The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Saturday rejected intervention fund by popular radio host, Ahmad Isah, the Chief Executive Officer of Human Rights Radio and Television intended to provide succour and end strike by varsity lecturers.
Indeed, the Radio host had initiated Berekete/ASUU intervention Account to raise N20 billion from individuals, without waiting for the federal government, but which shall be handed over to government under a team of trustees after the fund raising.
The fund shall be allocated to universities by the federal government to tackle infrastructural deficits, but according to perculiar needs of universities and thereby end the prolonged ASUU strike.
ASUU chairman, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, however, during a live programme on the Human Rights Television kicked against the crowdfunding, saying the union should not be associated with the account.
The intervention Account, which had accrued response from individuals, such as Governor of Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel, who contributed N50 million among other contributors was immediately halted by the radio host, following the outburst of ASUU chairman.
According to Osodeke “ASUU is not demanding for money, but response to infrastructural deficits and welfare in the nation’s ivory towers.
“We are not against Berekete family trying to raise fund for educational system, what we are saying is that we should follow the formal process, ASUU is not involved”.
He explained that the strike by the varsity lecturers followed non fulfilment of an agreement signed by the federal government with the union in 2009.
Osodeke said “Government paid part of our salary component, but when it got to funding, they reneged and when we were pushing for this, they said they don’t believe what we were saying about Nigeria universities.
“Government said there is need to set up panel to look at the status of varsities, and a panel headed by Professor Mahmud Yakubu came with a report.
“According to the report in one of the first generation university, they were using cooking stove as burner”.
He noted that based on the disturbing report, government pledged N1.3 trillion, to universities, stressing “that is the origin of the need assessment report.
“It was then agreed N1.3 trillion will be spread over 6 years, N200bn initially, then every year, N220bn, but since then 2014, and now, government have only given N50bn to all Nigeria public universities” Osodeke added.
He bemoaned that because of poor welfare, foreign lectures have left the nation universities among other structural challenges.
Speaking with newsmen on the sideline, the radio host, Isah said “If there is a need to revisit my decision to suspend the fund raising I will, but if the need is not there, I will refund everybody’s money.
“And I will withdraw the N10 million I have contributed. You can see Governor Udom Emmanuel that has lost presidential ticket brought N50 million and others were willing to come, because I gave just two weeks to raise the money.
“The target for us was to raise N20 bn and this is an account I don’t have access to. I have said it on air that by the time we get this money, we are going to nominate people across the country base on their pedigree and integrity to serve as trustees that we will hand over the money to and they in turn will hand over to the federal government” he said.
