The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), has warned the Federal Government against ‘killing’ the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) through its purported tax reform bill.
A statement signed by the union’s President, Dr Smart Olugbeko, declared that the tax reform is merely a dangerous ambush intended to undermine public tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
The union firmly rejected the elements of the proposed tax administration that seek to withdraw or restrict funding sources for TETFund.
The statement reads in part, “TETFund is a brainchild of the struggles of academic staff unions in tertiary institutions led by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
“Prior to the establishment of Tetfund, infrastructure in tertiary institutions was in a shambles and the government of Nigeria became clueless on the way forward until the Academic Staff Union came up with a brilliant idea of a Trust Fund for the education sector.
“Nigeria government has not shown serious concern for education and has willfully destroyed public institutions through its policy somersault and lack of commitment to Education.
“The aspect of the Tax reform that allowed Tetfund to be stifled of its source of Fund will gradually drag tertiary institutions into the stock market making them become capitalistic ventures for the highest bidders”.
The union further alleged that there may be a covert attempt by the elitist political class to completely dismantle public tertiary institutions to allow their capitalistic privately owned institutions to flourish, similar to how public primary and secondary schools were allowed to deteriorate.
COEASU consequently urged the Federal Government to enhance and diversify its revenue sources to support the Fund’s commendable efforts in our institutions rather than undermining TETFund through the proposed tax reform.
