Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has condemned the plan of the Federal Government to increase tuition fees in Public varsities.
Making this condemnation is the Ibadan Zone of ASUU while addressing newsmen at the Correspondent’s Chapel Office Mokola that alleged that the government has concluded arrangement to increase the tuition of fee of public universities between N350, 000 to N500, 000 per session.
Speaking, ASUU Zonal Coordinator, Dr Ade Adejumo, in the company of the ASUU Chapters’ Chairmen of the Universities of Ibadan, UI and Osun, UNIOSUN, Dr Deji Omole and, Dr Femi Abanikanda respectively and UI Investment Secretary, Professor Ayo Akinwole, pointed out that the recommendation of Dr Wale Babalakin led committee which has recommended the hike in school fees would be highly resisted.
Calling on the Nigerians to join in the struggle against the hike and to force the federal government to do the needful to public education, Adejumo said that ASUU would not support the plan of the federal government to establish education bank meant to provide loan for students of public universities.
Dr Adejumo warned that unless the federal government is prevailed upon to honour the MoA it signed with the Union in 2017, it could not guarantee industrial peace and harmony on university campuses.
According to the Union, the issues in the MoA that may lead to another strike included collapse of the renegotiation of 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, non-release of over two trillion naira meant for the revitalization of decayed infrastructure in public varsities, 2014-2018, failure to release the forensic audit on the disbursement of Earned Academic Allowances covering 2009 to 2017, failure to pay arrears of shortfall in accrued salaries in Universities that have been verified under PICA, failure to release operational license of NUPEMCO, and needless proliferation of State Universities.
While noting the dire situation in public varsities, ASUU said instead of the Muhammadu Buhari led-government to inject funds into funding Universities, its agents are busy propagating propaganda that it has released 20 billion Naira to ASUU when in actual fact funds are released to Universitities’ management.
ASUU said it was laughable that a shameless government could be happy releasing N20 billion to about sixty-four public varsities in the country, wondering how insignificant this could be.
“Government has always agreed that the condition in the Nigeria University is in a serious state that needs urgent intervention. As a result, government agreed to pay a quarterly intervention 20 Billion into a dedicated account at the CBN to pilot the revitalization scheme. Unexpectedly, government has refused to pay the said amount which has now accrued to about 2 Trillion Naira. Instead of releasing the fund that will address the infrastructural deficit in Nigerian Universities as agreed, government went to the media last week that it has given 20 billion to ASUU! This propaganda of government is unhelpful as ASUU is a union and does not collect money from government”, ASUU said.