Sustainable Peace Team, set up by the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) has called for an executive action by the Federal Government to propose to the National Assembly its decision on improved funding to address ASUU/FG impasse.
The team made the call in an advisory paper tagged: ‘Exploring Alternative Pathways to Amicably Resolving FG/ASUU Impasse’ in Abuja, through Former Secretary General, CVCNU, Prof. Michael Faborode.
The Peace Team said that once the national assembly receives the necessary communication from government, it should enact legislation to ensure succeeding government’s compliance with the undertaking.
He also suggested that government, as well as ASUU, should consider and accept ‘ Blended Financing options as a medium-term solution to sustainable funding of public universities.
“As a way of sourcing and mobilising funds internally to take care of some of the current pressing needs, we propose to government to suspend the 25 per cent remittance of all user charges collected by the universities.
“This will go a long way in helping to pool funds internally to meet some of the outstanding obligations and further boost internal fund generation efforts in universities.“
Professoriate Salary Increase
For the 35% professoriate salary increase offer that was rejected by ASUU, we suggest that a middle ground will be for government to accept to make the offer, net of taxes
According to the team, this will represent a significant shift by ASUU as it falls far short what was dedicatedly and painstakingly negotiated.
The Prof . faborode’s team called on the government on the needs to allow some creative funding options, while appealing to the government to reconsider its position on the earned allowances matters.
Faborode said that the team recognised that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) had become, by default, a major financier of higher education.
He, however, said that the current template for funds allocation and distribution was long overdue for review.
The Peace Team advised that TETFund, NUC, CVC/CPC, ASUU and the ministry of education to convene a policy meeting to consider a new template that would meet the current demands of beneficiary institutions and block fund leakages.
They also agreed that government should increase the current funding source to at least 3% of profit after tax of all companies doing business in Nigeria.
”As we noted in our previous communication, ultimately, the government must align itself politically and legally with the laws establishing its universities. The autonomy of public universities cannot be by half measures.”
