ASUU: STRIKE TO BE CALLED OFF SOON AS PRESIDENT JONATHAN APPROVES 400 BILLION NAIRA

The end to the present strike by the
Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) may be in sight as President
Goodluck Jonathan has approved
N400 billion for the infrastructural
development of Nigerian universities.
The document to this effect is expected to
be made available today at the meeting of
the presidential committee on
implementation of the NEEDS assessment
in the universities with the leaders of the
four university-based unions – the Senior
Staff Association of Nigerian Universities
(SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of
Educational and Associated Institutions
(NASU), the National Association of
Academic Technologists (NAAT) and the
Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU).
The President of SSANU, Samson Ugwoke,
made the revelation while addressing his
union members at the SSANU National
Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held
at the weekend at the University of Abuja.
Ugwoke, briefing the SSANU members on
the activities of the NEEDS assesment
implementation committee, led by Benue
State Governor, Gabriel Suswam. He noted
that the fund was different from the N100
billion Governor Suswam had raised from
donor agencies and big companies to
tackle the problems of Nigerian
universities in 2013.
The labour leader said: “Let me give you a
tip on what the NEEDS assessment
committee is doing. The president has
approved that within the next four years;
N400 billion would be expended in
infrastructural development of Nigerian
universities, to transform the universities
to international standard.
“N100 billion has already been raised by
Suswam committee out of which 61
universities have been pencilled down, as
contained in the NEEDS assessement
committee. The N100 billion is expected
to address needs of the universities in the
areas which include re-furbishing and
renovation of lecture theatres and lecture
halls, re-furbishing and renovation of
laboratories/libraries and the renovation of
hostels.
“The second category is building of new international standard hostels, self-
contained rooms and also the state-of-
the-art laboratories as well as classrooms,
lecture theatres and the halls.”
Ugwoke pointed out that the money had
been shared and out of the N100 billion,
N96 billion had been sent to universities.
He added: “The committee is meeting
again on Monday, and by Monday (today),
the document will be out. This time
around, it is not only by giving university
money, but it will be monitored to ensure
that the money is used to transform the
universities, to bail universities out of the
present situation enabling them develop to an
internationally recognized university
standard.”. Source: Daily Sun Newspaper