They are already in South Africa pursuing their doctorate degrees in various fields. The six of them enrolled for the programme with the hope of being sponsored by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). They applied for sponsorship, but TETFund seems not disposed to granting their application because they are not “fresh applicants”. Now, the lecturers say lack of funds is threatening their programmes, ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA reports.
As university teachers, their dream is to be the best in their chosen fields. Mindful of the requirement that every lecturer must have a PhD to be able to keep his job, they enrolled for their doctorate in South Africa, with the hope of getting sponsorship from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). That scholarship seems long in coming, pitching the lecturers against TETFund, which mandate, according to the law establishing it, includes: “To train, sponsor academic staff in the beneficiary institutions to acquire high qualifications both local and foreign” and “To boost academic staff morale in impacting quality knowledge to their student(s)”
But for these six lecturers of the Lagos state University (LASU), these words will only have meaning if TETFund approves their scholarship request.
They are undergoing their PhD programmes in three institutions in South Africa. But TETFund has refused to fund their programmes, claiming they did not submit their applications before embarking on the PhD.
They are: Ademola Adesina, PhD, Computer Science (University of the Western Cape); John Alegbe, PhD, Chemistry (University of the Western Cape); Morounke Saibu, PhD Biotechnology (University of the Western Cape); Oluwakemi Tovide PhD, Chemistry (University of the Western Cape); Curtis Coleshowers, PhD Biotechnology, Forensic DNA Analyses (University of the Western Cape); Adekemi Moronkola, PhD Chemistry (Rhodes University); and Babajide Abidogun, Phd Education – Curriculum and Instruction in Early Childhood (University of Pretoria).
The lecturers are urging the Federal Government to prevail on TETFund not to renege on its decision to sponsor their PhD programmes on the ground that they “did not apply for the intervention fund upon admission and at the start of their various programmes.”
They are also calling on TETFund to save them from the financial hardship they are going through as they have no sponsorship from individuals or organisations. lack of fund they said is threatening to stall their programmes.
In a July 3, 2012 petition, the lecturers said: “We write to express our disbelief over the rejection of our applications for the above-mentioned fund. We were informed that your decision to reject our applications was based on the fact that we did not apply for the intervention fund upon admission and at the start of our various programmes. It is imperative to point out that with this development we are almost uniformly stalled at various stages of our PhD programmes here in South Africa primarily because we are all self-sponsored candidates. Hence you can see why we are all devastated by your decision.”
The petitioners’ spokesman Oluwaseun Babalola, said but for the crisis that rocked LASU three years ago, they would have processed their applications on time.
He said: “When we started the programmes, LASU was in serious crisis throughout that time and there was no one to submit our forms to, nobody could treat our files. It was early last year when the dust had fully settled in LASU that all of us were able to apply for the fund. Should we now be punished for an offence committed by LASU?”
The lecturers accused TETFund of double standard, claiming that their colleagues from other universities who started at the same time with them are enjoying the fund “but we are not”. The petitioners argued that it is not stated anywhere in TETFund law that application forms must only be from those with fresh admissions. They said the different calendars of the universities where they are studying and the bureaucratic bottlenecks associated with processing application forms and submitting same to TETFund affected the time their applications got to the agency.
Copies of the petition were sent to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) LASU; President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (national headquarters); ASUU-LASU chapter; and Chairman, Education Committee, House of Representatives.
The lecturers are praying, among others, a reconsideration of their applications on the principle of fairness and equity; consideration of each application on merit; consideration of applications on the basis of compelling needs; a jettisoning of the principle of fresh and old admission, because it has not been consistently applied.
TETFund spokesperson Mr Erasmus Alaneme said the petitioners’ claims were not valid. TETFund, he said, provides requirements for allocation for any project or scholarship before approval is granted. He said the agency does not provide partial scholarship, adding that the board either undertake any project completely or otherwise.
“It is either we fund or we don’t fund – be it scholarships or projects. If you want to do your programmes and you apply through your institution and your application meets appropriate requirements, we will provide the funds, but if you are already doing the Ph.D programme, we won’t sponsor you.
“If the lecturers have any problem with their applications; it is their school (LASU) they should ask since they submitted their applications through their university. Those who don’t get selected, we usually reply them through their institutions. Maybe they did not meet up with the guidelines for allocation. We have laid down criteria which we cannot compromise. If they don’t meet the guidelines, they need not to ask any questions.”
Former Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof Dapo Asaju and Chairman of ASUU-LASU Dr Wumi Oluwatoki told this reporter they were aware of the applications which were submitted early last year.
Asaju absolved LASU of culpability. He said the university made frantic efforts to compel TETFund to bend the rules.
“Last year, the Vice-Chancellor, I and some key officials of LASU met with the NUC (National Universities Commission) Executive Secretary Prof Julius Okojie over the matter. We tried to appeal to TETFund to bend the rule, but they insisted it is a nationwide policy. They turned down our staff already on their programmes and only considered those who just applied afresh. They said if the petitioners want funding, they should start a new programme and reapply afresh with evidence of their letters of admission. LASU does not have power to reject applications, LASU can only recommend and TETFund will pick and pay the money directly to the universities where the lecturers are doing their programmes.
“It is not only those who petitioned that were affected but all our staff who had already commenced their various programmes at that time.
“Now, the question you should ask TETFund is: ‘What is the policy of TETFund on scholarship? This is federal government’s money and is it not meant to support scholarships?”
