FG Must Fund Public Universities According to Constitution- Prof. Osodeke

President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, has said the Federal Government cannot completely stop funding universities.

Speaking on Channels breakfast show, Sunrise Daily, yesterday thursday 14 September, Osodeke said the Constitution of Nigeria states that the Federal Government must fund public universities.

He was reacting to a report by Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, who was quoted as saying the Federal Government will come up with new ways of funding tertiary education.

Mamman said this will be done by granting full autonomy to universities to explore new sources for financing their activities. Osodeke, however, maintained that the government is bound by law to fund tertiary institutions.

“There is no way the Federal Government of Nigeria would say they would not fund public universities because it is there in the law. It is there in the Constitution. Look at Section 18 of the Constitution; it says: ‘University, primary and secondary is free,” Prof. Osodeke said.

While he remained cautious about speculating on government’s intentions, he said if the law for running universities is followed without interference from bureaucrats, there would be little to worry about in terms of funding.

He added: “The only problem is that it is not judicable. That’s the only problem. So, I said I don’t think this government, from what we have seen, is going to say, ‘we are going to hands off from university’.

“But the autonomy is here, ignited in 2003. If we follow that law and allow it to run without interference from the bureaucrats, the university system would be fine.”

Source: The Guardian