The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU is raising concerns over the effect of the proposed tax reforms by the Federal Government on Tertiary Education in Nigeria.
A statement by COEASU President, Smart Olugbeko warns that the tax reform is nothing but a dangerous ambush aimed at destroying public tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
The Colleges of Education lecturers rejected the aspects which aims to withdraw or impede on the source of funds to Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund.
COEASU said that aspect of the bill if passed into law was bound to undermine the development of public tertiary education in Nigeria.
The statement noted that TETFund is a brainchild of the struggles of academic staff unions in tertiary institutions led by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, noting that prior to its establishment, infrastructure in tertiary institutions were in shambles.
COEASU noted that the Nigerian government has not shown serious concern for education and has willfully destroyed public institutions through its policy somersault and lack of commitment to the sector.
It argues that it is shocking to note that no Nigerian government in the last two decades or more has committed up to 9% of the annual budget to Education despite the UNESCO recommendation that 26% of the annual budget be dedicated to education.
COEASU said except for TETFund, which has become the spine and lifeblood of public tertiary education funding, Nigerian Universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education would have gone comatose.
COEASU in the statement said “We suspect a clandestine attempt by the elitist political class to destroy public tertiary institutions completely in order to pave way for their capitalistic privately owned institutions to thrive, just the same way public secondary and primary schools were left to decay making way for private schools, which only the rich could afford”
COEASU used the statement to call on all stakeholders in education including students, parents, educators, the civil society and all people of goodwill to join in rejecting the proposed tax reform in order to save public tertiary education in Nigeria.
