A MUST READ:A lecturers opinion on ASUU strike! tagged "Before you blame ASUU ,read this.."

Just stumbled on one of my lecturers (name withheld) opinion on the ongoing ASUU strike  on my facebook page,which he tagged "Before you blame ASUU,read this..." and I decided to share it with my highly esteemed readers...Read it below and hope you enjoy it!

                                                            ASUU and National Struggle
                                                            SOURCE(S) OF THE FUND 
 
Our Union is very apprehensive of the manner in which the sources of the initial N100billion to be used for the stimulation of the process are shrouded in secrecy. We believe that monies that already belong to the university system should not be blocked and recycled. This will not only be counterproductive but will brew even deeper crises in the system. ASUU will not accept this.
QUANTUM OF THE FUND
 We observe that the Committee is so far mentioning only N100billion. If the implementation is to be related to the funding requirements in the 2009 ASUU/FGN Agreement and the Jan 2012 MoU, what is due for 2012 and 2013 is N500billion not N100billion. Only the provision of this sum will meet the immediate needs of the universities.
DISBURSEMENT
 We are also concerned that a clear procedure or process for assessing the funds by the universities is yet to be defined. This concern is even more germane given the statement of the Chairman of the Committee (during the last meeting on Monday 19th Aug. 2013) that the Committee is taking some documents to the Due Process Office. We hasten to add that while due process must be followed, it is the sole responsibility of benefitting 3
universities to respect all the provisions of the Procurement Act. The meaning of your Committee going to the Due Process Office is that it is the one that will be responsible for awarding contracts.
We want to make it clear that this will never be acceptable to our Union. We believe that monies meant to fund projects in Universities should be sent to the Universities just as it is the practice with TETFund, Capital appropriation, etc.




MUTILATION OF THE DISBURSEMENT OF THE FIRST TRANCHE
 We are also deeply concerned about the rationale of mutilating the report of the technical subcommittee of your Committee by the Secretariat. For instance the entire structure of allocation to universities as well as to projects has been grossly distorted without any clear justification. The index of enrolment used to classify the universities has been set aside. The number of benefiting universities has also been changed without justification. ASUU will not accept this.

 We are worried that instead of allocating N1.2billion each to construct 3,000 bed space hostels to the 10 Category1 universities, N1.0billion for 2,500 bed space hostel to the 16 Category2 universities, N500million to construct 1,250 bed space hostels in the 12 Category3 universities and N250million each to construct 625 bed space hostels in the 13 category4 universities, the Secretariat has changed that to constructing 1,400 bed space hostels in 25 universities at the cost of N2b each. We see no rationale in this. Expending N50billion to construct 35,000 bed space hostels across 25 universities will be ridiculously scandalous since the same amount can be used to construct 125,000 bed space hostels across 51 universities. The standard cost of building a bed space ranges from N200,000.00 to a maximum of N400,000.00. This is even more worrisome given the tangential suggestions made by the Chairman that only monies for refurbishment will be sent to universities while the rest will be handled centrally.

EXCLUSION OF SOME UNIVERSITIES
 We are concerned that 22 universities are excluded from the allocation for refurbishment of laboratories and libraries and 3 universities from the 4

allocation for refurbishment of lecture theatres and lecture rooms. 24 universities are denied allocation for construction of libraries and laboratories while 2 are denied allocation for construction of new lecture theatres and lecture rooms. 26 universities are denied allocation for construction of hostel. This is in spite of the identified needs in the individual university report and the approved criterion that made them eligible to draw. More worrisome is the fact that the allocation to other universities does not seem to be in agreement with the approved enrolment criteria.
OMNIBUS PROJECT ADMINISTRATION COST
 We have also noted, albeit quizzically, that some N1.975 billion was allocated to the ‘62nd university’ called ‘Project Admin Cost’. This makes no meaning to our Union. The Committee is not supposed to administer any project. It is supposed to distribute funds that will finance projects to universities. We see no justification for allocating an amount more than what is allocated to 4 universities put together, to a bogus ‘Project Admin Cost’. The N100b meant for universities as first tranche should go to universities in toto. No pinching, no pilfering.
In view of the forgoing, ASUU will be unable to continue in the membership of the Committee until the issues raised are properly addressed.
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