The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Yobe State University (YSU) has expressed concern over the rapid increase in the number of public universities without adequate financial support to sustain them.
During a briefing in Damaturu, the branch chairman, Ahmed Ibrahim Karage, highlighted that public universities are suffering from severe underfunding, inconsistent or non-payment of earned academic allowances, and various other welfare issues.
“The situation of public universities in the country is disturbing. There has been an increase in the number of public universities created by federal and state governments with no sincere financial commitment to fund the universities. State universities in this zone (ADSU Mubi, TSU, Jalingo, YSU, Damaturu) also have cases of gross underfunding, the epileptic or non-payment of EAA, the non-payment of responsibility allowances as well as other welfare issues”.
“There is no genuine commitment by governments to fund public universities. Close to two (2) decades, the budgetary allocation to education is disappointing. For example, in 2024, only 6.39 per cent of the total budget was allocated to education in the federal government budget and most of which were not released for implementation. Hope cannot be renewed in education in this mode.
“ASUU rejects any attempt to increase school fees without any corresponding inputs from the government to adequately fund education. The working class and other masses cannot afford it for now. The general public are leaving in abject penury which the political class has deliberately subject us to,” he said.
According to him, the attempt to increase school fees by the Federal Government which the union kicks against, has a serious potential of increasing the rate of students dropping out from the university, stressing that the Nigerian government has ample resources to fund education better.
“We reject the students’ loan scheme, which to us, is an IMF/World Bank ideology intended to cripple the future of our youths and bastardize our educational system. Instead of the loan, the government should give students study grants just as ASUU gives scholarships to students across the nation”.
Karage noted that the ASUU’s struggle has been in the best interest of Nigeria and its people, not ASUU members alone.
“Our union is tired of dwelling on the same number of issues year in and year out, negotiating and renegotiating, and with mutual agreements reached and signed on each occasion, but with the government consistently defaulting on its own terms”.