From Moses Peter, Abakaliki
The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Ebonyi State Chapter, Comrade Ikechukwu Igwenyi said there is no State University that can survive without the help and intervention that come from the Union.
Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Ebonyi State Chapter, Comrade Ikechukwu Igwenyi.
Comrade Igwenyi gave this information in Abakaliki the State capital while debunking the rumours that some State Universities want to break away from the ongoing industrial action by ASUU Nationwide.
Igwenyi who is Associate Professor said 98 per cent of what the difference Universities are enjoying today came from the ASUU struggle and through the intervention of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and NEEDS Assessment.
"That rumour going on that some State Universities want to break up from the ongoing industrial action by the ASUU is baseless, if any University tries it, the such institution will still run back to ASUU because 98 per cent of the Structures and equipment being enjoyed today in all the State Universities are place courtesy of Tertiary Education Trust Fund TETFUND and NEEDS Assessment via the ASUU struggle," he said.
The Associate Professor further informed that it is only the TETFUND and NEEDS Assessment that has provided all the needed support of the State Universities in terms of Administrative Block, Faculty Building, Classrooms, equipment and furniture.
Others are Laboratory Equipments, libraries and Hostels.
He affirmed that through the efforts of the ASUU, TETFUND AND NEEDS Assessment have been releasing funds for Staff training.
"If all the above-mentioned have been in place courtesy of ASUU struggle, why would you think that any State University can survive without clinching to its sources of livelihood". Igwenyi asked.
"There are many Universities that have tried it before now to separate themselves from ASUU, but it didn't work out. Obafemi Awolowo University and University of Ilorin tried it before but later ran back to its source of livelihood which is ASUU," he said.
"If the State Universities have the same visitors as Federal Universities, it would have been easier but as long as we have different visitors in the State Universities with their different priorities not having any regards for the education of the poor masses, it will never work," the informed.
Moreover, he said that there are no State government in Nigeria that pays one hundred per cent of the worker's Salaries, instead, workers' Salaries come mostly from the internally Generated Revenue IGR of the School.
"The best, the State Governments have done so far, is to subvert the Universities, in Ebonyi State Universities, for example, the State Government gives monthly Subvention of one hundred and fifty Million naira (N150,000,000.00) and take thirty million naira (N30,000,000.00) up front as tax leaving the University with one hundred and nineteen million naira (N119,000,000), How can such University pay salaries when it needs to get over two hundred and Sixty million naira (N260,000,000.00) monthly to be able to pay their workers," he said.
He urged the Nigerian and State Governments to harken to the plight of the Union knowing that Universities are the hub of economic sustenance where manpower resource is generated.
He summarized by saying that ASUU is a union and as such, every State University has the right to break up but the truth remains that no State University had ever broken out without reverting to ASUU for intervention "you can go down the memory lane starting from Obafemi Awolowo University and University of Ilorin, as a reference point."
He encouraged all the students to use this opportunity to learn some trade.
