The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, yesterday, rejected the N130 billion the
Federal Government disbursed into the University system, as part of efforts to persuade
striking lecturers to call off the strike which began on July 2.
In a letter written to Head of
National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, NEEDs Assessment, and Benue
State Governor, Gabriel Suswan, by President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge. The union insisted
that based on the 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement and the
January 2012 Memoranda of Understanding, MoU, signed by both parties, what was
due for 2012 and 2013 was N500 billion, not N100 billion.
The letter read: “We observe that
the Committee is so far mentioning only N100 billion. If the implementation is
to be related to the funding requirements in the 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement and the Jan 2012 MoU, what is
due for 2012 and 2013 is N500 billion not N100 billion. Only the provision of
this sum will meet the immediate needs of the Universities.
“Our Union is very apprehensive of
the manner in which the sources of the initial N100 billion to be used for the
stimulation of the process are shrouded in secrecy. We believe that monies that
already belong to the University system should not be blocked and
recycled.
“This will not only be
counterproductive but will brew even deeper crises in the system. ASUU will not accept this.
“We are also concerned that a clear
procedure or process for assessing the funds by the Universities is yet to be defined. This concern
is even more germane, given the statement of the Chairman of the Committee
(during the last meeting on Monday, August 19, 2013) that the committee is
taking some documents to the Due Process Office.
“We hasten to add that while due
process must be followed, it is the sole responsibility of benefitting Universities to respect all the provisions of the
Procurement Act. The meaning of your Committee going to the Due Process Office
is that it is the one that will be responsible for awarding contracts.
“We want to make it clear that this
will never be acceptable to our union. We believe that monies meant to fund
projects in Universities should be sent
to the Universities, just as it is
the practice with TETFund.”
The union condemned allocation of
construction of 2,500 bed space hostel for N1billion, instead of 3,000 bed
space for N1.2 billion.
“We are worried that instead of
allocating N1.2 billion each to construct 3,000 bed space hostels to the 10
Category 1 Universities, N1.0 billion
for 2,500 bed space hostel to the 16 Category 2 Universities, N500 million to construct 1,250 bed
space hostels in the 12 Category 3 Universities and N250 million each to construct
625 bed space hostels in the 13 Category 4 Universities, the secretariat has changed that to
constructing 1,400 bed space hostels in 25 Universities at the cost of N2 billion each. We
see no rationale in this.
“Expending N50 billion to construct
35,000 bed space hostels across 25 Universities will be ridiculously scandalous
since the same amount can be used to construct 125,000 bed space hostels across
51 Universities. The standard
cost of building a bed space ranges from N200,000.00 to a maximum of
N400,000.00.
“This is even more worrisome, given
the tangential suggestions made by the chairman that only monies for
refurbishment will be sent to Universities, while the rest will be handled
centrally,” the union said.
The union also condemned the
exclusion of 22 Universities from the allocation for
refurbishment of laboratories and libraries and three Universities from the allocation for
refurbishment of lecture theatres and lecture rooms.
According to ASUU, 24 Universities are denied allocation for
construction of libraries and laboratories, while two are denied allocation for
construction of new lecture theatres and lecture rooms. 26 Universities are denied allocation for
construction of hostel
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