By Adesina Wahab
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has explained why it was difficult for previous administrations to resolve the impasse between the Federal Government, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and other staff unions in the tertiary education sector.
Alausa, who spoke during a meeting with some journalists in Lagos, said previous administrations set up too many committees interfacing between them and the staff unions.
“In the past, there were too many committees liaising with the various groups, the academic and non-academic staff unions. What happened then was that the various committees were making different recommendations and offering conflicting suggestions. But we came and consolidated everything under the Yayale Ahmed Committee. It is that committee that meets with all unions, whether academic or non-academic.
“As we do that, everybody is carried along. We are not forgetting ASUP, COEASU, and non-academic staff unions at those levels. In fact, the agreement between the government and ASUP and COEASU will be reached soon. We are also assuring all that there won’t be discrimination between the unions; we are for fairness,” he stated.
In the effort to promote innovation in our tertiary institutions, Alausa disclosed that the FG has earmarked N200 billion for the construction of engineering workshops at selected universities and polytechnics across the country.
The Minister said each beneficiary university will get N4 billion, while each Polytechnic will get N1 billion.
The Minister said the scheme would be a follow-up to the building of simulation medical laboratories in some federal universities.
On the abandoned Centres of Excellence started years ago by the Central Bank of Nigeria in some higher institutions, Alausa said over N5 trillion would be needed to complete them.
“When Governor Charles Soludo was in the CBN, he went to the University of Ibadan and saw the need to produce more economists and then a Centre of Excellence was started there. He didn’t do more than that. However, those who came after him started all manner of centres across the country and most of them were never completed.
“The one at the University of Lagos would require about N19 billion to complete, according to the contractors. I am meeting the contractors, and we are going to find a mid-course and also we are engaging TETFund to see what can be done,” he explained.
On the school feeding programme that has been put on hold, Alausa assured that it would soon come alive.
He noted that the programme could be brought under his ministry from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs for proper oversight.
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