…as Prof Edoba Omoregie takes over as 11th substantive Vice Chancellor
A former Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin,Prof. Lillian Salami has said inadequate funding and lack of personnel are among others challenges bedeviled the country’s public universities.
She spoke during a thanksgiving and book lunch to mark the end of her 5- years tenure as the 10th Substantive Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin ,Edo State/Inauguration11th Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Edoba Omoregie (SAN) on monday in Benin.
Salami who also commended the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) policy of the Bola Tinubu administration, said the intervention would give relief and succor to hundreds of students without means to pursue their academic dreams on board.
She said NELFUND is a work in progress that still needs to be better administered in order to meet the needs of more indigent students who may not be able to meet their education needs financially.
She said ,” NELFUND is trying to bring in equity, equality to everybody and for me it is a process that is still in the works we have not gotten there,there are a lot of things we are trying to get in place , trying to bring those that are outside into the system . We are still working on how to get more students to key into the system. We need to step up our game to bring a lot of people into the system.”
Commenting on her efforts to improve the University of Benin in her 5 years sojourn as Vice-Chancellor, she noted that the varsity is better than she met it .
“With all humility ,I think I have done my best to rap it up. My prayer is that the university can grow higher than we met it.
“The challenges are the same as with other tertiary institutions alike, funding, lack of man power, constant strike by academic and non acedamic staff.”She said.
Meanwhile , Prof. Edoba Omoregie (SAN) on monday has been sworn in as the University of Benin 11th substantive Vice Chancellor in a carnival inauguration ceremony at the Ugbowo campus of the university.
Omoregie, until his appointment as Vice-Chancellor, UNIBEN was on national assignment with the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Abuja, the think-tank of Nigeria’s National Assembly as Director, Legislative Support Services.