Towards ending the
ongoing ASUU strike, the
Federal Government has
committed to spending
N200 billion in the 2014
budget on the universities
as well as on each of the
next three-four years until
the universities are
brought to world-class
standard as demanded by
ASUU leadership.
This is in addition to the
N100 billion dedicated
and already made
available...
Government has also
increased to N40billion as
a first installment, funds
for payment of earned
allowances to the striking
lecturers, an improvement
from the N30 billion
previously released.
This information is
contained in an internal
statement at the Federal
University of Otuoke by
Professor Bolaji Aluko, its
Vice-Chancellor.
On the earned
allowances, Prof. Aluko
said “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.”
Professor Aluko said the
development followed
meetings on September
19 and Oct 11 of
representatives of the
Association of Vice-
Chancellors of Nigerian
Universities, led by Prof.
Hamisu of ATBU and
ASUU reps led by its
President, Dr. N. Fagge
with the Vice-President of
the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, Arc. Namadi.
Sambo, Minister of State
for Education, Nyesom
Wike and others.
In the interest of peace,
Vice-President Sambo
appealed to ASUU to call
off the strike and
apologized over the "take-
it-or-leave-it" comments
made by the Minister of
Finance, Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala.
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.
ASUU leadership will now
meet to decide if the
government should be
trusted again, this time.
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