The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics has called for the exclusion of tertiary institutions from the 40 percent deduction on Internally Generated Revenue of Federal Government-owned enterprises.
The President of ASUP, Shammah Kpanja, made the appeal of the lecturers known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
Recall that on October 17, 2023, the Accountant-General of the Federation said the Federal Government would begin the implementation of 40 percent automatic deduction of IGR with effect from November 2023.
It would also be recalled that President Bola Tinubu, through the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, at the 75th Founder’s Day ceremony of the University of Ibadan, suspended the policy for higher institutions.
The policy implementation was described as “ill-timed” since the universities were struggling.
Kpanja said the union’s attention had been drawn to the circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance on December 28, 2023, on 40 percent deduction on IGR on government owned enterprises.
He noted that the circular was similar to the one issued in October 2023.
According to Kpanja, the union is surprised and worried that the Federal Ministry of Finance is issuing yet another circular.
He said: “This effect presumably overriding the presidential directive on the issue as there no reports yet indicating that the president has lifted the suspension.
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“We are indeed worried by this unwelcome end of the year ‘gift’ by the Federal Ministry of Finance as same is a clear invitation to anarchy in these tertiary institutions.
“As a matter of fact, no polytechnic in the country can survive with this poorly thought out policy of classifying tertiary institutions as revenue generating agencies.
“We are therefore calling for the exclusion of tertiary institutions in general and polytechnics in particular from this circular.”
The union president added that the call was borne from the need to save the institutions, polytechnics in particular, from foreseen capitulation.
Kpanja said the move would also have a ripple effect and consequences on staff, students and the society at large.
He further urged the government to devise means of increasing funding to the tertiary institutions.
He said that tertiary institutions should be treated as part of the social service sectors in dire need of resuscitation and stability.
