ASUU Advices Against Creation Of Under- Funded Tertiary Institutions By Governors

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has advised state governments against creating higher institution of learning it would not be able to fund.

The words of advised is contained in a communique released in by the Yola Zone of the union on Friday.

The zone comprises the Modibbo Adamawa University, Yola, Adamawa State University, Mubi; University of Maiduguri, Taraba State University, Jalingo and the Yobe State University, Damaturu.

Mr Sadiq Umar, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, in the communique, said that the problem of proliferation of new tertiary institutions, particularly universities was disturbing,

He pointed out that what was needed was adequate funding of the existing ones.

“ASUU calls on state governments to adequately fund the existing universities before embarking on new ones,” the communique said.

According to the union, since the return of civil rule in 1999, the highest budgetary allocation to the education sector was in 2015, when government allocated 11.75 per cent to education.

“In the 2018 budget, the allocation to the education sector fell to a scandalously low point of seven per cent. This is unacceptable.”

The Union also decried the non-execution of the FGN/ASUU Renegotiations, aimed at addressing the crisis affecting universities and the education sector in general, calling for the reconstitution of the government team.

“On the issue of renegotiation, after series of meetings that lasted from March 2017 to May 2018, there has been no meaningful commitment from the government team, led by Dr Wale Babalakin (SAN).

“The union perceives that the leader of the government-led team is hell-bent to commercialise education in Nigeria as shown by his attitude.”

ASUU is of the opinion that University education should not be commercialized, because, education is a right and the responsibility of government for its citizens.

It also urged government to release the operational licence of the Nigeria University Pension Commission, whose approval had been granted.