ASUU warns against plan to privatise universities

The Bauchi State coordinator of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Prof Nanmwa Voncir, has warned against what he called the satanic plan by the Federal Government to privatise public universities in the country.

Voncir, who urged Nigerians to resist the plan, said, “We shall do everything within our powers to stop the drift towards privatisation of public universities in Nigeria,’ warning that the ‘current industrial peace in the universities should not be endangered by the planned action of the Federal Government.”

Addressing a press conference yesterday at the ASUU Secretariat, in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), he said federal universities are currently facing the challenges of inadequate funding, especially personal and over head cost.

“The Federation Government has continued to cut down the funding of universities, especially the capital and over-head cost, leading to dilapidated infrastructure, equipment and facilities,” he said.

The don restated that but for Tetfund, public universities and indeed public tertiary education, would have been a forgotten issue, or at best become glorified secondary schools.

The university teacher lamented that inadequate funding, have made it difficult for universities to pay the monthly salaries of their staff, as and when due. “We view this as an attempt by federal government to start the privatisation of the Universities,” he added.

According to him, the closure of all university staff primary schools, and the sacking of staff in the affected schools, was a direct confrontation with the union.

He said the union would soon react to that, because the schools were established based on negotiation and agreement with the union in 1992, urging government to abide by the agreement.