The Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) has denied receiving N163 billion from the federal
government.
In a statement on Sunday, Ade
Adejumo, Ibadan zonal coordinator of the union, accused the federal government
of spreading falsehood.
Chris Ngige, minister of labour
and employment, had announced that the federal government had released N163
billion to universities from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
ASUU has been on strike since
November 2018 to press home demands such as the shortfall in salaries of some
federal universities’ workers and lecturers, earned allowances, revitalisation
of universities, among others.
“Once again, the attention of our
union has been drawn to another piece of misinformation which gives the
impression that ASUU collects money from government,” the statement by ASUU
read.
“For umpteenth time, let it be
known that our union is a patriotic organisation whose activities are driven by
principled conviction that the resources of the country can better be managed
for the ultimate benefit of the Nigerian society, especially the education
sector which is our immediate constituency. The government and all civilized
individuals are aware of how the university is managed, so also the resources
available to it.
“The government knows that it is
the council and the university administration that receives and spends all the
money coming into the university. ASUU doesn’t receive money from government
and doesn’t spend it. Even money meant for our salaries and other allowances
come directly to the university administration which prepares the budget and
manages it. ASUU members collect only their salaries as paid by the university.
Contracts and all the capital projects are awarded by the councils that are
appointed by the government, not ASUU.
“It is in the context of the
above that our union calls on the vice-chancellors and council chairmen to stop
behaving like vultures that wait silently by the sidelines, waiting for the
game to fall only to descend on the carcass. They should join forces with ASUU
in its struggles to attract requisite funding into our public universities
rather than working at cross purposes with us.
“Part of the least expected from
them is to come out openly to put the record straight each time the government
come out with the deliberate falsehood that money has been released to ASUU.
They, ie , council and the vice-chancellors, are the receiving and spending
agents. Simple honour demands that they publicly own up to this fact. Their
silence in this regard leaves room for unfair speculation about ASUU.”
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