The Federal University, Lokoja

Richard Elesho

The Federal University, Lokoja, FUL, says it will follow due process in the admission of students for any of its numerous academic programs, urging applicants to the institution to remain patient.

Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi disclosed this on Thursday during an interraction with a group of journalists in his office. While explaining the delay in admitting students for its law program despite having approval of the National Universities Commission, NUC, he said the institution is waiting for visitation from the council of legal education as required by law.

According to Akinwumi, the FUL is determined not to run a foul of regulations in its pursuit of the law program. He said the delay in the release of the admission list is part of the measures to ensure the program begins on a sound footing.

On funding, the VC said the school has to think out of the box, often falling back on its consultancy unit to augment the federal government and sustain its functionality.

He appealed to the federal government not to scrap the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, noting that it has become the backbone of infrastructure development in higher institutions across the country.

“Stoppage of TETfund if allowed will lead to collapse of the University and Polytechnic education system in Nigeria especially in the area of provision of the needed infrastructure.

“Universities and Polytechnics in Nigeria have relied majorly on TETfund Projects to survive, and any attempt to stop it will certainly do more harm than good to the system”

He also hinted that during his tenure, faculties in the university increased from 4 to 10, notably Faculties of Pharmacy, Engineering, Agriculture, Law, Education Management, and Planing as well as College of Health Sciences.

Akinwumi also said the university has revived the culture of public and inaugural lectures, noting that under his watch more than 20 of such has been organised as against only two before he assumed office less than four years ago. He added that 47 programmes offered by the university have received full NUC accreditation.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel promised an effective partnership with the institution.