‘Only 8% of approved budget accessible’ — NASENI laments ‘poor’ funding

The joint action congress of staff unions in the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has called for improved funding of the agency.

At a briefing in Abuja on Monday, the coalition comprising the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and Technical Staff Association of NASENI (TSAN) asked the federal government to release funds approved for the agency by the national assembly.

The unions alleged that the agency has only been able to access eight percent of its approved budgetary allocation.

They also urged the government to expedite action on the new wage structure for NASENI workers.

Oluwaseyi Ogungbenro, TSAN president, who spoke on behalf of the associations, said NASENI plays a crucial role in the country’s development.

“It may interest you to note that till now NASENI has only been able to access 8% of the funds approved by national assembly and signed by the president,” he said.

“If NASENI has been able to do so much in one year with 8%, one can only imagine what NASENI will achieve if granted access to 100% of its approved funding.

“We therefore graciously and firmly appeal to relevant authorities: the Honorable minister of finance budget and national planning, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigerian Governors Forum and National Economic Council to ensure the release of the remaining funds without further delay because NASENI remains the economical and technological solution for myriad of problems confronting this great nation.

“The advanced nations of the world are where they are today in their military might and competitive economy mainly because of the robust spending on science and technology. This we cannot shy away from if we must surmount our problems and grow our economy.”

The unions also declared their support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to extend the tenure of Muhammad Haruna, NASENI chief executive officer, by two years.