Sa’adatu Rimi Varsity Accesses N3billion from TETfund, Says VC

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

The Vice Chancellor of Sa’adatu Rimi University of Education, Kano, Prof. Yahaya Isa Bunkure, has said the institution has accessed about N3 billion intervention fund from Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) for the construction of various structures in the institution.

Bunkere disclosed this during an interactive session with the leadership of Kano State Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), which paid him a courtesy visit in his office yesterday in Kano.

He said the TETfund intervention fund was used to construct befitting accommodation and office blocks for academic and non-academic staff; construct 10 different types of lecture rooms, and four well-equipped laboratories.

According to him, there are N280 million blocks for Early Grade Reading to serve Colleges of Education in the North-west; training and re-training of lecturers, among other projects.

He further stated that 70 per cent of the funds for the university come from TETfund, but expressed optimism that the new government of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf would pump in more funds to develop the university, as already promised by the state commissioner for Higher Education.

On the increment of school fees by some universities in the country, Prof. Bunkure said the institution is offering free education to physically challenged students.

He said: “Those with physical deformity are enjoying free education. The policy was initiated by former state Governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso. For us at Sa’adatu Rimi University of Education, I want to tell you that we are running a partially free education system. Tuition fee is free for all students, including indigenes and non-non indigenes.”

He said the registration fee in the institution is among the cheapest in the country, adding: “What we charge for NCE registration fee in the institution is N15, 200, while we charge N23, 000 to N27,000 for degree programmes.

The VC further said the university would be ready to absorb students who drop out from other universities because of exorbitant registration and tuition fees but would be guided by the admission limit as stated by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).