Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has opposed the expansion of the scope of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to accommodate federal Colleges of Agriculture and Agricultural Research Institutions.
ASUU opposition was made known during a public hearing on the amendment of the 2011 Act of the TETFund organized by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund chaired by Senator Barau Jibrin.
President of the union, Biodun Ogunyemi said the expansion of the TETFund scope will weaken it from performing and addressing the rot in the country’s universities and polytechnics.
He said the intervention of the agency has helped in enhancing the rating of universities and polytechnics and that, " what defines education of a country is quality of tertiary institutions, it is an incubator, it is the crowning glory."
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Secretary, Dr. Abdullahi Bichi Baffa said the agency requires N2.3tr to address the rot in existing benefitting institutions.
Represented by Director of Finance, Alhaji Saidu Idris said that inclusion of colleges of Agriculture and Agriculture Research institutions would mean a drop in the world ranking of most Nigerian institutions that are already lagging behind.
He said if the amendment is approved by National Assembly, it would frustrate the government’s effort to consolidate the Fund’s intervention in the provision of infrastructure and capacity building in Nigerian tertiary education sector
