ASUU Threatens Strike Over FG’s Failure to Implement 2009 Needs Assessment Agreement

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is threatening again an industrial action that may upend academic activities across universities in the country over allegation that the federal government had failed to implement the 2009 Needs Assessment agreement targeted at providing N220 billion annually for the revitalisation of public universities in Nigeria.

An official of the union, seeking anonymity, disclosed this over the weekend, saying ASUU leadership had concluded plans to embark on industrial action should government renege on that understanding among several agreements it entered into by both parties.

He faulted the federal government for its apathy towards the Needs Assessment Programme considered as a game changer towards the revival of the decaying infrastructure in the nation’s public universities.

It was gathered that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Union will meet soon and it is expected to come out with a resolution on the next course of action.

The source also reiterated the opposition of the union leadership to the tax reform bills introduced by the present government, especially the provision that could affect the Education Tax and accessed by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for the benefit of institutions of higher learning.

It would be recalled that ASUU President Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke had recently on a television programme condemned the proposed scrapping of TETFund, insisting that the agency has impacted positively on tertiary institutions in the country and should not be scrapped or striped of its core mandate.

In a related development, a research fellow at the Institute of Project Management Jos and a university lecturer, Dr. Tunde Olagunjembi, has urged President Bola Tinubu not to jettison the needs assessment scheme designed to provide funds for the reinvigoration of public universities, particularly rehabilitation of decaying infrastructure, as well as the provision of state-of-the-art teaching and learning equipment for tertiary institutions.

He said the president should sustain the scheme in the interest and development of the Nigerian university system.

The university don attributed he stability in university academic calendar to the sacrifices of ASUU members who resolved to allow the President time to settle down and for the ultimate benefits of the education sector and indeed, the society at large.

He, however, warned that time was fast running out,urging the president to take urgent steps towards funding the needs assessment projects.

Olawale Ajimotokan

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