ASUU strike: FG AGREES to spend N200 billion on universities yearly

In an effort to end the ongoing ASUU strike, the Federal
Government has said it is committed to spending N200
billion in the 2014 budget on universities in Nigeria for
about three to four years until the universities are brought
to world-class standard. This is in addition to the N100
billion dedicated and already made available for 2013.
The government has also increased to N40 billion as a first
installment for the funds in payment of earned allowances
to the striking lecturers, which is an improvement from
the N30 billion previously released.
According to sources, the information is s contained in an
internal statement made by the Vice-
Chancellor, Professor Bolaji Aluko of Federal University
of Otuoke and was seen on Wednesday by Sahara
reporters.
Reports say:
On the earned allowances, he explained, "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," the
circular said.
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 CVC Chairman, Prof. Hamisu of ATBU and ASUU
Representatives led by its President, Dr. N. Fagge with the
Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Arc.
Namadi. Sambo, Minister of Education Barr. N. Wike and
others.
Of great interest to stakeholders, Vice-President Sambo,
appealing to ASUU to call off the strike, apologized for
the "take-it-or-leave-it" comments credited to the
Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at the onset
of the strike. The Minister did not seem to have been
involved in either meeting, perhaps as the government's way
of soothing the feelings of the university teachers.
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.
Prof. Aluko further stated that a signed document will
soon be issued to itemize the full issues on which the
consensus he had outlined here, as brokered by AVCNU,
was reached.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.