NUC Denies Responsibility For Stopping Staff School Funding

 
The National Universities Commission (NUC), yesterday denied responsibility in the federal government’s decision to stop the funding of all staff schools established by federal government agencies.

The director of information, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Yakasai, who spoke on behalf of the commission while briefing journalists in Abuja said the commission was only acting on a circular reference No. SWC/04/S446/T2/85 addressed to both the executive, the legislative and the judicial arms of government titled ‘Funding of staff schools established by federal government institution’ and asked to convey it to the affected schools.
It would be recalled that the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), had called for the sack of the NUC boss, Professor Julius Okojie, for removing university staff primary schools from the payroll of universities.

The union at University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), warned that academic activities may be disrupted in universities nationwide by embarking on indefinite strike, if the union and Federal Government fails to resolve their misunderstanding over payment of University staff primary schools.

They would go on an indefinite nationwide strike in event of any attempt by government to remove university staff primary school from the payroll of universities.

According to Yakassai, “On August 28, 2014, NUC received a circular reference No. SWC/04/S446/T2/85 addressed to both the Executive, Legislative and Judicial arms of Government titled ‘Funding of Staff Schools Established By Federal Government Institutions’, for immediate conveyance to all Federal Government decisions on funding of staff School.”

He said funding the salaries and allowances of staff of such schools from the federal government budget is putting a lot of strain on the wage bill of the government.

“Such schools were established as private enterprises and should therefore be funded by the institutions that established them without transferring the burden of our wage bill to the federal government”.
The commission therefore directed the union to direct their enquiries to the National salaries, income and Wages commission.

The commission also accused the union of having full details on the matter at their disposal and have chosen to conveniently ignore the substantive issues or seek clarification from the relevant government agencies, but have rather resorted to a campaign of calumny against the NUC and its leadership.