Recession: Be prudent in funds management, Buhari tells universities

President Muhammadu Buhari has charged federal universities to be prudent in the management of funds allocated to them in view of current economic challenges.

Buhari gave the advice on Saturday at the 30th Convocation of the University of Calabar.

Represented by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Onwuka, Buhari said that his administration placed premium on the funding of education as a way to improve teaching and learning.

According to him, in view of the present economic challenges, it is important for public universities to adopt prudent measures in spending the funds allocated to universities by the Federal Government.

“As we all know, Nigeria is facing some economic challenges presently; I wish to advise federal universities to make judicious use of the funds allocated to them from the federal government for the development of their campuses.

“The University of Calabar has fared very well in terms of infrastructural development and I must commend the university management for this,’’ he said.

The president congratulated the graduands on the award of degrees to them and urged that they should be good ambassadors of the institution and Nigeria.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Zana Akpagu, said that the institution graduated a total of 13,347 students in various fields of studies at the ceremony.

Akpagu explained that 1,437 students were awarded post-graduate certificates while 11,910 got first degrees in different classes.

He said that 22 students graduated with First Class degrees, adding that the University recorded a milestone in establishing the Faculty of Engineering which never existed since its establishment in 1978.

He assured that the university would continue to leave up to its expectations in delivering quality academic services to students.

On his part, the Pro-Chancellor of the University, Dr Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, thanked the Federal Government for improving infrastructure in the school through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).

Iwunayanwu said that the support had helped in the physical development of the university.

Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, who was a guest at the occasion, donated the sum of N30 million as an educational support fund to the university’s Medical Centre, still under construction.

Tambuwal commended the school management for infrastructural development and urged the graduands not to depend solely on white-collar jobs “but rather, be determined to be entrepreneurs”.

Highlight of the occasion was the award of doctoral degrees “Honoris Causa” to Brig.-Gen. Anthony Ukpo (retd), Alhaji Ummarun Kwabo and Mr Daniel Chukwudozie for their contributions to the socio-economic development of the country.