President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, has raised objections to the inclusion of private universities as beneficiaries of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) intervention funds.
Osodeke voiced his concerns during a two-day interactive session between TETFund and all unions representing beneficiary institutions. He argued that extending TETFund support to private universities might lead to the proliferation of subpar private educational institutions.
Osodeke also called on TETFund to improve its project monitoring methods across the country, highlighting a mismatch between the amount of funds disbursed and the performance of beneficiary institutions. Additionally, he urged TETFund to impose sanctions on underperforming institutions and advocated for the elimination of what he termed “stakeholders’ funds.”
The ASUU President made it clear that the union would continue to resort to strikes until the necessary reforms were instituted in tertiary institutions, emphasizing the need to abolish “stakeholders’ funds.”
TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, explained that the interactive session aimed to address prevailing challenges in the education sector proactively and sustain the continuous growth and development of tertiary education.
He underscored TETFund’s primary mission, which is to rehabilitate, restore, and strengthen tertiary education in Nigeria through funding and project management.
During the session, Ayuba Wabba, former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), delivered a presentation titled “The Role of Trade Unions in TETFund Intervention Activities.” He praised TETFund for its commitment to enhancing university education and improving the experiences of lecturers, non-academic staff, and students in institutions across the country.
