N ELFUND: Bandele makes case for private varsity students, says ‘their exclusion is disservice to nation’

By Babs Oyetoro

Anchor University vice chancellor, Prof. Samuel Oye Bandele has made a strong case for the inclusion of private university students as part of the beneficiaries of the loan scheme for students studying in tertiary institutions across the country.

Bandele, who commended the current government for the policy initiative observed that Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND was one of the best things that had happened to Nigerian students in the recent time.

“There is no doubt, the education loan fund has brought succour to so many students whose parents could not afford to send their children to higher institutions. This government initiative has restored hope to the hopeless among Nigerian students who crave for higher institution education. I hope the successive governments will sustain this in the nearest future”, he noted.

However, the former Ekiti State University vice chancellor could not hide his displeasure for the exclusion of private university students from the loan scheme introduced by the government, whom he believed should equally be part of the  beneficiaries of this government laudable initiative.

He reasoned that all the students, the academic staff and non academic staff in the private universities were Nigerians qualified to benefits from all government programmes including NELFUND too, which is meant for all Nigerian students.

“The facts remain that parents whose children are in private institutions pay taxes and in their various fields are contributing to the development of the country including lecturers too who are working assiduously to build human capital development in the ivory towers.

“So, I can confidently say these categories of people are qualified to benefit from all government programmes without any exception.

“I am not talking about building structures in private institutions as this is the responsibility of the owners of these schools but government could sponsor research for lecturers, give scholarship awards to students in private institutions.  Continuous exclusion of students from private schools is tantamount to disservice to the nation”, he submitted.

Elated Bandele hinted that Anchor university had enjoyed high visibility both home and abroad through its top notch performance and media spotlight.

 He underscored the fact that Anchor university remains the most secured, disciplined school in the country today.

He anchored his assertion on the fact that moral integrity, uncompromising biblical, academic standards and availability of modern equipment coupled with conducive environment for learning were the secrets of the institution success so far.

He also talked about the plan to build a 500-bed space accommodation to take care of upsurge in students population explaining that in the interim the management has made adequate arrangement to take care of this pressing accommodation challenge confronting the school.