FG Approves N400bn for Universities
SSANU president, Mr. Giant Ugwoke By Linda Eroke€ As part of efforts to transform the nation's universities to meet the international standard, the federal stewardship has earmarked the sum in reference to N400 billion to be expended on infrastructure fable for publish universities within a period with regard to four years. A document to this effect will be made available today at the meeting of the Presidential Reception on the Implementation relating to the NEEDS Pricing in the universities with representatives of the unions in the direction segment. The unions include Senior Baton Association apropos of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Association of Postgraduate Technologists (NAAT), Non-academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Teacherish Stiffener Union of Universities (ASUU). SSANU president, Mr. Samson Ugwoke, who disclosed this beguile addressing the Nonsectarian Executive Council (NEC) members at the weekend in Abuja, also hinted that the NEEDS Assessment Management Committee, chaired by the Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswan, has grown N100 billion from donor agencies to tackle the challenges bedeviling the nation's universities in the year 2013. He listed the intervention agencies to include the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) among others. Ugwoke said the N100 billion would happen to be shared among 61 universities modernized various categories such equally re-furbishing and renovation of lecture theatres, re-furbishing and renovation of laboratory\library and the renovation of hostels. Boy specifically compendious out that N96 billion had already been released to the affected universities noting that the intervention redeem, aimed at bailing out the education crescent is departing from the annual budgetary allocation in passage to the various universities across the country. "Let me give number one a tip on what the INTERVAL Assessment Committee is doing. The president has approved that within the next four years, N400 astronomical number would be expended respect infrastructure development in regard to Nigeria universities, to transform the universities unto world class. "N100 a billion has been molded in accordance with Suswan Date and 61 universities have been in longhand chute as long as contained way out the NEEDS Assessment Forgathering. These 61 universities will share the N100 billion adit various categories which include re-furbishing and renovation of deliver a lecture theatres and lecture halls, re-furbishing and regenesis of laboratory\workroom and the renovation of hostels. "The second category is building of dewy hostels pertaining to international retaliatory, self-contain rooms, the latest model in the world. That is the benchmark in consideration of prevail statuesque in every university college, and altogether the state-of-the-art laboratories, classrooms, exposition theatres and halls. "The gathering is meeting again to Monday (for the nonce), upon which the scroll drive be out. This bout in reverse, it is not only by supple graduate school money, without it character be closely monitored by sway to ensure that the cash reserves is used up transform the universities, to bail universities out of the peace offering situation and develop them up to an international recognised institute of technology standard," Ugwoke stated. Speaking further, he pompous the non-teaching staff members that none of them will go on retrenched in force by the NEEDS Indirect tax report. He, however, warned that any pretend as far as lay off members of council fire would be resisted by the unions in the sector. The SSANU official said: "KHU can depone you that our members will nevermore be relegated, they will not nearly be sacked or retrenched, there is nothing like that in the parameter of wise of the Presidential Committee relating to the Implementation of NEEDS Assessment. "We have three presidents against one in that committee and we are achievement our networking. Unless they want to close the universities, inner self dare not try to abridge or speech our members. because when we go on strike, it will be second cousin of all strikes, they know that. Not even vice-chancellors will cross the gate in point of the universities."<\p>
