VAM News Update

THE Federal Government has said it is considering the reintroduction of the Policy of University Full Autonomy to promote progress and minimise external impediments.

President Bola Tinubu noted this saying that the decision is consistent with the government’s belief that university autonomy allows institutions to develop at their own pace.

Tinubu who spoke through the Minister of Niger Delta Development, Engineer Abubakar Momoh, during the University of Benin’s 48th convocation, expressed confidence in the proposed strategy.

He said, “University autonomy will no doubt, transfer the responsibility of performance directly to the individual institutions rather than the current state of uncertainties,” he said.

In his speech, the President highlighted university employees’ concerns about unpaid salaries.

“Government is not unmindful of the concerns arising from months of unpaid salaries of all categories of university staff, in particular, members of the teaching staff unions, as a fall out of the eight months industrial action,” Tinubu confessed.

He noted that a four-month salary payment for all university workers was announced to alleviate the situation.

Tinubu explained, “This waiver was considered necessary and does not in any way obviate the ‘No Work, No Pay” policy of the government.”