The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Mr Sonny Echono, on Wednesday stated that the organization has taken proactive steps to address issues related to distressed projects across institutions in the country.
This, he said, was done by revising the audit process and implementing a robust monitoring and evaluation policy.
TETfund boss stated this on Wednesday in his remarks while speaking at a two-day TETFund and Desk officers workshop on improving TETF and Intervention Programmes and Processes in Tertiary Institutions for TETFund beneficiary institutions.
The event was held at Calivia event center, Makurdi, Benue State.
Echono charged desk officers of beneficiary tertiary institutions to keep themselves abreast with the operational guidelines and mandate of the Fund to eliminate distressed projects in their institutions.
He equally advised the beneficiary institutions to always appoint competent and qualified desk officers that could properly engage the physical and infrastructure department of the Fund in order to promote quick processes and prompt awarding of contracts.
The TETFund boss stated that the workshop was organized to familiarise heads of various institutions and TETFund desk officers with the Fund’s operations, standards, and benchmarks which will enable them to attain transparency and effectiveness in accessing TETFund interventions.
He expressed optimism that the workshop will help various Heads of the public tertiary institutions and desk officers to equip themselves with the knowledge of the relevant guidelines, procedures, and processes of the Fund.
He maintained that desk officers were the critical interface or intermediary between the Fund, and the Chief Executives of beneficiary institutions, who are the accounting officers of the intervention allocations.
He appealed to the participants to make use of the opportunity and improve their knowledge and experience in the conception, reconciliation and implementation of the Fund’s programmes and process.
He said, “We have had one-on-one engagement with beneficiary institutions that have distressed projects with a view to understanding the problems and preferring solutions where possible. This has significantly reduced the number of abandoned projects that hitherto was rising beneficiary institutions
“As desk officers of the various intervention lines, you carry out a very significant role in the conception, reconciliation and implementation of the Fund’s programmes and process. Therefore, you must keep yourselves abreast with the operational guideline and mandate of the Fund in order to eliminate distressed and abandoned projects.
“It becomes even more glaring when we consider the synergy and continuous interaction that is needed between the Fund and your institutions as reflected in the frequency of submissions and communications we have with your institutions on a daily basis.”
“I do sincerely hope that the essence of this workshop, which is to engage, dialogue, discuss and challenge us on ways in which we will improve in our operations and smoothen the process of accessing interventions and their implementation by our beneficiary institutions is realised.
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