Business Post Contributor
By Sodeinde Temidayo David
The federal government has released N30 billion as a revitalisation fund to universities across the nation.
This followed a meeting with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), in which the FG said was aimed at evaluating whether the implementation of the Memorandum of Action entered into by the parties was successful.
The revitalisation fund was one of the seven key issues evaluated yesterday at a federal government’s meeting with the leadership of ASSU.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr Chris Ngige, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr Peter Tarfa and the immediate Executive Secretary of Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC), Mr Rasheed Abubakar were present at the gathering.
Mr Ngige disclosed that the federal government deposited the N30 billion with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as contained in the deal signed in January 2021.
He further explained that the fund was not immediately distributed because the Federal Ministry of Education and the NUC committee needed to evaluate the audit reports of the universities.
In addition, he said that each university must present an audit report on how it utilised previous disbursements.
The Minister said that the monies would be paid to successful universities based on the evaluation report of the committee, while those with shortcomings would be made to make up before accessing the fund.
Mr Ngige stated that the meeting evaluated seven key issues with both parties expressing satisfaction with the implementation stages, adding that “work is in progress”.
He added that some of the items in the MoA were nearly done 100 per cent within the timeline.
He explained the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) was directed to expedite action on the integrity test on the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) which if successful, will eliminate the challenges posed by the peculiarities of the university system to the current payment platform.
“The report has been turned in, deliberated upon and both the Education Ministry and the NUC have promised to write to the Accountant General of the Federation next week for the release of the money to the needs special account for onward disbursement to universities shortly”, Mr Ngige said.
He further disclosed that apart from the N40 billion Earned Allowance, which the federal government has already paid, the Budget Office of the Federation showed evidence that N22 billion Earned Allowances for the year 2021, is already captured in the 2021 supplementary budget of the federation and would soon be accessed.
“On the proliferation of state universities, a bill has been sent to the National Assembly by the NUC to strengthen its arms in terms of delisting universities where funding and other parameters are inadequate.
“This effort was commended as all the parties agreed that mushrooming and proliferation of state universities, some of which mock the ideals of an ivory tower, should stop,” he said.
On his part, ASUU President, Mr Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting and promised that the union would reach out to its members.
