Thirteen years old privately owned Gregory University Uturu (GUU ) in Abia state , which was licensed as a university by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in 2012, and it’s
College of Medicine and Health Sciences statutorily approved for training of medical doctors in 2017, has produced a total of 174 medical doctors.
It has also commenced building a 1,000 bed – capacity teaching hospital that is nearing completion, just as it runs other allied medical courses like Nursing Science, Pharmacy,Physiotherapy, Radiography among others.
The Vice Chancellor ( VC ) Professor Cele Njoku ( Mrs ) , has decried that private tertiary instructions are denied intervention by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund ( TETFUND ), stating that this intervention would bridge their infrastructural gap.
Speaking as GUU sets for its 10th Convocation ceremony for 409 graduates, VC Njoku, a former Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Nekede in Imo state, argued that hence private tertiary education institutions complement government efforts in various ways, they deserve to benefit from the TETFUND statutory interventions.
She underscored that the emergence of private institutions was mostly informed by the high demand for higher education by teeming desiring population which the public institutions lacked the capacity to cope with.
Acknowledging that the role played by TETFund impacts bridging the infrastructural gap in public tertiary institutions, VC Njoku affirmed that doing so for private institutions has become imperative, even for equity and justice.
She said “private tertiary institutions assist government by providing employment opportunities for the citizens, impact development, generate tax revenue, produce needed professionals, among others, adding that TETFund intervention in private tertiary institutions would also reduce their financial burden
The VC lauded the GUU Founder, professor Gregory Ibe for nurturing GUU sustainably to great heights, without ever interrupted academic calendar, disclosing that no less than 409 students would be graduating during the 10th convocation ceremony scheduled for Saturday.
The convocation will in addition feature a Lecture to be delivered by Professor Frances Obafemi, while three ( 3 ) Nigerians of great repute namely; immediate past Enugu State governor and former member of the house of representatives Dr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Chairman of Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Sir Linus Nto Mba, and Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Imo State Chapter, Nze Okenze, will be conferred with honorary doctorate degrees.
