Abia Lawmaker Asks ABSU VC To Give Account Of Tetfund Grants

Abia House of Assembly Minority Leader and Member representing Bende North State Constituency, Hon. Chijioke Chukwu has called for the probe of the Vice Chancellor, Abia State University, Prof Uchenna Ikonne, over his use of funds from the Federal Government.

Hon. Chukwu, who made the call while fielding questions from newsmen in his Ugwueke country home at the weekend, also questioned the rationale for asking returning students of the institution to pay “Pandemic prevention fees” before registration.

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According to the outspoken lawmaker, “levying the students in a period where even states governments and big corporations are receiving different forms of stimulus packages to cushion the economic effects of Covid-19 is the height of insensitivity”.

He commended Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for stepping in on time to scrap the draconic fee.

He however suggested that instead of given the students cash, as the governor had promised, he should channel the funds into school fees reduction for the students to ease the burden on their guardians who are struggling to fend for their wards and provide for the home front.

He stated that reducing their school fees, even if its for one session, is the surest way to ensure that all students benefit from the gesture and also stop politicians from hijacking the process.

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Hon. Chukwu also charged stakeholders to ensure that Prof. Ikonne accounts for the over N2.5B Tetfund intervention fund received by the university between 2016-2019 and a whooping N3billion in 2019.

According to Hon. Chukwu, so far, apart from the optometry block which has remained uncompleted, there is nothing on ground at the institution to show for all funds the federal government had channeled to Abia State university in recent times and concluded that “the judicious use of public funds is an issue that should concern every right thinking Abian”.

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