Jonathan Urges ASUU To Resume Work

• Says govt released N130b to tertiary institutions • Intervention fails to pacify union FOR the umpteenth time, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday appealed to the striking teachers across the nation’s universities to resume duties since the Federal Government has release about N130 billion (N100 billion for needs and N30 billion for allowances) to various universities to handle the legion of problems facing them. However, hope that the N130 billion released to the universities would be enough to persuade ASUU to suspend its industrial action may have failed, as its National President, Dr. Nasir Fagge, told The Guardian that the sum was not only inadequate but an insincere shortcut to ending the crisis in the university system.
This comes as former President of ASUU, Prof. Assisi Asobie, said that inaction forced the union to embark on strike, stating that it took three years to arrive at the 2009 agreement, which government refused to implement for another four years (2009 to 2013). Speaking at the commissioning of some projects built under the Federal Government Transformational Projects, including the Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies and Physics Department Buildings at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai’i, said that government has done well by releasing the said sum. He maintained that all over the world, no government could release at a go all that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has demanded. According to the President, the “Federal Government has released N100 billion and N30 billion for allowances; it is going to be continuous process. “It is decided that every year, certain amount will be earmarked for development of our universities. No point for ASUU to continue being on strike. No government can bring (that) amount at a time. As at now, there is no point for anybody to be on strike.” He promised to come to the institution to physically commission the remaining projects, while urging other universities to utilise their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to develop their infrastructure as done by FUTO. On their part,both the FUTO Vice Chancellor, Prof. Chigozie Asiabaka, and Pro Chancellor, Dr. Emmanuel Enemuo, said the institution was facing serious infrastructure challenges, such as classrooms and students’ hostels. Fagge declared that university lecturers would not go back to the classroom until government chooses which one to implementamong the 2009 agreement, a memorandum of understanding it signed with ASUU or the University NEEDS Assessment report. He argued that the release of N130 billion to the universities’ governing councils does not fall into the implementation of any of the documents, and that the N100 billion released to federal universities was grossly inadequate. He noted that the methodology on how to revive the university system, with cost implications, are detailed in the NEEDS Assessment report and the MoU signed with government. He revealed that about N1.5tr is needed to address the infrastructure deficiencies, which makes the N130 billion, even if given with sincerity of purpose, grossly inadequate. Meanwhile, Rufai’I, also representing Jonathan on Monday, commissioned 10 new students hostels at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture (MOUA), Umudike, in Abia State. The project cost N1.5 billion from IGR, with capacity to house 2,640 students. Other structures commissioned included new University Library, four new buildings belonging to Natural and Applied Sciences, Veterinary Medicine Extension, Agricultural Economics, Rural Sociology Extension, and College of Engineering Technology Extension. According to the President, who commended the institution forfinancing the construction of the hostels from IGR, “this is indeed a laudable example in prudence and discipline, worthy of emulation by other institutions of higher learning. I urge all universities and public institutions to relentlessly explore innovative methods and creative partnerships with the private sector in addressing the challenges of funding and the provision of infrastructure.” He further directed the Ministry of Water Resources to dam the stream flowing through the university and transform it to economic value. Nevertheless, MOUA Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Anya O Anya, told the President that though the institution has over 6,000 hectares of land donated to it by the Olokoro and Ikwuano host communities, it has not been able to access the land due to unresolved issues. Also at the event, the Federal Government disclosed that it hasspent a total of N165.4 billion on tertiary educational institutionsin the country in its drive to improve access to quality education. Of this N165.4 billion, each of the 12 new federal universities got N4.7 billion as take-off grant while under the High Impact Fund (now in its fifth phase), over N109 billion was provided to selected universities, colleges of education and polytechnics across the country to enhance the development of facilities, teaching and learning.