The Academic Staff Union of
Universities, ASUU, has challenged the federal government to stop distorting
facts about funds released to the union.
National President of the union,
Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said the ongoing strike was still lingering due to a few
disagreement between the government and the union on the mode of releasing the
agreed funds.
Speaking with The Nation over the
weekend, Ogunyemi, said the comment credited to the Minister of Labour and
Employment, Senator Chris Ngige that N163 billion was released to the Union was
a distortion of facts.
He disclosed that the N163
billion mentioned by Ngige was released to the Universities by the Tertiary
Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, to meet specific needs in the universities and
not the revitalization fund being demanded by the unions.
He said “The Minister of Labour
referred to the release of N163bn which was not released by the Ministry of
Education for revitalization. That fund he alluded to was from TETFUND.
“TETFUND was there when we
carried out the NEEDS Assessment in 2012. What we called Revitalisation Fund
today is a product of that exercise of 2012. We have always drawn a line of
distinction between what TETFUND gives and what we should access from the NEEDS
Assessment Fund. They are different terms of interventions that should not be
equated to one.
“TETFUND as an intervention agency
is ASUU brainchild which became a reality. The funds from the NEEDS Assessment
is to fix specific items of deficiency in our system.
“Unfortunately, both federal and
state governments have now relinquished their responsibilities to TETFUND. The
Federal Government budget for education in term of capital project funding is
worrisome.
“That is why we keep saying that
the Ministry of Labour and Employment should stop saying N163bn has been
released to ASUU. ASUU is not a spending agency of government. We don’t spend
government money. When money is released, it goes to the universities and
governing councils who are representatives of government in the schools. It is
a distortion if we say N163bn was released to ASUU.”
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