NEW VARSITIES: ASUU CARPETS FG

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has criticised the Federal Government's plan to establish six new universities in the six geo-political zones of the country. Making the position of ASUU known while addressing journalists in Benin yesterday, the National President of the union, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie said rather than establishing these universities in the face of gross under funding of existing federal universities, the Federal Government should adequately fund the existing universities to provide more spaces for candidates seeking admissions into universities.

He argued that intake into the Nigerian university system could be doubled or quadrupled if government funded the nation universities better.

Prof. Awuzie regretted that the 2009 Federal Government-ASUU Agreements had been completely ignored by government at all levels, pointing out that whereas ASUU demanded for 26 per cent funding annually, the Federal Government agreed to 13 percent but provided six per cent funding in the 2010 budget.

'Consequently, NEC considered the decision of the FGN to establish six universities as ill advised and cynical ploy to further complicate the crisis in the Nigerian university system,' the ASUU president said.

Commenting on the strike embarked on by lecturers in the South-east government owned universities, Prof. Awuzie described the action of the South-east governors in not taking steps to resolve the issues that led to the strike action as 'criminal conspiracy against their people.'

The ASUU president also spoke on the recent N18,000 minimum wage approved by the Federal Government and called for its immediate implementation.