3rd April, 2014
Dr. Nasir Fagge, president, Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has assured Nigerian universities that the N200 billion allocated to the union by the federal government will be judiciously disbursed as long as they meet up the requirements for such funds.
Fagge disclosed that the allocations have been sent to various universities ‘on paper’ but the disbursement will be made when all the requirements stated for the allocation are met.
In a chat with P.M. NEWS Campus Square, he stated that: “An implementation committee was set up to oversee the proper disbursement of N200b allocated by the Federal Government to the various universities in the country.
“Members of this committee have met and they sent allocations to universities on paper but there are requirements which these universities should meet before they can get the money. After meeting these requirements, the implementation committee will send a technical team to follow up with the requirements which must have been presented to the committee,” he explained.
With various Nigerian universities yet to get the proposed allocation from the Federal Government, Fagge further explained that, “If the technical team is satisfied with the requirements being sent by the universities then 50 per cent of their allocation will be given to them. When they fulfil other parts of the requirements, they will get another 40 per cent and the remaining 10 per cent will be given at a later date.
“This is to ensure proper use of the funds. From what I know, some universities have met the criteria and the technical team will be sent to those campuses as soon as the committee sits”.
On 17 December, 2013, ASUU called off its five-month strike after the Federal Government reportedly paid N200 billion into the union’s account as part of their agreement to call off the strike action.
Damilare Okunola