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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