‘FG’s N20bn released to ASUU misplaced’

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said the Federal Government should not have released N20 billion to it because it does not collect money from the government.

Ibadan Zone Chairman of the Union, Dr. Ade Adejumo who stated this while addressing newsmen in Ibadan, said the money, which was released to the union recently alongside the former employees of defunct Nigerian Airways Limited, should have been remitted to a dedicated account in the Central Bank of Nigeria as earlier agreed.

ASUU said it was laughable that government could be happy releasing N20 billion to about 64 public varsities in the country, wondering how insignificant that could be.

He said: “Government has always agreed that the Nigerian universities are in a serious state that needs urgent intervention. As a result, government agreed to pay a quarterly intervention N20 billion into a dedicated account at the CBN to pilot the revitalization scheme. Unexpectedly, government refused to pay has the said amount which has now accrued to about N2 trillion.

“Instead of releasing the fund that will address the infrastructural deficit in Nigerian universities as agreed, government went to the media last week that it has given N20 billion to ASUU! This propaganda of government is unhelpful as ASUU is a union and does not collect money from government.”