The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has called on Vice-Chancellors and Council Chairmen of Universities to stop behaving like vultures that wait silently by the sidelines for the game to fall only to descend on the carcass.
The union called on the Vice Chancellors to join forces with ASUU in its struggles to attract requisite funding into public universities rather than working at cross purposes with them.
ASUU said this in a statement it entitled, ‘Re: N163 billion Released to ASUU: Putting the Record Straight’, which was signed by Dr. Ade Adejumo, the Ibadan Zonal Coordinator on Sunday.
The union also asked the government to concentrate on finding a quick resolution to the impasse rather than dissipate energy on fake news and cheap propaganda aimed at tarnishing the image of the union.
ASUU maintained that the governing councils and management of various universities receive and spend all the money coming to the university and not the union.
The statement said that contracts and all capital projects are awarded by the councils that are appointed by the Federal Government and not ASUU.
The statement added, “Once again, the attention of our union has been drawn to another piece of misinformation which gives the impression that ASUU collects money from government.
“For umpteenth time, let it be known that our union is a patriotic organisation whose activities are driven by principled conviction that the resources of the country can better be managed for the ultimate benefit of the Nigerian society, especially the education sector which is our immediate constituency.
“The government and all civilized individuals are aware of how the university is managed, so also the resources available to it. The government knows that it is the council and the university administration that receive and spend all the money coming into the university.
ASUU doesn’t receive money from government and doesn’t spend it. Even money meant for our salaries and other allowances come directly to the university administration which prepares the budget and manages it.
“ASUU members collect only their salaries as paid by the university. Contracts and all the capital projects are awarded by the councils that are appointed by the government, not ASUU.
“It is in the context of the above that our union calls on the vice-chancellors and council chairmen to stop behaving like vultures that wait silently by the sidelines, waiting for the game to fall only to descend on the carcass.
They should join forces with ASUU in its struggles to attract requisite funding into our public universities rather than working at cross purposes with us.
“Part of the least expected from them is to come out openly to put the record straight each time the government comes out with the deliberate falsehood that money has been released to ASUU.
“They, ie, council and the vice-chancellors, are the receiving and spending agents. Simple honour demands that they publicly own up to this fact. Their silence in this regard leaves room for unfair speculation about ASUU.”
