would intervene in the matter.
“The UNILAG library project was awarded by FEC and for anything to be done, FEC would revisit the matter. If it is found out the contractor is incompetent, then the contract could be determined. But if he is competent to handle it, he could be given more funds to finish it,” he said.
Echono urged the Desk Officers to see themselves as the interface between the fund and heads of their schools.
Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University of Education, Ijanikin, Prof. Bidemi Lafiaji-Okuneye, hailed the fund for saving higher education from collapse.
“Though we are a new university and yet to start benefiting from the fund, going to some of our campuses, one would see the great job TETFund is doing. We are giving assurance that anytime we are listed by the fund, we are going to make judicious use of resources given to us,” she said.
