ASUU STRIKE: FG Agrees To Spend N200 Billion Each Year To Bring Nigerian Universities Up To World Standard

In light of the ongoing strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Federal Government has promised to spend N200 billion in the 2014 for the universities. Besides, a similar amount would be spent in the next three-four years until Nigerian universities are brought to world-class standard. This is in addition to the N100 billion already disbursed for 2013. This information is contained in an internal statement by Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Otuoke, Professor Bolaji Aluko. The statement was seen on Wednesday night by SaharaReporters. The FG has also increased to N40 billion as a first installment funds for the payment of earned allowances to the striking lecturers, an improvement from the N30 billion previously released. On the earned allowances, Aluko explained that: “Government will top it up with further releases once universities are through with the disbursement of this new figure of N40 million, so Vice-Chancellors are urged to expedite this disbursement within the shortest possible time using guiding templates that have been sent by the CVC.” Aluko also explained that this move of the FG followed the meetings held on September 19 and October 11 between the representatives of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities led by CVC Chairman, Prof. Hamisu of ATBU and ASUU Representatives led by its President, Dr. N. Fagge with the Vice-President of Nigeria, Arc. Namadi. Sambo, Minister of Education Barr. N. Wike and others. Of great interest to stakeholders, Vice-President Sambo, appealing to ASUU to call off the strike, apologized for the “take-it-or-leave-it” comments credited to the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, at the onset of the strike. Other points of agreement at the meetings include the following: Project Prioritization: Universities will now be allowed to determine their priorities and not be “rail-roaded” into implementing a pre-determined set of projects with respect to the NEEDS assessment. Decisions are not to be centralized. TETFund Intervention: Government assured that the operations of the TETFund will not be impaired, and that the regular TETFund intervention disbursement to Universities will continue, unaffected. So the NEEDS assessment capital outlays are in addition to regular TETFund intervention. Project Monitoring: A new Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC) for the NEEDS Assessment intervention for universities has been set up to take over from the Suswan Committee. The new one is under the Federal Ministry of Education and chaired by the Honorable Minister of Education. In addition, to build confidence and ensure faithful implementation and prevent any relapse as before, the Vice President will meet quarterly with the IMC to monitor progress. Blueprint: ASUU was mandated to submit a blue print for revitalizing the Universities to the Vice President. Aluko also stated that a signed document will soon be issued to itemize the full issues on which the consensus he had outlined here, as brokered by AVCNU, was reached. It will be reminded, however, that seven weeks after the FG announced that it had commenced implementation of the agreement signed with the ASUU by disbursing N100 billion to 59 public universities, the affected tertiary institutions have raised alarm that they are yet to receive the fund. ASUU has been on an indefinite strike since June 30. The lecturers protest against the FG’s failure to honour a 2009 agreement signed between it and ASUU in 2009 pertaining to issues of university funding and improvement of infrastructure in the sector.