THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has alleged that, despite the provision of intervention funds for tertiary institutions, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has ceased executing projects in public universities.
According to the union, the CBN stopped undertaking any university projects in 2014, following the tenure of former CBN Governor, now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who served as CBN governor from June 2009 to February 2014.
ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, made this disclosure during an interview yesterday.
Osodeke explained, “Several organizations, including the CBN and NNPC, have funds set aside for community development. It wasn’t until Sanusi’s tenure as CBN governor that we realized the CBN’s reserve could be utilized for university projects.”
He added that during Sanusi’s four-year tenure, significant projects were carried out at federal universities across the country.
“The largest building at my university was funded by the CBN during Sanusi’s time. You can find similar projects in places like the University of Abuja and Jos. However, after his removal, no CBN-related projects have been initiated in universities.”
Osodeke emphasized that if Sanusi’s successors, such as Godwin Emefiele and Olayemi Cardoso, had followed his approach, Nigeria’s public universities would not be facing an infrastructure deficit today.
He questioned why the current CBN leadership has not continued these efforts, despite the availability of funds under the bank’s Community Social Responsibility program.
“How did Sanusi manage to fund projects in nearly every federal and state university in four years, yet Emefiele and his successors have done nothing? Cardoso has been in office for a year now, but has he initiated any university projects?” he asked.
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