PROF. Abdul-Ganiyu Ambali, Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin(Unilorin), has appealed to the Federal Government to relax the procedure for accessing the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

Ambali made the appeal on Sunday in Abuja, when he appeared at the Forum of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

NAN reports that tertiary institutions were yet to access about N43 billion with TETFund due to cumbersome procedure.

 The VC noted that the protocol involved in accessing the funds was cumbersome, adding that most universities would have loved it to be made easier.

I am sure the protocol in TETFund is not Bible or Quran that cannot be changed to make things much easier for all stakeholders.

I am sure that sooner or later, TETFund will meet to look at the protocol and review it with a view to make it more accessible if possible.

Ambali said that making the process of accessing the funds easier will improve the funding of the universities and polytechnics.

He said that the process was cumbersome for staff involved in the monitoring, assessment and project report and recommendations.

What I am saying is that based on the number of universities that we have, based on the number of projects going on in every university, protocol should be made easier,’’ he stressed.

He, however, said that Unilorin had been able to access its funds from TETFund, saying that the university had been getting its request as at when due.

Ambali said that the University of Ilorin had been able to access 85 per cent of its 2009 budget, including other assistance allocated to the institution.

If you go to University of Ilorin today, you will not see any abandoned project, the projects that you will see are ongoing or already completed, waiting for inauguration by Mr President or Minister of Education.

So we do not have much problem when it comes to accessing TETFund grant from the organisation,’’ he said. (NAN)