The Pro-Chancellor of Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, Professor Bode Ayorinde, on Saturday reiterated the call for the inclusion of private varsities in the educational support of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
Ayorinde, whi made the call during the 15th convocation and 18th founder’s day of the institution, emphasised the federal government should help universities to grow by exempting them from tax payment. He maintained that tertiary institutions are partner in national development.
“This is therefore a call and an appeal to the Federal Government for a Policy Reform. Government should as a matter of urgency direct the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and various State Boards in charge of internal revenue to grant full tax exemption to all educational institutions, especially universities. Tax credits and incentives should also be provided for organizations that donate to universities and other educational institutions.
“Government should allow education support funds, such as the TETFUND to assist private and public universities alike. Any policy to the contrary, as it is now, is very unfair as it is discriminatory against Nigerian students in private institutions.
“We appeal to governments to treat private universities as partners in national development, not as taxable businesses. Nigeria must join, in earnest, the League of Nations that see education not as a source of revenue but as the foundation of national greatness,” Ayorinde insisted.
Meanwhile, the Professor of Law has admonished the graduands of the institution to enter the labour market with courage and strong determination to succeed.
“Remember to shorn social vices including the ravaging time bomb, the drug menace. Achievers University has equipped you with knowledge and character. May you rise as leaders with high sense of integrity, who will make your family proud and build a prosperous Nigeria, we all dream of,” he said.
Earlier, the Chancellor of the University, Rt Hon. Yakubu Dogara, commended the resilience and commitment of the lecturers, administrators and support staff in the institution.
Represented by the President of the Alumni body of Achievers University, Alhaji Rasaki Olaowo, Dogara reaffirmed his steadfast commitment to supporting the institution in its mission to produce graduates that would shape the future.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oyesoji Aremu rolled out the statistics of the first degree graduands to include 72 students with first class honours, 318 with second class (upper division), 223 with second class (lower division) and 40 with third class. Also, in the postgraduate programme, 8 students graduated with postgraduate diploma, 6 with master degrees in business administration, 36 master of science and One Doctor of Philosophy degree.
Miss Chukwudike Victoria Toochukwu, a graduate from the Department of Computer Science, with a CGPA of 4.96 emerged as the best graduating student at the end of the 2024/2025 academic session.
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