The newly appointed Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Sonny Echono, yesterday described the working conditions of university lecturers as challenging.
He spoke in Abuja yesterday when he took over the running of the agency from Sulieman Bogoro.
“Yes, we agree that the conditions they (university lecturers) work are challenging. We will address it, but government is currently constrained,” Echono said.
EFCC grants Obiano bail, nabs officer behind his detention video
Defection: 20 C/River lawmakers sacked, Umahi’s stay of execution struck out
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had embarked on a one-month warning strike on February 14 and later extended by two months over alleged failure of the Federal Government to meet their demands.
Echono, however, appealed to ASUU to create opportunities for the government to address the issues in phases.
He said the nation’s education system required massive investment to prepare the citizens for global competitiveness.
He assured of the agency’s commitment to research and development.
“We’ll initiate critical consultation with stakeholders especially the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Non-academic staff and other unions including the Committee of Vice-Chancellors, NAAT, SSANU and others to get feedback from them to know how better to use judiciously the resources committed into the hands of TETFund,” he said.
