NELFUND: Oyero makes case for private varsity students, says loan scheme is discriminatory
By Babs Oyetoro
Anchor University, Deputy Vice chancellor, Prof. Olusola Oyero has faulted the implementation of the loan scheme on the ground that students in private institutions are not captured among beneficiaries of the scheme meant for Nigerian students.
Oyero, who commended the Federal Government for the initiative opined that the scheme would give succour to indigent students who might have lost hope of having university education but was quick to add that non inclusion of private university students in the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme is tantamount to discrimination.
The former Dean of Faculty of Social & Management Sciences noted that some parents whose wards are in private universities sometimes sourced for loans from financial institutions to pay their school fees adding that these obligations put some parents under heavy financial burden too.
“It is a wrong assumption to make sweeping statement that rich parents send their children to private universities. Most of these parents send their children to such schools because they want quality education for their wards.
“Some parents obtain loans from the banks or financial institutions while some have gone to the extend of selling their property to pay their wards school fees.
“There are instances where some students could not continue because of inability to pay their school fees”, the Mass communication lecturer revealed.
The eminent scholar reasoned that it is mandatory for the Federal Government to accommodate students from non-government owned institutions as demanded by the principle of fairness and equity since they are all Nigerians.
“If the government cannot cover the school fees, at least it can make provision for the upkeep of the students in the private university.
“Besides, TETFUND too should extend sponsorship gesture to lecturers in the private owned institutions by funding research. It should not be limited to the state-owned university lecturers only.
“We are all Nigerians contributing to the educational development of this country”, he appealed to the government.
