The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), Professor Kayode Adebowale has lamented the gross underfunding of the Federal Universities in Nigeria, berating the government for providing adequate funding for the universities and still disallowing the universities to charge fees.
Adebowale said this while receiving equipment donated to the institution’s Diamond 101.1 FM by the Diamond 101.1 FM University of Ibadan Volunteers.
Speaking through the institution’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Aderonke M. Baiyeroju, the VC claimed that the government only donated structures that it is not willing to maintain.
He called on the Federal Government to allow the federal universities to charge fees, saying that the current way of running the university education in Nigeria is no longer sustainable.
Noting that UI is going through a hard time financially, and struggling to survive, the DVC stated that while the institution receives N10 million monthly out of the N15 million promised by the Federal Government, it spends over N200 million on only utility bills. The VC said the only solution to the school’s financial problem is to be allowed to charge fees.
Thanking the donors for their thoughtfulness., she noted that even though they were not paid by the station as volunteer staff of the station, they still thought it fit to give back to the station that gave them the opportunities to grow in the broadcast media.
She assured that despite its lean resources, the University would continue to give needed attention to the Radio Station to retain its position of leadership among its peers in Ibadan.
The Director of Information Technology and Media Services, Mrs Abiodun Alao noted that Diamond Radio must have greatly impacted the volunteers such that even though they were not paid for their services they could still look back to give to the station.
Earlier, the volunteers, who were represented by Mrs Ibukunoluwa Otesile, donated to Diamond 101.1 FM the following items:
* 2 wired mouse
* 1 C270 longitech webcam
* 1 deskarm monitor mount
* 4 behringer headphones
* 1 core i3 hp system
* 2 stand-alone picture banner
* 1 big wall flex banner.
Otesile in her speech stated that the group was motivated to give back to the station that has made them because Diamond 101.1 FM station gave them the platform to launch their entry into the broadcast media, and many of them are doing well in the industry today.
She lamented the state of the station which has existed for 15 years saying it was disheartening to see the state of infrastructure of the station.
She said We did not forget where we started. It is disheartening to find that the station still has the electronics and the furniture we left behind some years ago. The chairs we left now have holes everywhere.”
