FG's N130bn Varsities Claim is Fraudulent - ASUU

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013 -

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday described the claim by the Federal Government that it has released the sum of N130billion to universities as fraudulent.

The union also alerted that government was interested in awarding contracts to build a 4-bedspace room at N8.5million as against the range of N800,000 and N1.2million.

The union in a communique reached at the end of the meeting held by the Ibadan Zone at the University of Ibadan addressed by the Zonal Coordinator, Dr Ademola Nasir, said it had refused to allow government agents to use the struggle to revatilise the university education system to be used to corruptly enrich some people in government.

It said government was yet to release any kobo of the said amount other than the letter written to the Governing Council of Universities by the National Universities Commission.

 "Rather than for government to source for the intervention funds from other agencies outside TETFUND, it has decided to hijack the resource of TETFUND, which already belong to the universities and use it as intervention funds for this purpose.

"In doing this the regular intervention of TETFUND is blocked. This attitude of government is fraudulent to say the least," it added.

The Ibadan Zone of ASUU comprises of University of Ibadan (UI), Lagos State University (LASU), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, University of Lagos, UNILAG, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) and Tai Solarin University (TASUED).

At their Zonal meeting held at the University of Ibadan, the body lamented the usual deceit by the federal government saying Nigerians should know that 'no kobo has been released'

The union had passed vote of confidence in the national leadership of the union over the current strike embarked upon by the union to force the federal government implement the 2009 agreement and the 2012 Memorandum of understanding (MOU)

According to ASUU, the purported attempt by the government to take the matter to court will amount to a mere distraction and lacks the moral standing to challenge a lawful agreement because the government itself is lawless.

"We are convinced that our nation is endowed with the resources needed to train our children. Nigeria must be free but Nigerians must be ready to struggle for it.

"If the government loves our children and the country, they would hasten to implement this intervention. But alas, government has without shame being brandishing release of N100billion for funding of 59 universities, a number of other educational establishments such Mathematical Centre, French Village, Arabic Centre. Even NUC got a chunk termed administrative cost," ASUU said.