Some stakeholders have slammed the Federal Government’s claim that it lacks the financial resources to meet the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, or ASUU.
Remember how the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, claimed that the government lacked the financial means to meet some of ASUU’s demands?
On February 14, ASUU began a one-month warning strike.
The union stated that the decision was made due to the Federal Government’s failure to implement their agreement, which covers issues such as salaries, the university revitalization fund, and the use of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) payroll software.
However, the minister emphasized that the N1.3 trillion revitalization fund was a promise made to ASUU by former President Goodluck Jonathan when the country’s finances were stable.
Dr. Edor J. Edor, the UNICAL branch’s ASUU chairman, called Ngige’s claim “a lie from the pit of hell.”
Edor told exclusively that the ASUU strike would continue until the government complied with the union’s demands.
“When it comes to education, the Federal Government is known for insincerity and unresponsiveness,” Edor says. For a government official to say in good conscience that the Federal Government had no money to address education issues as demanded by our union is a categorical lie and a lie from the pit of hell.
“It’s a lie, and even the government official is aware of it. Elections are coming up, and whatever INEC demands to conduct such elections, the Federal Government will have the funds, because it concerns them, and it is the medium and platform they will use to return to their various offices and feast on the country’s resources.
“However, when it comes to education, they begin to dither, inflate sentiments, and tell Nigerians lies about the Federal Government’s inability to meet ASUU’s demands.
“It’s a devilish lie, but we, too, will wait for them until they have enough money to meet our demands.” We will return to the classroom once they have received the funds to revitalize public institutions, improve our salaries, pay our EAA, pay our promotion arrears, implement the EUTA, and pay our withheld salaries.
“As long as they believe the lie that there is no money, we will remain on strike.”
Similarly, a UNICAL lecturer accused the Federal Government of being arrogant in its handling of the ASUU issues.
The lecturer, who requested anonymity because he lacks authority to speak on the subject, claimed that the Federal Government places no value on education.
The lecturer accused the government of ignoring the education sector and questioned why the country’s leaders would not borrow money to meet ASUU’s demands.
He also stated that the body’s strike would continue until their demands were met.
“Where there is a will, there is a way,” he said, implying that the federal government is acting and does not value education.
“If it’s the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, they’ll borrow or do anything to raise money to reinvest and distribute among the cabals.”
“However, there will be no money for education, particularly ASUU; thus, the Federal Government is ignoring education.”
“Until everything is sorted out, the only option is to continue industrial action.” In fact, the strike should be continued until all of ASUU’s issues are resolved, so that strikes do not become recurrent or yearly; it’s all for the good of the country.
“Take a look at the Russia-Ukraine issue, and you’ll see the types of weapons they’re developing as a result of research.” Consider what we would do if we were confronted with such a conflict: where would we flee? Consider the Boko Haram situation: at the time, Americans refused to sell us some weapons, and after Jonathan, where did we get those inventions? Isn’t it from the education sector?
“We need careful research and inventions, so we’ll wait and see what the government does.” INEC, see what they voted for. Is it because of the mainstreaming of earned academic allowance? The Federal Government paid the 2021 tranche in the latter part of last year, so what’s stopping them from mainstreaming it into January salaries so that it can be included in the 2022 budget?
When our correspondent contacted ASUU National President Emmanuel Osodeke, he said the union’s National Executive Committee (NEC) would meet this week to decide what to do next.
He stated, “The body will meet to decide the way forward.”
