FG affirms N485m intervention fund for public universities

Posted by admin Education, Latest Politics Saturday, June 2nd, 2012

Gwagwalada (FCT) – Prof. Ruquayyatu Rufa’i, Minister of Education on Friday said every public university in the country would receive N485 million as financial intervention for 2012.

Rufa’i said this in Gwagwalada at the opening of the 17th National Delegates Conference of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

She said the money would be disbursed under the 2012 Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

The ceremony also featured the inauguration of the national secretariat complex of ASUU at the permanent site of the University of Abuja.

The minister said the financial intervention was part of Federal Government’s commitment on better funding for the nation’s tertiary education sector.

She said the transformation agenda of the Federal Government was on course in the education sector, adding: “we will not relent in our efforts to make the Nigerian university graduates globally competitive.”

Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF, who declared the conference open, commended ASUU for executing the project.

Anyim said ASUU had remained an active stakeholder in nation building, especially in critical national issues bothering on the education sector.

“On many occasions the relationship between the government and ASUU has been defined more by disagreement and these disagreements are largely based on issues about resource allocation.

“While ASUU demands what it deems as important for the university community, the government must insist on what it believes are essential for the entire society,” he said.

Anyim said the government was committed to better funding of the universities as well as to improving the welfare of all members of the university community.

Anyim, however, called for enhanced internally-generated revenue in the nation’s tertiary intuitions to complement government efforts.

Prof, Ukachukwu Awuzie, ASUU National President, said the national secretariat project was executed at a total cost of N500 million, noting that the contract was awarded on Dec. 16, 2010.

He said the complex had a hall of fame; main library; research library; reference/digital library; offices for the president, librarian, administrative staff, account department, conference hall as well as suites and chalets.

Awuzie said the challenge before the union was to maximise its use and to complete the furnishing and equipping of the library spaces.

“We need modern shelving system, cataloging system and indeed, the computerisation of the library facilities and furnishing of 200 capacity conference hall,” he said. (NAN)

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