The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has described the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) as the life wire of the Colleges and other public tertiary institutions in the country.
President of COEASU, Dr. Smart Olugbeko, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, particularly noted that public Colleges would have suffered terribly without the intervention of TETFund.
He said: “TETFund has remained the only succour for unbridled development in our public tertiary institutions providing strategic infrastructure, robust staff development and unprecedented culture of research.”
Olugbeko, while stressing that TETFund and its current management deserve accolades and not defamation, said the Union received the news with great dismay and concern that certain individuals and groups are plotting to disrupt the activities of TETFund and malign its leadership.
He said: “It beats all sensibilities that anyone anywhere could be so mean as to be bent on smearing the image of the Fund and its management, especially the Executive Secretary (ES), Arc. Sonny Echono, despite the giant strides and impactful efforts of TETFund, should earn ceaseless accolades from beneficiaries and stakeholders.
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“We condemn such malicious mission in the strongest terms and declare that the evil machinations of detractors shall fail!
“We are impressed and satisfied by the recent reforms and innovations introduced by the Management of TETFund under the leadership of Arc. Sonny Echono towards increased impact and more efficient service delivery.
“Under the present Executive Secretary, the Fund has not only preserved the great legacies of past administrations but has surpassed them and improved significantly through progressive innovations and transparent commitment to due process.
“Our Union and other like-minded stakeholders hold TETFund in the highest esteem and bear first-hand testimony to TETFund’s honest and diligent adherence to laid down regulations in the discharge of its mandate to beneficiary institutions,” Olugbeko stated.
He further noted that TETFund is a product of unions’ agitations; therefore, all the academic staff unions in tertiary institutions keep an eagle eye on its activities and constantly interact with the leadership of the Fund.
“We boldly say that TETFund is one of the few agencies of government in Nigeria that are discharging their mandates diligently.
“Colleges of Education have benefitted immensely from the activities of the Fund; our colleges would have suffered terribly without the intervention of TETFund.
“Stakeholders like Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) that rate the Fund high in performance and integrity far outnumber ungrateful enemies of progress,” he said.
He, therefore, encouraged the Fund and its leadership to remain focused and undeterred by any campaign of calumny from the quarters of those who expect undeserved patronage.
“We enjoin all Governmental authorities and the entire public not to be swayed by such image-smearing and malicious petitions against an agency that is doing very well, as such acrimonious campaigns stem from their failure to have their way for personal gains against the rules,” he said.
