Dr. Abdullahi Baffa, Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), says the fund is committed to ensuring transparency in its operations
by making information available to the public, this is as he launched an internal publication called “TETFund Monthly Digest”.
Dr Baffa, during the launch of the compendium, said that the Monthly Digest was to promote transparency and report intervention activities of the fund and would be used to report facts, figures on project approvals, research grants, and other funds disbursed.
He noted that, transparency is number one, not just making the information available to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and CSOs but making the information available directly to the public.
Baffa emphasized that the bulletin would raise the transparency level in the management of the agency, stating that approvals should not be between the funds and the institutions alone but also the members of the public. The publication will also inform taxpayers on what their taxes deducted for education is used for.
According to him, Baffa, said “Each day officers of the fund are in the field engaging in project monitoring and evaluation, monitoring scholarship, conference attended, monitoring research activities.
“In the office we are getting submission for beneficiaries’ institutions, we are approving the commencement of project, approving the releases of first tranche, second tranche, third tranche we are approving scholarship, conference attended and we disburse money daily.
He said, “We thought it as appropriate to raise transparency to higher level that everything we have conducted, every approval to all our beneficiary, fund disburse to all beneficiary institution, scholarship we have given to all the scholars in each beneficiary institution, every sponsorship to attend conference and amount approved for them.
“We should compile them and make them available to stakeholders and the general public for the purpose of making this available for all to see.
Baffa said, “we believe that our activities at the fund should be known to everybody, whatever approval we make should not only be between the fund and the institution but everybody should know, adding that the digest will have records of all tranche to beneficiary institutions.
President, Association of Staff Union of University(ASUU), Biodun Ogunyemi, expressed concerns of TETfund been a sole pillar for project in campus “TETfund should not be funding project in Tertiary institution they are supposed to be an intervention agency.
“We believe tertiary institutions should be in a democratic system and they must be transparent. We have always suspect the TETfund, now that we have this, it a report card and it gives us instrument for monitoring them and attacking them.
President of Academic staff union of polytechnic (ASUP), Usman Yusuf represented by Dr. Aliyu Ibrahim, said “TETfund has been able to touch the mind of ASUP, the digest proves transparency.
Yusuf stated that TETfund has been the bedrock of Nigeria Education, “We are happy to partner with you in this monthly publication digest.”
Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, president of the Union of Academic Personnel of Universities (ASUU), said that the issue of transparency was of vital importance for the union. Ogunyemi said that tertiary institutions should operate under democratic arrangements and through transparency in their relations.
“This summary is a report card and is an instrument to monitor, inform and criticize the Fund. It will give us space to better involve the administrators of the university,” he said.
He urged all interested parties to support TETFund to ensure that it does not derail from its mandate.
Nigerian Artistes Petition House of Reps over Rip-off by Telecom companies
Nigerian music artistes have taken their cry to the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee investigating activities of telecommunication companies’ treatment of intellectual property owners.
Chairman of the ad-Hoc Committee Hon. Ahmed Abu has stressed the need to amend the content laws guiding the operation of telecommunications companies in Nigeria to give content providers, like music artiste benefit for their intellectual properties.
This is coming in the light of the looming faceoff between music artiste in Nigeria and telecommunication companies which have been accused of reaping off the artistes whose hit songs are used as “ring back tones” by various telecommunication companies in Nigeria, while nothing in terms of cash remunerations gets to artistes.
Honorable Abu lamented that some of the submissions made to the House ad-hoc committee point to the fact that some Nigerian artistes whose songs are used for various promos have been short changed.
According to him when the investigation is completed the facts will come to the fore that will guide the committee come up with a report that would help the House do all it can; including amending relevant laws, if necessary to save the entertainment industry.