. The consequences very dire, future of public education in Nigeria hangs in the balance.
EMMANUEL AWARI ,Jalingo
The Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU Yola Zonal office has called on the public to vehemently oppose the 2024 New Tax Bill, describing it as betrayal of public education.
The Zonal Coordinator, Yola Zone, Comrade Dani Mamman, made the call while briefing Journalists in Yola, Adamawa State Capital.
“The Yola Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), comprising Adamawa State University (ADSU) Mubi, Modibbo Adama University (MAU) Yola, Federal University Gashua (FUGA), Taraba State University (TSU) Jalingo, University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), and Yobe State University (YSU) Damaturu, strongly condemns the provisions of the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024 (NTB 2024), particularly Section 59(3), which poses a grave threat to the very existence of public tertiary education in Nigeria.
“This Bill represents a deliberate and calculated attempt to dismantle the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), a crucial lifeline for Nigeria’s Public Universities.
“Historical Context: The Role of ASUU in Establishing Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Ill-Conceived Nigeria Tax Bill 2024 (NTB 2024).
He said that the Academic Staff Union of Universities played a pivotal role in establishing the Education Tax Fund Act in 1993, a landmark achievement that stemmed from the dire state of education in the late 1980s.
“This Act provided a crucial lifeline for public education at all levels. While the 2011 amendment refocused TETFund on public tertiary institutions, the challenges facing Nigeria’s public universities remain severe.
According to him, the proposed controversial NTB 2024 seeks to dismantle this critical
funding mechanism.
“Allocating only 50% of the Development Levy to TETFund from
2025 to 2026, with the remaining half diverted to NITDA,
NISENI, and NELFUND. Further reducing TETFund’s share to 66⅔% from 2027 to 2029
and 0% by 2030, effectively ending TETFund’s intervention
mandate.
“Replacing TETFund’s vital role with NELFUND such that by year
2030 and beyond, TETFund will receive ZERO allocation from the Development Levy, an ill-conceived and unjustifiable move that will cripple public tertiary education.
“The Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, however, seeks to systematically dismantle TETFund.
“It proposes a gradual reduction in TETFund’s allocation from the Development Levy, culminating in a complete cessation of funding from 2030 onwards. This move will effectively cripple TETFund’s ability to support critical areas such as staff development, research, and infrastructural development.
“The consequences of this policy are dire. It will inevitably lead to a return to the dark ages of underfunded and crumbling universities, characterized by a decline in academic standards, brain drain, stifled research, and increased social unrest.
“The Union strongly disagrees to the provisions of the NTB 2024, which pose a grave threat to the continued existence and effectiveness of TETFund.
Comrade Dani Mamman pointed out that provisions demonstrate a fundamental disregard for the critical role TETFund plays in sustaining the quality of public higher education in Nigeria.
“The following key objections highlight the serious concerns raised by ASUU:
1. Diversion of Education Tax: Redirecting funds meant for TETFund to
other agencies contradicts the TETFund Act 2011 and a gross misallocation of resources.
2. Zero Allocation Post-2030: Expecting TETFund to self-finance while
exempting NELFUND and NITDA from the same requirement is
inequitable and indefensible.
3. Replacement of TETFund by NELFUND: This move is unethical, unjust, and a betrayal of the national interest.
4. Crisis Resurgence: The cessation of TETFund’s interventions will
rekindle industrial disputes, weaken human capital development, and
exacerbate infrastructural decay.
5. Erosion of Progress: While other nations like Malaysia and Ghana
have expressed keen interest in adapting the Nigerian TETFund model
for their own educational systems, the FGN is inexplicably moving to
dismantle this vital program instead of strengthening its operations and ensuring its long-term sustainability.
The Union’s Call to Action
“We strongly urge the National Assembly, the government, and all stakeholders, parents, students, civil society organizations, traditional rulers, religious bodies and the general public to vehemently oppose this detrimental legislation.
“The future of public tertiary education in Nigeria hangs in the balance. We must stand united to protect TETFund and ensure that our universities can continue to serve as beacons of knowledge and innovation – he said.
For a better society
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