ASUU strike: Suswam chairs Needs Committee

The Federal Government on Friday
inaugurated the University Needs
Implementation Committee headed by
Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue
State.
The committee is to put in place
appropriate requirements for learning
in all tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
The Secretary to the Government of
the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, said
during the inauguration of the
committee in Abuja that the major
needs of all federal universities were
identified by an assessment committee
earlier set up to "assess and prioritise
the needs of universities."
According to him, the report submitted
by the Needs Assessment Committee
mandates the inaugurated committee
"to interface with all agencies providing
funding support to the universities
with the aim of appropriately
channelling support to identified
priorities,"
The Federal Government had set up
the NAC to revitalise the physical
infrastructure in the universities, with
the aim of enhancing the Internally
Generated Revenue base of the
universities.
But the non-implementation of the
report has pitted the Academic Staff
Union of Universities, Non-Academic
Staff Union and other trade unions in
the nation's universities against the
government.
Anyim said the committee's terms of
reference included, "Simulating private
sector investment into the public
universities, monitoring progress of the
projects implementation and produce
quarterly reports for submission to the
Federal Government and, intervention
in any other matter that may be
necessary to achieve the purpose of
the Needs assessment."