Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has described the plot by the federal government to deduct 40% revenue of universities as an attack on the University system.
This is coming after a leaked memo addressed to the heads of the universities recently by the government noted that commencing from November, universities will have 40 per cent of revenues generated internally and deposited in their accounts will be deducted automatically by the government via the Treasury Single Accounts (TSA).
A copy of the memo addressed to the office of the vice-chancellor of the University of Abuja by the Revenue and Investment Department of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation in the Federal Ministry of Finance, notified the institution of automatic deduction of 40 per cent of its IGR by the government.
Dated 17 October with Reference R&I/2045/T/252, and signed by the Director of Revenue and Investment Department, Felix Ogundairo, the letter noted that the decision which affects all partially funded government agencies and parastatals including universities is in line with the provisions of Section 62 of Finance Act 2020.
But ASUU in a statement has condemned the decision, adding that the universities are not revenue-generating agencies.
The statement reads, “The plan by the Federal Government to automatically deduct 40 per cent from the IGR of universities in the country is an attack on the university system.
“This is what we saw when we were fighting that the government should fund universities and Nigerians think ASUU is the problem.
“Universities are not revenue-generating agencies, so the 40 per cent of the subsidised money students pay for a hostel, medicals, ID cards, lab coat, chemicals in the laboratory should still be shared with the government?
“This is an extreme, that such is happening in Nigeria.. Will the Presidency ask the NASS, NNPC, to give a return of 40 per cent?””