ASUU Slams Governors for Building State Universities Without Funding

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has criticized governors for establishing state universities they cannot adequately fund.

Emmanuel Osodeke, the President of ASUU, made this statement during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday.

According to Osodeke, many governors establish new universities to access funds from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

“Any governor today establishing a university is eyeing TETFund as a source of funding,” Osodeke said.

He emphasized that while TETFund is intended as an intervention fund for public universities, it is being misused by politicians and civil servants through corrupt procurement processes and contract fraud.

“TETFund was created as an intervention fund, not the main funding source. Universities belong to the Federal Government and are supposed to be funded by them, while states should fund their own universities,” Osodeke explained. “There are people who want to access that money from political and bureaucratic circles at all costs. We are struggling with that.”

Osodeke called for a transparent structure to involve stakeholders in the allocation and expenditure of TETFund resources.

“There should be stakeholders’ meetings to assess the use of funds,” he said, suggesting that the university community, including lecturers and student groups, be involved to ensure transparency.

He criticized the practice of TETFund representatives dictating projects and acting as contractors, advocating for university councils to manage their own projects with stakeholder involvement.

Osodeke further stated that ASUU is committed to fighting for the interests of ordinary Nigerians whose children rely on public university education. He argued that without ASUU’s efforts, public universities in Nigeria might cease to exist.

“If not for ASUU’s struggles, there wouldn’t be public universities in Nigeria anymore. Any day we give up, our public universities will be gone,” he said.

Osodeke also accused Federal Government officials of neglecting the deteriorating state of tertiary education and ignoring ASUU’s long-standing demands.

Regarding the recent meeting between ASUU and Federal Government representatives, Osodeke noted it was the first official engagement with President Bola Tinubu’s administration. The discussions covered the 2009 agreement, withheld salaries, earned academic allowances, and other contentious issues.

ASUU plans to meet with its members to make a decision within the next four weeks.

The TETFund, established to support public tertiary institutions through infrastructure rehabilitation and other projects, derives its funds from a 2% education tax on the profits of registered companies in Nigeria. However, the institution has faced allegations of embezzlement and contract fraud, prompting calls for greater transparency in its operations.