Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Mr. Sunday Sylva Togo Echono, has expressed worry about contractors, politicians and other ‘external people’ getting involved in the ‘selection process’ and the appointment of heads of public universities in the country submitting that this will have deleterious effects on the quality of higher education in Nigeria.
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Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Mr. Sunday Echono , who was the Convocation Lecturer at the 36th convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, on Saturday, lamented that political interference and the monetization of ‘selection process’ have begun to have negative effects.
‘The sponsorship of the selection process of Vice Chancellors by politicians has made university administration increasingly local’ he said.
Echono, who submitted that the undue influence of external forces has compromised the integrity of the ‘selection process’, added that members of the governing councils are these days made to be prone to financial inducements because of the competition attendant with the appointments.
‘Our universities have become increasingly local, with the majority of academic and non-academic staff sponsored by local politicians and other leaders from the respective communities where the universities are located.
Political affiliation has also assumed overarching importance in the selection process’ he lamented.
Mr Echono also disclosed that another worrisome development is the role of contractors who sponsor candidates for Vice- Chancellorship positions with the expectation that they will enjoy ‘patronage’.
‘Principal Officers exert enormous influence, especially when it involves procurement (Tender Board) and payments for projects, goods, and services. Contractors have been known to sponsor candidates for Vice- Chancellorship positions in return for patronage’ he said.
The TETFUND boss called for greater autonomy for universities in order to shield them from political interference while emphasizing the need for decision-makers to uphold transparency and implement clear criteria in choosing heads of the universities.
‘The autonomy of universities needs to be strengthened to minimize political interference’ he asserted, while adding that accountability at every level of the selection process is important in order to enhance integrity and meritocracy.
In recognition of his significant contribution to the development and progress of FUTO, and as a way of showing appreciation to him, the university community honoured Echono with the statue of ‘Macho Man’- Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
