A Civil Society Group, under the auspices of Peoples Development Network, PDN, has urged the Tertiary Education Trust fund ,TETFund, to remain focused on its intervention responsibility that has strengthen research programmes and academic staff training in Nigeria, despite attacks.
TETfund came under attacks recently over MOUs it signed locally and internationally on academic and professional trainings, which the TETfund Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono said reduced cost for the Nigerian government as the services were not given out as contracts.
Public Relations Officer of PDN, Ajibade Daniel said such attacks were baseless and should not deter the Fund from delivering its mandate, stressing that the attacks were aimed at wanting to remove the hardworking Executive Secretary of the TETFund.
He said that recently the Academic Staff Union of Universities commended Echono, who is the head of the TETfund for taking new paths in tertiary education interventions, just as it faithfully implements disbursement guidelines as approved by the President
“It is clear that TETFund is currently under siege by desperate office seekers. We were there the day ASUU President commended TETFund under its present leadership and how reforms has ensured the Agency is taking a new path in its interventions in tertiary institutions,” spokesperson for the CSO noted.
He urged the media to be unbiased in reporting issues surrounding the agency, as it was reported in some sections of the media that the Executive Secretary of TETFund was detained by ICPC when he was not even invited in the first instance.
