ASUU is holding a Town Hall meeting at Africa Hall, University of Ilorin Mini Campus, at the moment.
Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, the National President is addressing the meeting of the Town & Gown.
Check out @TVCconnect, @channelstv & @AIT_Online for their reports later
#ASUUTownHall

Despite proliferation of private universities, there remains the issue of affordability. Most cannot send their kids to public primary & sec. schs today, cos they have deteriorated. The main reason Unis are still standing is the struggles of ASUU.
Govt attempted to privatise schs

Govt tried to privatise Unity schools at some point, but that didn't work as they met resistance. Gov't should continue to make education affordable as its the greatest weapon we have to transform our society #ASUUTownHall, not try to hands-off funding it on assuming power

We can't afford private schools. And when you make access to public services impossible or expensive, people will find a way to obtain their existential needs. This will worsen corrupt practices.
Asking that the right thing should be done isn't = being problematic.
#ASUUTownHall

ASUU is using its platform, University education to showcase the ideals that shd be pursued.
In 2009, after pressure, govt signed FGN-ASUU agreement wc was to be renegotiated every 3 yrs. Hasnt been renegotiated once to date!
#ASUUTownHall
4 key issues were raised in d agreement

1. Funding universities & how it shd be included in budget. This year >7% budgeted for education. So instead of reviewing upwards the agreement is almost totally ignored
2. Condition of service. No other grp has remained on same salary structure for 11 yrs, as ASUU.
#ASUUTownHall

3. Universities autonomy: every university is governed by an act. IPPIS has created so much tension that govt has elevated it above our main demands. We are rejecting it cos it violates university autonomy. VC needs Acct Gen clearance b4 employing a single lecturer
#ASUUTownHall

This autonomy issue has so many dimensions. This can hinder academic freedom.
4. Other matters e.g. laws, policies that will not allow universities to function according to their enabling acts. E.g. role of JAMB in dictating admission criteria for univesities. Etc
#ASUUTownHall

These issues have persisted since 2009.
Most striking is d REVITALISATION issue
This is the crux of the university's operations. Labs use consumables, equipment, we need classes. In hostels students now sleep in shifts as rooms are at 300% capacity.
Now a key issue
#ASUUTownHall

In 2012, Govt Challenged ASUU's claims that unis are suffering from rot from 1960s infrastructure. This resulted in FG & ASUU going to 68 public unis in the NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
All ASUU's claims were verified. Kerosene stoves have replaced bunsen burners in our labs!
#ASUUTownHall

So in 2013, govt promised to inject N1.3 trillion into public unis, to begin with N200b in 2013. They signed this document, but took 5 y to release this 1st 200b! The govt would have completed releasing the fund by now if they had kept faith with the agreement.
#ASUUTownHall

Today, that single tranche has changed the face of universities, as we now have some labs etc. Imagine if govt fulfilled their end!

TETFund is another brainchild of ASUU.
1992, Pres. Babangida asked ASUU for source of funds to finance universities as govt couldn't
#ASUUTownHall

If ASUU didn't come up with an idea, govt wanted to increase fees !
ASUU said 2% should be charged to users of graduates of public universities. Govt today is being lobbied to fund private unis with money ASUU helped raise for students of public unis.
#ASUUTownHall

Students should be more alert as the pressure to increase fees and deprive public unis of funding is still on. We are appealing to our students and youth to not trade off their future.
Education can be free for poor Nigerians too, as it is in Cuba, Germany etc
#ASUUTownHall

5. Govt is asking ASUU abt funds released to Unis? Govt released money to pro-chancellors, not ASUU. The law says unis shd be visited once in not >5y. Govt last constituted Visitation Panels in 2011! We've been asking govt to visit their universities,to no avail
#ASUUTownHall

Another clamor is the renegotiation. At a point, govt wanted to introduce the education bank.
Looks attractive, but its a booby trap. 700k will be paid to unis: public or private. This will ultimately ruin public unis to fund private unis.
#ASUUTownHall

2001-2007, this experiment was attempted, it failed. Why give loans to students who have no guarantee of jobs to repay N4m loans? Interest will hold students ransom if repayment isn't done. This isn't the best
Our rulers' kids don't attend public schools, you know
#ASUUTownHall

These children will come in and outcompete Nigerian graduates.

Now, apart from facilities, you need workers with morale. The way Nigetian Lecturers are driven , their morale is dampened.
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Allowances, Earned Academic Allowances, from 2009 is still outstanding! In 2019 March we gota memorandum of action/ agreement for how govt will pay up, nothing happened a year after.
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Proliferation of universities: existing unis are decaying, yet new ones are being created as constituency projects. We asked at National Assembly why they refused to assist with increasing funding, as we discovered 85 new unis were being proposed!
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In Abia state the governor has refused to fund their university for ~5 years, yet he is creating a new one!
These politicians forget that they enjoyed scholarships, when they are pricing out the children of the poor from education. This is causing criminality today
#ASUUTownHall

The problems of the education sector cannot be divorced from the problems of society.
Our rulers aren't interested.
Solution? Internal vigilance
If we don't ask for our rights, we will never get it.
#ASUUTownHall

But for ASUU, the same fate that befell public primary and secondary schools will befall public universities.
This is where we need the support of parents and students.
If Nigeria's resources can support rulers' estacode, allowances, it can fund education.
#ASUUTownHall

Our appeal today is:
Let us ask for the correct information. ASUU is not the problem of universities. ASUU is fighting to ensure our resources are used for us all.

CAVEAT:
ALL ERRORS ARE MINE. NOT ASUU's, not Prof. Ogunyemi's.
Thanks
#ASUUTownHall