Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has requested for more interventions from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to complete several unfinished buildings at some tertiary institutions in the state.
Speaking during a visit to the TETFUND headquarters in Abuja recently, the Governor said Zamfara State University and Abdu Gusau Polytechnic need serious intervention from the Fund.
He added that the university, located at Talata Mafara Town, has many projects that were initiated and abandoned by previous administrations.
“The last time I visited TETFund, I mentioned that we are like Oliver Twist, always asking for more. Today, I am here to request for additional support for certain Zamfara tertiary institutions.
“I visited Talata Mafara Local Government Area two weeks ago and saw the projects carried out by TETFund at the Zamfara State University. Unfortunately, there are numerous abandoned projects from the previous governments in the state”, he added.
According to him, Abdu Gusau Polytechnic is facing accreditation issues and, therefore, needs your support to resolve it.
“Zamfara is grappling with various challenges in addition to the ongoing insecurity. When we assumed office last year, employees had not been paid for three months, and our students could not take their WAEC and NECO exams. We also have a number of students on scholarships in Cyprus, India, and Sudan who have been left unattended to, among other urgent matters”, he lamented.
Lawal explained that his government had settled the backlog of salaries, paid the outstanding balance for WAEC and NECO, and resolved and settled payments for students on overseas scholarships. “We are here to seek your interventions, which will go a long way in rescuing the education sector,” he said.
While responding, the Executive Secretary of the Fund, Sonny T. Echono, commended Governor Lawal for his achievements in his first year in office.
“I want to congratulate you on your one year in office, and I want to appreciate and commend you for the work you are doing in government offices, institutions, hospitals, and other areas.
“We will review the request from His Excellency and do everything possible. Your diligence in addressing state issues is commendable and shows a high level of seriousness. I want to personally thank you for settling the WAEC and NECO debt,” he noted.
