The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has said that the union had not received the sum of N163 billion from the Federal Government.
The money was part of efforts to make the striking university teachers suspend their three-month old strike.
In a statement it entitled, ‘Re: N163 billion Released to ASUU: Putting the Record Straight’, which was signed by Dr. Ade Adejumo, the Ibadan Zonal Coordinator on Sunday, the union asked the government to concentrate on finding a quick resolution to the impasse rather than dissipate energy on fake news and cheap propaganda aimed at tarnishing the image of the union.
ASUU said the Federal Government was becoming mischievous in misinforming the public when it knew that ASUU was a patriotic union of intellectuals which only fights for better education while university administration and governing council received the funds.
The lecturers maintained that the governing councils and managements of various universities receive and spend all the money coming to the university and not the union.
According to him, contracts and all capital projects are awarded by the councils that are appointed by the Federal Government and not ASUU.
ASUU asked vice chancellors and councils to stop behaving like vultures and come out and openly put the record straight each time government comes out with deliberate falsehood that money had been released to ASUU.
The statement added, “Once again, the attention of our union has been drawn to another piece of misinformation which gives the impression that ASUU collects money from government.
“For umpteenth time, let it be known that our union is a patriotic organisation whose activities are driven by principled conviction that the resources of the country can better be managed for the ultimate benefit of the Nigerian society, especially the education sector which is our immediate constituency.
