The President, Muhammadu Buhari, on Saturday, insisted that
the Federal Government had released funds for payment of earned allowances and
revitalisation to universities.
Buhari, who identified funding as a major problem
confronting the Nigerian university system and as well the primary basis of
incessant industrial actions in the ivory towers, said his administration had
“consistently paid serious attention to the issue of university funding”.
The President, who was represented by a Director in the
National Universities Commission, John Ahmadu, spoke at the 5th and 6th
combined convocation ceremonies of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti where
2,599 students graduated across all the departments.
Also, the Attah Igala and Chancellor of FUOYE, Mathew
Oguche; former Rector, Kaduna Polytechnic, Dr Nuhu Yakubu; and the owner of
Bovas Petroleum Limited, Victoria Samson bagged honorary doctorates of the
institution.
Buhari said his administration had handled funding issues in
universities “through multiple sources, including education budgets across
various Ministries, Departments and Agencies, but most importantly through the
Federal Ministry of Education as well as the Tertiary Education Trust Fund. As
a government, we will not relent on this commitment.
“We will continue to support the university system through
improved funding and infrastructural development. In this regard, my government
has repositioned the TETFUND to be able to address the infrastructural gaps in
our tertiary institutions.
“As an evidence of our commitment to the welfare of
university staff, the Federal Government recently released funds for the
payment of Earned Allowances as well as the revitilisation of universities. We
will continue to do more within available resources considering other competing
national needs,” he said.
Recall that members of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities, who have been engaging the Federal Government for not honouring
the 2009 agreement with them with earned allowances and revitalisation funds
being major issues, denied knowledge or release of the funds despite an
assertion by the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, that they had been paid.
FUOYE Vice-Chancellor, Prof, Abayomi Fasina, who said the
university had been growing in leaps and bounds and making excellent academic
exploits, called on TETFUND and as well other stakeholders to come to its aid
to resolve some of its challenges.
The VC said, “This university has been hampered and
confronted by a number of challenges. These include inadequate funding,
security issues such as land trespass due to lack of perimeter fencing,
inadequate infrastructural facilities and so on.
“Let me appeal to TETFUND Executive Secretary, Prof. Elias
Bogoro to consider us for special interventions funds, especially in the area
of perimeter fencing and construction of lecture auditorium.
“The university now boasts of about 30,000 students. The
geometric growth rate comes with its own challenges, including population
pressures, shortage of facilities, and infrastructures,” Abayomi said.
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