Fuel subsidy: Unilorin to provide free data to staff – VC

Vice-Chancellor of University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, on Monday, said that arrangements were being made to provide free data for staff members of the university to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal. Egbewole stated this during an interview with newsmen in Ilorin to spotlight his first anniversary in office. He reiterated his administration’s commitment to the welfare of staff members and students of the institution in order to enhance their productivity. The vice-chancellor said that his administration was exploring every means to ensure that both the staffers and students of the university enjoyed the best of time while on campus. He noted that the biting economic situation in the country had affected staff members and students of the institution. Egbewole assured members of the university community that his administration was prepared to do everything to reduce the effects of petrol subsidy removal, which had reduced the purchasing power of the naira. He said that a rail project that would connect the university campus with the town was being pursued in order to ensure that staffers and students commute smoothly to and from the institution at affordable cost. According to him, efforts are also being made to ensure that more commercial buses are deployed by transporters to enhance movement of students and staff members to and from the campus. The vice-chancellor said that the network of roads within the university’s staff quarters at the Government Reservation Area (GRA) had been rehabilitated. He added that part of the main road on the institution’s main campus had also been rehabilitated to ease transportation. On hostel accommodation, Egbewole said that management had been working toward ensuring that more bed spaces were provided for students. He added that efforts would be made to ensure that no fewer than 1,500 additional bed spaces were provided in due course. “The university has secured a N500 million grant from Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) toward the building of a hostel that would provide more bed spaces for the students. “Private sectors are also being encouraged to invest more in the provision of more hostel accommodation for the students of the university,” the vice-chancellor said. (NAN)