Education

Proposal for 186 New Universities Unrealistic, ASUU Tells NASS

Published

1 year ago

March 21, 2022

ASUU wondered why the government would push for the creation of new universities while ignoring the existing ones currently in dilapidated states.

The National Universities Commission, the regulatory body of universities in Nigeria, puts the total number of federal universities at 49; state-owned universities, 55, and private-owned universities, 99.

Though the NUC had earlier argued that the number of universities and lecturers in the country might not be enough to cater for the academic needs of Nigerians, ASUU told the government to focus on fixing the existing universities and the entire university system.

An analysis conducted by our correspondent, however, revealed that since the ninth National Assembly came into power in 2019, no fewer than 186 bills had been initiated for the establishment of new universities.

In 2019 for instance, a total of 48 bills were initiated for the creation of new universities; there was a drop in 2020 when only 43 bills for new universities were pushed. Further analysis of total bills passed in 2021, however, revealed that no fewer than 80 bills were pushed for the establishment of new universities.

15 bills initiated in 2022

Notable among the bills are the bill for the establishment of Federal University of Tourism, Wamba 2021; Federal University of Entrepreneurship Onitsha, 2022; Federal University of Transport, Daura 2021; University of Broadcast and Film studies, Jos; Nigerian Police University of Information and Technology, Abeokuta among others.

In an interview with Punch, ASUU National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, wondered why the government would abandon existing universities and lecturers while focusing on new establishments.

“These are some of the things we are fighting for. When you go to Nigerian universities, you see dilapidated buildings; lecturers are not even being treated well. Why create new universities when you cannot even take care of the existing ones?

Reacting to the statistics of the NUC about the number of lecturers available in Nigerian universities, Osodeke said, “We do not have up to 100,000 lecturers in Nigerian universities, there is brain drain.

“Lecturers are leaving because of unfair treatment and they will continue to leave until the government does the right thing by making sure that adequate funds are released into the university system.”

(Punch)

Education

BREAKING: Court Orders ASUU To Suspend Strike

Published

9 months ago

September 21, 2022

Sunrise Nigeria

The National Industrial Court has ordered the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to suspend the ongoing strike.

The court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday gave the order following an application for an interlocutory injunction filed by the Nigerian government to force ASUU to suspend the seven-month-old strike.

Recall that the Federal Government through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige had filed a suit in the National Industrial Court, challenging the action of the university academic union.

The court had in its previous sitting on Monday, after listening to the argument on the application by the counsel to federal government, James Igwe, fixed the ruling on Wednesday (today).

Igwe had argued that it would be proper for the strike to be called off pending the determination of the suit, to enable students to return to school.

Justice Polycarp Hamman, in his ruling, granted the government’s application.

The judge also dismissed the argument by counsel to ASUU, Femi Falana (SAN) that the interlocutory injunction should be dismissed and the court should instead grant an accelerated hearing for the referral earlier filed by Ngige.

ASUU embarked on the nationwide strike on February 14, 2022 over inability of the federal government to meet their demands some of which include release of the University Revitalisation Fund, adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability System (UTAS) payment platform instead of the IPPIS created by the federal government, release of the White Paper on Government Visitation Panel to public universities, and increase of salaries of lecturers.

Aviation

Aviation and Aerospace University Commences Admission Soon, says Sirika

Published

9 months ago

September 16, 2022

Sunrise Nigeria

By Elizabeth Okwe

Aviation Minister, Senator Hadi Sirika on Friday announced that the African Aviation and Aerospace University will commence registration for the 2022/2023 academic session on 0-18th November 2022.

He made this disclosure during a media interaction on the Aviation University in his office.

According to him, the main objective of the establishment of the Aviation university is the need for the country to go into field research development in the areas of aviation and aerospace.

He, however, said that theAviation university would be a pan-African university, not limiting its intake of students to only Africa, but Nigeria will be the focus centre. The university is supposed to be a high-breed university and will be an on-campus and online university.

“For the start-up, lectures will be done at our temporary headquarters at the Accident Investigative Bureau building at the airport and some of the lectures will be done at Nile university and We will need dormitories, a cafeteria, laboratories.”He added

Sirika noted that for the first academic year which is 2022 the university will be limited to BSc Aviation business and BSc meteorology programmes and students for each course will be between 20-25 each due to the availability of the facility and for maximum efficiency, while in the second academic year masters in air transport management.

“We have been on this project since 2016 because we know it’s a very rigorous exercise we need to put in place all the requirements by the National university commission, they have been very supportive, and guided us through the process.

“We will be partnering with Nile university here in Abuja we have a Memorandum Of Understanding which we will sign.

“We will soon avail the website which is www.aaau.edu.ng, we need other requirements to activate the website.”

Education

Nasarawa State University to Pull Out of ASUU Strike, says Governor Sule

Published

9 months ago

September 1, 2022

Sunrise Nigeria

Worried by the negative effects of the ongoing Industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Nasarawa state governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has said that Nasarawa state university Keffi (NSUK) is set to pull out from the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) after the state government agreed to shoulder the responsibility for the payment of salaries of the staff of the university.

Breifing members of the state executive council, at the fifth state executive council meeting, in Nasarawa on Wednesday, the state government agreed to takeover the payment of salaries at NSUK, thereby meeting one of the key demands by the local chapter of the ASUU.

“One of the conditions they gave to us, the most important condition, is to ensure that we take over the full payment of salaries of all the staff, so that they don’t have to use their IGR.

“As far as we are concerned, we looked at our finances and we strongly believe that, based on the cashflow we have available to us and also because of the importance we attach to education, that we should be able to start that from this month.

“That is what we are looking forward to do. We are also hoping they will compliment by the moment we start the payment hopefully by Thursday or Friday, then we are hoping to see them also returning to their classes,” he stated.