President Bola Tinubu has announced the cancellation of the automatic deduction of 40% from the internally generated revenues of federal universities, stating that the policy implementation is ill-timed.
Tinubu made this known on Friday at an ongoing 75th Founder’s Day ceremony of the University of Ibadan (UI) in Ibadan.
Representing President Tinubu, Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, pledged commitment to education sector reform for national development
In his speech as a Visitor to the university, Tinubu pledged his commitment to the reform of the nation’s education sector as the bedrock for national development.
He said: “The 40 per cent IGR automatic deduction policy stands cancelled. This is not the best time for such a policy since our universities are struggling.”
The cancellation was confirmed by the Lagos Zonal Coordinator of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Adelaja Odukoya, and Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’adu Abubakar, who had earlier condemned the policy.
The policy, set to commence in November, mandated a 40% automatic deduction from universities’ internally generated revenues via the Treasury Single Accounts (TSA).
Recall that a leaked memo addressed to the heads of the universities by the Nigerian government noted that from November, universities will have 40 per cent of revenues generated internally and deposited in their accounts will be deducted automatically by the government via the Treasury Single Accounts (TSA).
A copy of the memo addressed to the Office of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja by the Revenue and Investment Department of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation in the Federal Ministry of Finance, notified the institution of automatic deduction of 40 per cent of its IGR by the government.
Dated October 17 with reference R&I/2045/T/252, and signed by the Director of Revenue and Investment Department, Felix Ogundairo, the letter disclosed that the decision, which affects all partially funded government agencies and parastatals including universities, is in line with the provisions of Section 62 of Finance Act 2020.
