VC urges NELFund to release loans for Ondo federal varsity students

The Acting Vice Chancellor of the Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo State, Prof. Samuel Akintunde, has declared that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund has yet to release the loan for the students of the university.

To this end, the VC appealed to the Federal Government agency to release the funds to a total of 995 students of the university who had applied for the loan but had not yet received the loan.

The acting vice chancellor stated this on Monday on the campus of the institution at a press briefing heralding the 35th convocation ceremony of the school.

He noted that the money the school was still expecting excluded the N20,000 monthly stipends as promised in the students loan scheme.

The don said, “The NELFUND is yet to make a release to us, but we are expecting it because it has reached the level of releasing the money to the university. The total amount we are expecting to be released is N68,316,200 and that is for 995 students that applied for the loan.

Don’t forget that NELFUND is not automatic, if a student refuses to apply, he will not get the fund and such a student will have to source for funds and pay his school fee by himself. A total of 995 students applied and that is the amount to be given to the university on their behalf. That amount does not include their monthly stipend of 20,000 each.”

Speaking on the convocation ceremony, Akintunde disclosed that the school will convocate a total number of 18,825 students who would be awarded various classes of degrees and certificates , explaining that the graduating students were a compilation of six sets consisting of 6,269 students from NCE (National Certificate of Education) 11,501 students from degree and 1,055 students from part time programmes.

Reeling out the activities for the ceremony, the VC disclosed that an honorary doctorate degree on the first lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu who is an alumnus of the institution . The don said Tinubu had played a vital role in ensuring the transition of the school from college of education to university.

He added, “The 35th convocation ceremony is scheduled to hold from Thursday to Friday with a series of activities. We are graduating six sets of students, including 6,269 from NCE, 11,501 from degree and 1,055 from part-time programme. It is important to note that three outstanding Nigerians, including the first lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, are to be awarded Honorary Doctorate Degree at the event.

“Apart from the fact that the first lady is a distinguished alumnus of this university from the department of Botany and Zoology, her role as a teacher before becoming a politician made her merit the award. In addition to that, she played a significant role in the emergence of Adeyemi College as a university.”