ASUU berates govt over poor funding of varsities

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has decried federal government dependence on Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for the funding of the education sector.
The union also accused the government of proliferating tertiary institutions, when the existing ones were not adequately funded.
Addressing a news conference at the end of its meeting at Benue State University (BSU), Makurdi, ASUU-Nsukka zone urged the federal government not to jettisoned the 26 per cent benchmark on education funding as prescribed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Igbana Ajir, said most of infrastructural development in the universities, were carried out with funds from TETFund.
He said: “It is ridiculous that some of these universities were established without looking at how they would survive.
They have no funding agenda”, except to depend on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to pay salary.
“The use of IGR to pay salary, instead of overheads, is unacceptable to ASUU,” he added.
Ajir further revealed that about 17 states have not been able to provide matching grants to access the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funds.
On the plight of workers of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, ASUU- Nsukka zone implored the federal government and well- meaning individuals to intervene, for the sake of the students.
ASUU-Nsukka zone comprise of Benue State University, Makurdi, Enugu State University of Technology Enugu, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Federal University, Lokoja and Federal University, Wukari.
Others are Kogi State University, Anyingba and University of Nigeria, Nsukka.