The Ibadan Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to save the universities by paying the outstanding N550 billion NEEDS assessment intervention fund.
This fund was last paid in 2013 during the Goodluck Jonathan administration. The 220 billion each for 2014 and 2015 have not been paid.
In a statement signed in Ibadan by the Zonal Coordinator, Ibadan Zone of ASUU, Dr Ade Adejumo and Chairman, UI chapter, Dr Deji Omole, ASUU, said the Federal Government must inject funds into education for universities to be globally competitive.
They said government cannot expect its grossly under-funded universities to compete adequately with funded universities and highly motivated academics around the globe.
According to ASUU, it is sad that the government reduced budgetary allocation to education from 11 per cent in 2013, 12 per cent in 2014, 11 per cent in 2015 to eight per cent in 2016.
The duo lashed out at government officials, who shed crocodile tears at university convocation, decrying the low ranking of Nigerian universities while they take their children to study abroad.
The Ibadan zone of ASUU slammed the administration for fractional, irregular, non-payment of salaries and other emoluments, saying the union will resist attempts to erode university autonomy.
While noting that no country can develop beyond its educational institutions, ASUU cautioned the government against taking the union for granted.
It warned that while it is aware of the socio-economic situation, the government must attend to critical sectors of the economy and find home- grown economic models to rescue it from the doldrum.