The Vice Chancellor of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti (BOUESTI), Professor Olufemi Adeoluwa, has declared that the N275 million monthly subvention from the Ekiti State Government is grossly inadequate for running the institution.
The Vice Chancellor said that due to the current economic reality in the country, BOUESTI needs N500 million to pay its staff, whose wage bill he puts at N430 million monthly.
Professor Adeoluwa stated this on Monday at a pre-convocation press conference held at the university campus in Ikere-Ekiti to herald the institution’s first convocation ceremony.
According to him, the university has not received either a capital grant or take-off grant from the state government for about five years of its existence, adding that it is left at the mercy of TETFund for physical infrastructure.
The VC said that the over N3 billion debt the university inherited from the defunct College of Education is difficult to defray, saying that the money includes gratuities of staff from 1993.
“It is pertinent at this juncture to mention that the university is not without challenges. Therefore, some of the challenges confronting BOUESTI are as follows:
“Many of the buildings in the university are old and dilapidated, and some of them need outright re-roofing.
“The monthly subvention from the state government is grossly inadequate for the university because the university has a lot of debts to pay and old physical structures to maintain.
“The internal road network of the university, which totals 7.5 km as of now, is very hard and needs rehabilitation. Special thanks to His Excellency Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji for his promise to construct a 5 km stretch from the road network.
“The debt profile of the university, inherited from the defunct College of Education, is high, and the university finds it difficult to defray this. It also includes staff gratuities, which have not been paid since 1993, although the university has commenced gradual payment since last month.”
The VC added that honorary doctorate degrees would be conferred on personalities, including the lawmaker representing Niger East Senatorial District, Sani Musa; the Governor of Enugu State, Barrister Peter Mbah; the Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu; and the Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti (EKSU), Tunji Olowolafe.
Professor Adeoluwa said that the university, since its inception, has been able to record many achievements and attract several interventions, ranking 26th in the Times Higher Education Ranking 2023.
“The university was awarded the Africa Outstanding University of Education for the Year 2023 during the 2023 African Education Summit held at the University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
“The university was awarded the Outstanding State University in the South-West Region at the 2023 Nigeria Hemisphere Awards. The award was received amidst encomiums and ovation in Abuja on Friday, 23rd June 2023.”
