Tax reform bill: ASUU wants TETFUND retained

The Yola zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) comprising of Madibbo Adama university Yola (MAU), Adamawa state University Mubi ( ADSU), Taraba state University Jalingo (TSU), University of Maiduguri (Unimaid), Federal University Gashua (FUGA) and Yobe State University Damaturu (YSU) has kicked against the scrapping of TETFUND and reduction of its shares as contained in the proposed tax reform bill before the National Assembly. 

Speaking at a press conference in Yola on Friday, the zonal chairman of ASUU, Dr. Dani Mamman, frowned at the dismantling of the critical funding mechanism of TETFUND which seek to allocates only 50% of the development levy to TETFUND from 2005-2006  with the remaining half diverted to NITDA, NASENI  and NELFUND. 

“The Nigeria tax bill 2024,however, seeks to systematically dismantled TETFUND.it proposes gradual reduction in TETFUND allocations from the development levy, culminating in a complete cessation of funding from 2030 onwards which will effectively cripple TETFUND ability to support critical areas such as staff development, research and infrastructural development.This is unacceptable and will spell doom and disaster to tertiary Education sector in particular and Nigeria Education system as a whole,” he said.

According to him, the bills if allowed to be passed into law, have dire consequences for the education sector because it will inevitably return Nigeria to the dark ages of under-funding and crumbling Universities characterised by decline in academic standard, brain drain, stifled research and increased social unrest. 

Mamman further called on National Assembly members, stakeholders, parents, students, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations and the general public unite against the bill which they said is detrimental to the country educational sector. 

He further noted that, ASUU as critical stakeholders who played a pivotal role in establishing the Education tax fund Act in 1993, a landmark achievement that stemmed from dire state of education in the late 1980s will not fold their hands and allow those in government to cripple the country’s education sector.