The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the Federal government’s newly launched N10 million interest-free loan scheme for staff of tertiary institutions, describing it as a ploy to distract from unresolved issues affecting its members.
The Federal government, on Thursday last week, unveiled the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund, a zero-interest loan programme for academic and non-academic staff of federal universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and selected state-owned institutions.
In a communiqué issued after its National Executive Council meeting at Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, on Tuesday, ASUU faulted its inclusion in the scheme, insisting that it was never consulted.
Signed by its president, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, the union said what its members needed was not loans but the release of their withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries and the conclusion of negotiations on welfare and conditions