ASUU: FG Disburses N200bn Needs Assessment Funds To Universities

Following accusations by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that the Needs Assessment funds are yet
to be disbursed to universities, the federal government yesterday distributed cheques worth N200 billion to vice-chancellors of all public universities for the implementation of the needs identified in their institutions.

The Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike,
distributed the cheques at a meeting with the vice-chancellors
in Abuja yesterday with a caution against the diversion of the
funds from the purposes they are meant for.

He disclosed that an accountability system would be introduced in March for proper verification of the expenditure.

"All the tertiary institutions would give an account of funds
allocated to them to let the public know what the government
is doing to improve the education sector.

"It is imperative that the public know how much government
is investing in the country's tertiary education and to correct
the impression that it is neglecting the sector," he said.

The disbursement of the N200 billion is part of the agreements reached between ASUU and the federal government leading to the resolution of the six-month strike last year.

In another development, the Ministry of Education has
presented its 2013 Consolidated Report to the public.

According to the report, all federal universities received N225.070billion in 2013, federal polytechnics received
N67.411billion and Colleges of Education received
N44.288billion.

Unity Colleges were allocated N39billion while a grant of
N2.1 billion was awarded for Almajiri schools all out of the
N437billion budgetary allocation for education in 2013.

Capital project allocations to agencies under the ministry
amounted to N51.148billion while recurrent expenditure stood
at N385.88billion.

Presenting the report in Abuja yesterday, Wike, said the federal government was gradually inching towards the reduction of the 10 million out of school children with a recorded boost in basic education enrollment which increased to 2.9 million in 2013 up from 2.2 million in 2012.

Wike reiterated the commitment of the federal government to
holistically revamp the sector. The minister disclosed that to
specifically target basic education, over 100 Almajiri schools have been established in the last one year, with over 7,000 registered pupils. This is in addition to the establishment of six model girls' school in the South-south and South-east, while over 25 million free textbooks were distributed across
the country to junior secondary school students.