‘Tax reforms will destroy public tertiary institutions’

The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has cautioned the Federal Government against implementing the tax reforms, saying it is aimed at phasing out the funding of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

COEASU, in a statement by its National President, Smart Olugbeko, described the tax reform as a dangerous ambush aimed at destroying public institutions.

“We strongly reject the aspects of the proposed tax administration, which aims to impede the source of funds to Tertiary Education Trust Fund. Such injury, if allowed to stand, is bound to undermine the development of public tertiary education in Nigeria,” Olugbeko said.

Olugbeko recalled that prior to the establishment of TETFund, infrastructure in tertiary institutions was in a shambles until the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) came up with the idea of a trust fund for the sector.

He lamented that successive governments in the country have not given priority attention to education over the years, and destroyed public institutions through policy somersaults.

“It is shocking to note that no Nigerian government in the last two decades or more has committed up to nine per cent of the annual budget to education despite the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) recommendation that 26 per cent of the yearly budget be dedicated to education.

“The aspect of the tax reform that allowed TETFund to be stifled of its source of funds will gradually drag institutions into the stock market making them become capitalistic ventures for the highest bidders.

“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. TETFund has been playing an indispensable and exclusively vital role in the development of tertiary institutions in Nigeria, providing funding for infrastructure, research, teaching and learning facilities as well as staff development.

“Despite the pervading corruption in the country and administrative inefficiency of many government parastatals and agencies, TETFund is one of the best-run government establishments in Nigeria with a highly innovative, resourceful, efficient management and well-dedicated staff.”

“We suspect a clandestine attempt by the elitist political class to destroy public tertiary institutions completely in order to pave way for private institutions to thrive, just the same way public and secondary schools were left to rot,paving way for private schools.

Rather than killing TETFund through tax reform, Olugbeko urged the Federal Government to strengthen and expand its revenue accrual sources to sustain the agency’s efforts.

The group subsequently called on stakeholders in the sector, including students, parents, educators, and the civil society to join in rejecting the proposal, in order to save the country’s tertiary education sub-sector.