FG to ASUU: We can’t afford N110bn varsity revitalization fund

Federal Government cannot meet Academic Staff Union of Universities’ demand of N110bn for revitalization of tertiary institutions.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said this on Wednesday night while briefing journalists after a close-door meeting with ASUU members in Abuja. He said the government had offered N20bn it could afford.

He said the economic situation occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic would not allow the government to do beyond its financial capacity despite its commitment to revitalization of universities.

“This government is not against revitalization, but this government says that because of dare economic situation, because of COVID-19, we cannot really pay in the N110bn they’re demanding for revitalization.

“This present government is still committed to it, while we’re giving them offers of some fund. We offered N20bn as revitalization fund.

“On Earned Academic Allowances, the government offered N30bn to all the unions in the universities, making it N50bn altogether.

“ASUU is saying that the N30bn should be for lecturers alone, irrespective of the fact that there are three other unions. So, there’s a little problem there. We don’t have any money to offer apart from this N30bn,” Ngige said

He noted that National Information Technology Development Agency was working on the integrity test of University Transparency and Accountability Solution presented by the ASUU as an alternative to the IPPIS.

“They want an exemption from IPPIS. And the government side headed by the Accountant-General of the Federation said IPPIS is the only government approved payment platform. That’s where we’re for now.

“So, we’re all going back to our principals and they’ll receive, via me, the irreducible minimum of what the government has to offer. The government side will meet on Friday and after that, they’ll communicate ASUU and in communicating them, if there’s a need for a meeting, a date will be fixed for it,” Ngige said.

When approached by journalists for a comment, ASUU President Biodun Ogunyemi declined.