By Seyi Babalola
Founder of Mountain Top University (MTU), Dr. Daniel Olukoya, says the institution “is always at the back of the poor” to ensure they had access to quality education through a scholarship scheme.
Olukoya, also General Overseer of Mountain of Fire (MFM) worldwide, disclosed this at the weekend at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, where he was conferred with an honorary doctorate degree in management.
He emphasized that the university, like himself, recognises the huge financial burden in the way of the children of the poor in Nigeria to acquire university education and therefore places high premium in catering to their needs.
Asked why faith-based universities in Nigeria are expensive for the children of the poor to attend, Olukoya said: “The reality is that universities are expensive to run.
He explained that: “To get a top-notch university, you must invest in quality learning equipment, academic gadgets, among others; they are also expensive to procure.
“But the current situation is that if you cannot pay good money to lecturers or professors, you won’t get good teachers. And if you run a private university and are paying less than federal universities, you will not get good professors.”
Olukoya further explained that the cost of financing and paying salaries contribute to “high” fees.
“A large chunk of the money goes to electricity, diesel, but we are now installing solar panels and inverter as alternative to the conventional sources of energy.”
Highlighting other packages the school has in place for the poor, Dr. Olukoya said: “At the MTU, we offer rebate to pastors’ children apart from the scholarship scheme. We also have endowment fund to cater to the need of the poor as well as rebate for members.
He assured the public that he knows how it feels to be poor, and added: “I am one of them. I am always supportive of the poor because I know how difficult it was for me to get to the university. My parents didn’t have the money,” Olukoya said.
On the issue of insecurity in Nigeria, Olukoya advocated for divine intervention through prayer.
“There is only one weapon that can kill any problem, and it is prayer. No matter how strong the problem is, prayer can dismantle it,” the cleric noted.
He emphasized that Nigeria needs divine intervention, stating, “What we need in Nigeria is divine intervention. Let God intervene in what we are doing. Divine intervention is greater than human intellect. From what is happening in the world, you can see that God is showing mankind that they are helpless.”
