Students of private universities nationwide may form a joint association to challenge the Federal Government in Court over the decision to exclude them from the list of beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the Vice-Chancellor of MacPherson University, Seriki Sotayo, Ogun State, Prof. Francis Igbasan said.

This is as the management of the various private institutions decried their exclusion as beneficiaries of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).

Igbasan submitted that the decision of the Federal Government on the two critical issues is detrimental to the development of the education sector.

The Vice-Chancellor, while rolling out the programme of the 9th Convocation ceremony of the institution to newsmen on Monday, described the development as a deprivation of the rights of the affected students and the management of the private institutions nationwide.

According to him, ?The Nigerian Education Loan is for all categories of students. It is unconstitutional for the Federal Government to segregate between students of public and private institutions.

?Excluding the students of the private institutions from the intervention amounts to shortchanging them. It should be noted that they are also citizens of the country.

?They are expected to contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of the country after leaving their various schools.

?Private university students are crying. The fund is not only meant for public institutions alone but private universities inclusive. Excluding us from the fund is discrimination; it is bad, every student should have equal access to the fund,? he said.

On the issue of TETFUND, the Vice-Chancellor appealed to the Federal Government to revisit its decision on the non-inclusion of private universities as beneficiaries of the fund.

He said funds derivable from TETFUND would go a long way in addressing the infrastructural deficit in various campuses.

According to him, ?The Federal Government should see and treat us as part of the system. Nothing stops us from benefiting from TETFUND like other public institutions.

?Several appeals have been made to the Federal Government for it to see the reason why we must be included as beneficiaries.

?The Governing Council Chairmen of the private institutions should come together and appeal to the government on this issue.?

Meanwhile, Igbasan, while reeling out statistics of graduands at the 8th and 9th Convocation of the institution, said, ?A total number of 281 students are graduating; 24 will be graduating with First Class, 116 students with 2nd Class Upper, 65 with 2nd Class Lower, and 13 with Third Class.?

He said the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities in Ekiti State, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, will deliver the Convocation Lecture titled ?A Nation in Transition: Managing the Yearnings of its Restless Youths.?

He noted that the vision of the university, owned by Foursquare Gospel Church Nigeria, was to build a people of excellence and integrity for service with a mission to provide qualitative, functional, and sound education with godly virtues that will prepare men and women for leadership and positive impact on society.

?Before next year?s convocation exercise in 2026, our intention is to establish Bachelor?s Programmes in Telecommunication Engineering, Electrical Engineering. We have plans to also include Civil Engineering, Industrial Relations, and Pharmacy, and commence Postgraduate programmes in Mass Communication, Economics, and History and International Studies.

?We are not unaware of some unwelcoming anti-social vices prevalent among the youths that have started creeping into the University Campus.

?Here at McPherson University, there is no room for such behaviour. About 14 students have been placed on suspension in this academic session alone. So, we don?t condone indiscipline here.

?This is because our certificate is a testament to our integrity and an affirmation that the recipient has been found worthy in learning and in character,? he explained. (Nigerian Tribune)

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