The End Of The Present ASUU Strike: Jonathan Approves N400bn Lifeline

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 withthe 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 areaswhich 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 hostels of international standard, self-contained rooms, the latest model in the world. That is the standard to be built in every university, 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 willbe monitored to ensure that
the money is used to transform the universities, to bail universities
out of the present situation and developed to an international
recognized university standard.”