Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala - Federal Government cannot meet the demands of ASUU

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, that the Federal Government cannot meet the demands of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been described as embarrassing and dangerous to the future of education in Nigeria.

This is even as Nigerians have been urged to prevail on the Federal Government to honour the agreement it freely entered into with the union in 2009 for the betterment of the education sector in the country.

This was stated on Thursday by members of the Bauchi zone of the union, comprising eight universities in the North-East zone and Plateau State, while addressing a press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Bauchi, adding that the statement was a calculated attempt to blackmail the union.

ASUU zonal coordinator, Bauchi, Dr Usman M Abubakar, stated that the union in the zone “is dismayed at the uncoordinated and  highly embarrassing statements credited  to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala that ‘the Federal Government cannot meet the demands of ASUU,’ which according to the minister is N92 billion

ASUU faults Okonjo-Iweala’s ‘no-money’ position

Academic Staff Union of Universities, Bauchi Zone, has described as unfortunate the statement credited to the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, that the amount needed to settle the entitlements of university lecturers was outrageous and could not be met by the government.

The union said the insinuation that the Federal Government could not meet the demands of ASUU was not only embarrassing, but also dangerous to the future of education in Nigeria.

The ASUU  Zonal Coordinator in Bauchi, Dr. Usman Abubakar, told journalists at a briefing in Bauchi on Thursday that the union was dismayed at the statement as it did not sound reconciliatory, which is what every stakeholder in the education sector need at this time.

The ASUU Bauchi zone comprised of eight Universities in the North-East zone, including Plateau State.

Abubakar said, “ASUU Bauchi zone is dismayed at the uncoordinated and highly embarrassing statements credited to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala that the Federal Government cannot meet the demands of ASUU which according to the Minister isN92 billion

“The Union views these pronouncements as a deliberate and calculated attempt to cheaply blackmail it and confuse the Nigerian public by a deliberate attempt to reduce the noble and patriotic cause that ASUU is struggling for to mere payment of allowances, allowances that are actually a debt on the Federal Government for the past four years and which are payable to all University staff.

“It has therefore become necessary for us to put the records straight and to educate the public on the implication of the minister’s pronouncements on the future of education in Nigeria.”

Abubakar said that contrary to the minister’s assertion that ASUU was demanding for N92b, the amount was a debt the governing owed both academic and non-academic staff of federal government-owned institution over a period of four years.

Meanwhile, members of the Ondo State branch of the University of Lagos Alumni Association on Thursday pleaded with the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities to resolve the current industrial action embarked upon by the lecturers in the interest of the students.

The ex-students noted that an early resolution of the strike in the ivory towers would save the students from indulging in negative acts.

Vice-Chairman of the association, Mr. Ola Akinmoladun, stated this at a news conference he addressed on behalf of his colleagues on the inauguration of the pioneer executive of the state branch of the Alumni Association slated for today (Friday).

Akinmoladun, who said the event would hold at the Owena Motel, Akure, added that there would also be a fund-raising of N1bn for the alumni secretariat.

Source: Punch