Babatunji Wusu –
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has received an appeal from the Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy, Enugu, requesting that it be added to the list of beneficiaries of the program.
The statement was made in Enugu at a press conference by the college’s rector, Prof. John Emaimo, to mark the impending second combined convocation of the college on Saturday.
As a federal institution, he claimed it was unreasonable to deny the institution access to the fund; rather, eligibility should have been granted automatically.
He regretted that this had significantly slowed the college’s quick advancement in the academic and medical fields.
However, Emaimo pointed out that his administration had made a significant effort to construct a lot of classrooms and staff offices given the circumstances. According to him, the institution’s biggest issues continue to be the funding shortfall and the infrastructural deficiency.
“Since I became this college’s rector, we have constructed several contemporary classrooms to make sure that our students learn in a comfortable environment, but we still require more.
“Our inability to access the Tertiary Education Fund (TETFUND) has been a significant setback for us. As a government organization, we had assumed that access to the fund would be granted automatically. However, the opposite has really happened, since a number of our attempts have failed.
“Therefore, we are requesting assistance from all relevant authorities and education enthusiasts who share our vision for the revolution we are leading to close the skills gap in our health and education sectors. We also need the support of individuals and donors in our pursuit of exclusive manpower development,” he stated.
The college has progressed from being an establishment that offered just two degrees and awarded just OND and HND in Dental Technology and Dental Therapy, the rector said, despite the difficulties. By adding a new chapter to this college’s history, we have widened the scope of knowledge.
“We have increased the breadth of our academic curriculum and started degree programs since the Federal College of Dental Technology and Dental Therapy (Establishment) Act, 2017 was passed, enabling us to offer degree programs. We are pleased to notify you that the first group of our degree candidates in public health, biomedical engineering, and dentistry technology will be graduating at the upcoming convocation.
He revealed that the joint convocation in 2023 would be more than just a custom; rather, it would be a gathering of heroes sent out into the world to change particular parts of the health sector that are frequently beset by a staffing deficit.
