…As Yola branch urges Nigerians to oppose the move
Daniel Dauda, Jos and Emmanuel Awari-Jalingo
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Bauchi zone, have cautioned Federal Government to jettison any calculated attempt of replacing Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) with the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFund).
ASUU, vehemently admitted that such moves will not only undermine but also abrogate the modest gains which TETFund have been made in repositioning Nigerian universities to enable them compete with their peers globally.
The Union called on leadership of National Assembly (Senate president and the speaker House of Representatives), to halt further debate regarding Nigeria’s tax reform bill proposed by President Bola Tinubu, saying the bill portends danger to the sanctity of the TETFund Act 2011.
They charged Nigerians to rise against government anti-people policies as most Nigeria’s tertiary education cannot survive without TETFund intervention.
Professor Namu Timothy, ASUU zonal coordinator, Bauchi zone expressed concern on Thursday while speaking to newsmen at the ASUU Secretariat, permanent site, University of Jos. He acknowledged ASUU national leadership had already contacted Minister of education and Governors in respect to the burning issue, noting that “we will continue rising our voices until were been heard…..”
Professor Namu revealed the bill seeks to enact a new law and to abrogate the education tax.” The bill, if passed into law, will replace the Development Levy, a major source of funding of TETFund projects, so that all the funds generated from the education tax will be ceded to the newly established Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFund). This is dangerous and unpatriotic.”
He further stated that, section 59(3) of the proposed Nigeria Tax Bill 2024 stipulates that only 50% of total collection from the Development Levy will be accessed by TETFund in 2025 and 2026 while the remaining part will be shared by National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and NELFund.
“In 2027, 2028 and 2029, TETFund will receive 66.7% of total collection while in 2030 TETFund will get zero allocation. The far-reaching implication of this toxic bill is that by 2030 all the funds generated from the Development Levy will be accessed solely by NELFund.
“This portends danger for the survival of TETFund and, consequently, the Nigerian tertiary education system. It is noteworthy that TETFund has been the backbone of infrastructural development, postgraduate training, research and capacity building in public tertiary institutions in Nigeria since 1993”, professor Namu posted.
The Bauchi zone ASUU zonal coordinator said why they are worried is because, “taking any portion of the education tax to fund another agency not known to the TETFund Act 2011 is not only illegal but inimical to our national development objective.
“Giving zero allocation of the Development Levy to TETFund as from 2030 is tantamount to passing a death sentence on the agency. Admonishing TETFund to seek innovative ways of generating it’s funds is absurd and ill-conceived as TETFund itself is a product of innovation of the Union during the 1992 Federal Government of Nigeria, FGN/ASUU negotiation.”
.Also, 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 willeffectively cripple TETFund’s ability to support critical areas such as staff development, research, and infrastructuraldevelopment.
“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.
