Catholics have been called upon to become part owners of the Veritas University of Nigeria, Abuja (VUNA) by contributing at least N500 each.
Speaking at the N2 billion Fund Raising Dinner for the university at the Sheraton Towers Hotel, Abuja, its Chancellor, Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, said if each Catholic contributed just N500 each, the church would raise about N15 billion for the university.
Outlining the challenges and opportunities of the university project, Onaiyekan noted that all Catholics are stakeholders, contrary to the belief of some that it is the project of the bishops.
He said: "We have had great challenges in ensuring full ownership of our project by all the presumed stakeholders namely the Nigerian Catholics as a whole. We have witnessed divided interests and dissipated energies as dioceses and religious institutes of the same Nigerian Church have embarked also on similar, certainly laudable competing projects."
Noting that the Nigerian Church is big enough to have more than one Catholic University, Archbishop Onaiyekan stressed: "We need to seriously make up our minds on this. One thing is certain; the project of the Catholic University of Nigeria has reached a point of crisis which must be resolved in a positive way. That is what has brought us together here."
With 400 students, the Archbishop said fees they pay can only cover a fraction of the total cost of maintenance. As such, he noted that the internally generated income can be used just for the running expenses, while the university needs regular infusion of funds to the tune of N15 million every month.
Despite difficulties encountered since its inception in 2002, the Archbishop said the programmes of the university are fully accredited.
He praised the members of the Catholic Bishops Conference for keeping the university dream alive by providing the money for the running of the institution and the staff for their sacrifices and perseverance.
Admitting that increasing enrolment to a minimum of 2,000 students would help the university break even, he said to admit such number, adequate structures including hostel accommodation, academic and administrative buildings, furnishing and equipment must be in place, which would require the university to move to its permanent site in Bwari.
What do you have to say about church members contributing to build a school considering the hike in fees often associated with major church-owned universities in country?
