ASUU kicks against creation of additional 47 universities

The University of Ibadan (UI) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has condemned the plan by the National Assembly to create an additional 47 federal universities.

Ayo Akinwole, the ASUU chairman at the University of Ibadan chapter disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 in Ibadan, Oyo State capital in an interview held as part of the events of the union’s scholarship awards to some indigent students.

The ASUU frowned over the plan by the National Assembly to establish 47 additional federal universities when the government was still struggling to fund the existing ones.

“Thinking of adding 47 more universities, we begin to wonder what the objective is. The objective cannot be noble at all.

“If it is noble, you will see the seriousness in the way the government is handling the existing ones,” Akinwole said.

Akinwole reiterate that the federal government is yet to fund, equip and maintain the quality of the existing 52 universities across the country.

He attributed the government’s nonchalant attitude to paying the salaries and allowances owed to the staff of the various federal universities to the fact that those in authority sees university education as the cheapest.

Furthermore, he labelled the removal of tertiary institutions from IPPIS as mere ‘noisemaking’, as according to him, there had been no letter to that effect to the universities.