yesterday, rejected. the N130 billion the Federal
Government disbursed into the university
system, as part of efforts to persuade striking
lecturers to call off the strike which began on
July 2.
In a letter written to Head of National Economic
Empowerment Development Strategy, NEEDs
Assessment, and Benue State Governor, Gabriel
Suswan, by President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Isa
Fagge. The union insisted that based on the 2009
ASUU/FGN agreement and the January 2012
Memoranda of Understanding, MoU, signed by
both parties, what was due for 2012 and 2013 was
N500 billion, not N100 billion.
The letter read: “We observe that the Committee
is so far mentioning only N100 billion. If the
implementation is to be related to the funding
requirements in the 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement
and the Jan 2012 MoU, what is due for 2012 and
2013 is N500 billion not N100 billion. Only the
provision of this sum will meet the immediate
needs of the universities.
“Our Union is very apprehensive of the manner in
which the sources of the initial N100 billion to be
used for the stimulation of the process are
shrouded in secrecy. We believe that monies that
already belong to the university system should
not be blocked and recycled.
“This will not only be counterproductive but will
brew even deeper crises in the system. ASUU will
not accept this.
“We are also concerned that a clear procedure or
process for assessing the funds by the
universities is yet to be defined. This concern is
even more germane, given the statement of the
Chairman of the Committee (during the last
meeting on Monday, August 19, 2013) that the
committee is taking some documents to the Due
Process Office.
“We hasten to add that while due process must be
followed, it is the sole responsibility of
benefitting universities to respect all the
provisions of the Procurement Act. The meaning
of your Committee going to the Due Process
Office is that it is the one that will be
responsible for awarding contracts.
“We want to make it clear that this will never be
acceptable to our union. We believe that monies
meant to fund projects in universities should be
sent to the universities, just as it is the
practice with TETFund.”
The union condemned allocation of construction
of 2,500 bed space hostel for N1billion, instead
of 3,000 bed space for N1.2 billion.
“We are worried that instead of allocating N1.2
billion each to construct 3,000 bed space hostels
to the 10 Category 1 universities, N1.0 billion
for 2,500 bed space hostel to the 16 Category 2
universities, N500 million to construct 1,250 bed
space hostels in the 12 Category 3 universities
and N250 million each to construct 625 bed space
hostels in the 13 Category 4 universities, the
secretariat has changed that to constructing
1,400 bed space hostels in 25 universities at the
cost of N2 billion each. We see no rationale in
this.
“Expending N50 billion to construct 35,000 bed
space hostels across 25 universities will be
ridiculously scandalous since the same amount
can be used to construct 125,000 bed space
hostels across 51 universities. The standard cost
of building a bed space ranges from N200,000.00
to a maximum of N400,000.00.
“This is even more worrisome, given the
tangential suggestions made by the chairman
that only monies for refurbishment will be sent
to universities, while the rest will be handled
centrally,” the union said.
The union also condemned the exclusion of 22
universities from the allocation for
refurbishment of laboratories and libraries and
three universities from the allocation for
refurbishment of lecture theatres and lecture
rooms.
According to ASUU, 24 universities are denied
allocation for construction of libraries and
laboratories, while two are denied allocation for
construction of new lecture theatres and lecture
rooms. 26 universities are denied allocation for
construction of hostel.
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