The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Friday advised the federal and state governments to live up to their responsibilities for university education in the country.
Addressing a press conference in Jos on Friday, the Acting Zonal Coordinator, ASUU Bauchi Zone comprising six universities, Prof. Nanmwa Voncir, noted that the difficult situation being faced by public universities in carrying out their tripartite core functions of research, teaching and community service due to neglect and poor funding by the government had reached an alarming stage
The union leader who described the situation as unacceptable, particularly condemned the refusal of the apex government to honour its renegotiated agreement with the union for the past fifteen years.
He warned that the union could not guarantee continuing industrial harmony in the institutions if the various issues remained unresolved.
Voncir said, “The commitment of governments to funding education has been very disappointing. For example, from 2010 to date, budgetary allocation to education has not reached 10 per cent in any one year. In 2024 it is 6.39 per cent. Is this figure capable of renewing hope in education? Consequently, efforts to address issues of shortage of lecture rooms and theatres; inadequate hostel and office accommodation; poor laboratories, studios, workshops and libraries; and supply and maintenance of utilities in our Universities have been frustrated.
“This has compelled several University administrations to raise fees, levies and sundry charges paid by the students beyond the reach of impoverished Nigerians. Our Union condemns in its entirety the wave of fee hike without input from the victims across our campuses. Daily scandalous reports of stupendous funds diverted from government treasuries at State and Federal levels reinforce our belief that resources available to the country could support government-funded University education without excessive pressures on parents as currently done.
“For the avoidance of doubt, ASUU reiterated its rejection of the Students’ Loan scheme which is being promoted by the international money lending agencies such as IMF and World Bank. Nigerians should be aware that the scheme is a way of starving public Universities of funding and a ploy to divert public funds into private Universities owned by politically exposed individuals and their friends.”
According to him, if the scheme fails in some better-managed economies, there is no guarantee that it will succeed in Nigeria “where unbridled corruption, nepotism and other unsavoury tendencies have liquidated most government agencies”.
He said, “The most obvious implication of the truncation of the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU /FGN Agreement is that University teachers in Nigeria have been on the same salary regime since 2009 when the value of naira to a dollar was N120. Today, it is above N1,700. It is no longer news that the salaries of the highest-paid professor, on average, have been reduced to a meagre $210/month. This is one of the least in the world.
“We have drawn your attention to the consistent failure of the FGN to honour agreements and fulfil promises bothering on the welfare of our members among other things.
“We hereby declare that ASUU remains undaunted in this patriotic mission towards the welfare of its members and repositioning the University system for global competitiveness. We, therefore, call on all patriots in the media, labour movement, student groups civil society organisations and all other stakeholders to join our resolve to reposition the Nigerian University system for a transformed Nigeria.
“We reiterate the fact that the suspension of our strike in 2022 was a patriotic act based on trust for those who intervened. We sincerely hope and wish that our Union will not be pushed towards needless and avoidable industrial disharmony.”
