Jega: It’s not proper for universities to raise funds by selling bread and sachet water

Attahiru Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has criticised the trend where universities engage in bread and sachet water production to generate funds.

Speaking at an education summit in Abuja on Monday, Jega, who is the pro-chancellor, Plateau State University, Bokkos, said it is unhealthy for universities to be struggling to generate funds to carry out their mandates.

He advised government to re-arrange its priorities so that it can recognise the importance of education and provide commensurate funding to universities.

“Putting universities in such a dire situation where they have to be doing things like producing and selling sachet water is sad; frankly, it is not the business of universities,” he said.

“We want young unemployed youths to be involved in such entrepreneurial activities to generate income for themselves and to build businesses.

“For a university to become in dire and desperate need for money as to bake bread and produce sachet water is unwholesome and needs to be discouraged.

“Government needs to provide sufficient funding to universities.”

He added that universities were in the business of knowledge production, and should strive to produce patents or prototypes, which they could engage Nigerian industries to manufacture.

The former president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) also said there was need for the management higher institutions to have an inclusive and transparent process of managing resources.

He said for strikes to be avoided, there should be mutual respect between the federal government and the unions.

“It is important for government to bend over backwards and it is important for unions to be realistic in their demands in order to find solutions,” he said.