A mystery N12 billion allocated to the National Universities Commission (NUC) is the subject of wagging tongues after the Executive Secretary of the regulatory body for federal universities, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, told federal lawmakers of the Joint Senate and House of
Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFUND of the allocation, for which half the amount has been released.
He disclosed to the surprised lawmakers, at the 2023 Budget Defence session, that the Commission did not ask for the controversial sum, adding that the released sum has not been touched by the regulatory body.
Prof. Rasheed, who presented the budget of his commission and that of all Federal Universities, revealed: “In NUC’s budget we have a problem.
“We had additional money given to us that we didn’t request. I later went to Finance (Ministry) to find out because our budget was always hovering around N3 billion with about N2 billion for personnel, N700-N800 million for capital and N700 million for overhead.
Obviously not sure of what to do he said “I don’t know; I’m not complaining; we can house it,” but quickly added that “at the end of the year it will disappear”.
On the 8-month Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike recently called off Abdulrasheed lamented that many universities would find it difficult to cope.
Citing the case of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, he said the reopening of the university was the beginning of another round of problems for it.
According to him, the foremost university in Northern Nigeria had wished the ASUU strike to continue indefinitely.
He expressed the gratitude of the universities to the legislators on overhead provisions, but said the university vice chancellors wanted him to remind the senators and representatives of the serious problem they are facing because of the eight months strike for the academic calendar.
According to him “eight months is equivalent to an academic calendar in every country. So, one session is virtually lost, but the implication is that one session will now run far beyond one calendar year. It will run for between 16 to 18 calendar months depending on the situation.
However, in ABU Zaria, he said, it may run for two sessions, because though the university has reopened, it cannot do anything because everything it has was taken away by a court garnishee order and given to aggrieved former staff.
“The sole administrator, in 1996 sacked some staff and they went to court. Nearly 30 years later the court said ABU should pay N22.5 billion, and the Central Bank removed that money. That was the money ABU could use to function.
“I know ABU was not happy when the strike was called off because it will be exposed. It was hoping that it will continue to take cover under the strike. But once the strike was off, it had to reopen. It only reopened in name, saying they can start in January.
“The truth is that they have only N5 million in the main account and they need a minimum of N70 million to N80 million for electricity alone.
“That is one peculiar case we know, but in general, the rising cost of diesel and electricity is placing serious burden on universities. Our overhead for universities, none is given up to N12 million to N14 million per month. They are given average of N10 million and no university, big or small, spends less than N30 – N40 million in a month. Lagos spends an average of N80 million in a month
The NUC helmsman also disclosed that four new universities, two for medical science and two for science and technology have not been collecting salaries, including their vice chancellors, adding that the 2023 budget is now making provision for them.
“The four new universities two for medical science and two for science and technology so far have no budget; they have not been collecting salaries including the vice chancellors themselves.
“I know for new universities there is the need now to get them on board. For other vice chancellors, budget is normal ritual. I know they have all made provisions for some few additional staff to cope with new courses, promotions and other issues.
