The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) rose from its crucial National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja and demanded for an upward review of budgetary allocation to the education sector.
The union also expressed sadness over the Federal Government’s decision to unilaterally adjourn and thereby stall the work of the National Minimum Wage Committee, saying that the work of the committee has been seriously hampered by the failure of Federal Government to come up with its own figure.
Addressing the meeting. President of NASU, Comrade Chris Ani, said the federal and state governments have not accorded the funding of education the priority it deserves; describing this as very unfortunate.
The NASU president said: “The budgetary allocation to education at the federal level is a far cry from the UNESCO recommended 26% of annual budget or 18% of a nation’s GDP.
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“Our findings show that budgetary allocation to the education sector at the federal level has been on the decline in the last couple of years. For example, in 2004, 12% of the budget was allocated to education, while in 2015, 11%, in 2016, 8%, in 2017, 6%, and in 2016, 7%. From the above, it is clear that there is need for the government to do a rethink and review upwardly, budgetary allocation to the education sector.
“This is important because infrastructures in our various tertiary educational institutions have collapsed considerably. The problem of brain drain, lack of adequate incentives and motivation for workers, as well as students’ unrest, which are some of the challenges in the sector, are all associated with lack of adequate funding. We therefore call on federal and state governments to fund their tertiary institutions.”
Also addressing the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of NASU held at NAF Centre, Abuja on Thursday, the President of NASU, on the issue of national minimum wage and the seven-day warning strike declared by the organized Labour, Comrade Ani said the union was shocked that almost one year after President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the Ama Pepple led National Minimum Wage Committee, nothing concrete has come out of that committee.
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