ESUT appeals to state government for increase in monthly subvention

The Enugu State University of Science and Technology has appealed to the state government to increase its monthly subvention to enable the university to meet its financial obligations.

The Acting Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Charles Eze, made this appeal In Enugu on Wednesday when he received members of Enugu State House of Assembly Committee on Education who were at the Institution for an oversight function

Briefing the Assembly men, Prof. Eze said that the university was experiencing difficulties in paying salaries of its workers as it struggled to generate enough internal revenue to complement what it got from the state government monthly.

He said that the monthly subvention from the state government is N204 million while the wage bill is N370 million.

According to him, this made the university’s council to place an embargo on employment, which he accused his predecessor, Prof. Luke Anike, of disobeying by employing over 300 staff members without getting necessary approvals

He informed the lawmakers that the process of securing accreditation for Nursing Programme in ESUT was in progress, stressing that the process was being delayed by the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

On the on-going TETFUND Project, the Acting Vice Chancellor revealed that both Pharmacy and Engineering buildings were sponsored through the intervention fund.

In their remarks, two members of the committee, Chima Obieze, and Chukwuka Eneh, charged the Acting Vice Chancellor not to focus on the mistakes of the past administration in order to move the institution forward.

They equally urged him to carry everyone along, including the Students’ Union Government, in decision making to avoid unnecessary conflict in the school.

In his remark, the House Committee Chairman on Education, James Akadu, assured the Acting Vice Chancellor that his committee would liaise with the Executives to ensure that the institution was adequately funded.

The lawmakers also used the opportunity to interact with the management of ESUT on how to improve the welfare of the institution.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the visit was the first legislative oversight function under the Acting Vice Chancellor who was appointed on May 26, 2020.

Source: The Eagle Online