We can't meet ASUU's N92bn demand - FG

The Federal Government on Tuesday said it did not have the resources to meet the N92bn financial demand by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, at the opening of a two-day meeting of Commissioners of Finance and Accountants-General of states, said the N92bn being demanded by the university lecturers was not within the reach of the Federal Government.

She said, "At present, ASUU wants the Federal Government to pay N92bn in extra allowances, when the resources are not there, and when we are working to integrate past increases in pensions. We need to make choices in this country as we are getting to the stage where recurrent expenditures take the bulk of our resources and people get paid but can do no work.

"Since I assumed office, the share of recurrent expenditure in our total budgets had increased astronomically. In fact, recurrent expenditure accounted for about 77.2 per cent of the federal budget and we are now working to re-balance this ratio."

The minister added, "The country is still suffering from the effect of the 2010 increase in salary. Do we want to get to a stage in this country that all the money we earn is used to pay salaries and allowances?"

The theme of the meeting is 'Restructuring Nigeria's Finances.'

She said, "If the demands of the university lecturers are met and we continue to pay them salaries and allowances, we will not be able to provide infrastructure in the universities."

The minister also lamented that Nigeria's over-dependence on oil had resulted in deterioration of the nation's non-oil tax.

She said that non-oil taxes accounted for 74 per cent of Nigeria's Government revenues in 1970 but by 2012, it had declined to only 30 per cent.

She said many states and local governments were also dependent on monthly revenue allocation from the central government. "On the average only 11 percent of sub-national revenue was obtained from internally-generated sources," she added.

Meanwhile, the negotiation between the Federal Government and striking members of the ASUU ended in a deadlock as both parties rescheduled the meeting to Monday next week.

The Chief Mediator on behalf of Federal Government and Governor of Benue State, Dr. Gabriel Suswam, who spoke with journalists on Tuesday after a marathon meeting, said "tremendous progress" has been made in the negotiations, particularly on the NEEDs Assessment and Earned Allowance issues raised by ASUU.

Suswam, who also serves as chairman of the Universities Needs Assessment Committee, expressed optimism that the issues would soon be resolved going by the progress made so far.

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  1. When d federal government can't develop industries nor creat an enabling environmrnt where private investors could set up such, it has to continue to the point of spending 100% of its revenue on salary payments. All I know is that education sector must not suffer any futher.

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  2. I di not bother reading through the article so my comment is based on the headline: The FG says it cannot meet up with the N92bn needs; However, if it were money to build a 'First Lady's Office', to build a vice presidents guest house, to share amongst the politicians, to buy one irrelevant thing or the other, the FG will be able to meet up. We need a revolution in this country to sweep off this political elite, we should go after the children of these politicians and their fathers/mothers, we should fight to ban the study abroad of any child to a public servant or politicians. That is ONLY when the various governments in this country will be ready to fund education. Most of these sitting politicians had free, qualitative education in this country via through a functional educational system that was in place, but see what they have turned the education system to. The minister of state for education is busy going to create problem in his Rivers State, yet he has no answer to the problems in the education sector - yet GEJ is watching!!!

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  3. University lecturers are the most unproductive set of Nigerian workers. The sector needs to be re-adjusted to make it result oriented. We have lectures who only read out historical facts on courses they are supposed to research on. Why are we still consumption oriented when we are supposed to be producing most of the goods we consume? Lecturers only recycle handouts. Let them make open how much they are beign paid. I put in an active 40 hours per week on my job, but I receive less than a level 1 lecturer without complaining. They should please go back to classroom. Have they ever sat down with the finance ministry to do a reappraisal of our income and expenditure to know how to place their demands? They should know that many graduates are ready to take up those duties they consider not important. Most times they are political tools for opposition.

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  4. " She said many states and local governments were also dependent on monthly revenue allocation from the central government. "On the average only 11 percent of sub-national revenue was obtained from internally-generated sources," she added." do the money belong to federal govt or to Nigerian. We better mind the way we talk. No wonder the state always insist that they normally beg the federal govt before they receive these money. I think this finance minister is a first class product with all her experience.

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  5. Yanny, I also did not read the article just like you. Your comment shows that you have been up to date with all the rubbish happening in this country. Our Primary and Secondary Schools system have been destroyed over the years, thus creating avenues for charlatans to thrive in our educational sector. Private Tertiary institutions are now pouring in and our foolish government are aiding them by killing our tertiary institutions which in the nearest future will be like the Pry/Sec. schools. Oh! What a country! What a shame! GEJ, will continue with the destruction other Presidents did, that is for SURE! (According to his SURE-P).

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  6. How many children of all these corrupt and greedy politicians looting Nigerian's oil money are in public universities? Alternatively, how many children of Dr. Ngozi and her likes are in any of these public universities? None!. They can not use such amount to develop public and national universities but they can loot such. So what else do we expect from them? Total careless attitude. They are selfishly investing in private universities and this has astronomically increased their number in the country thus left public tertiary institution in neglect. If ASUU refuse to checkmate this now, time will come when our public universities will be branded and treated like public secondary school consequently privatized and sold to same corrupt and greedy politicians in the name of business. So how many of our poor masses can or will be able to afford such school when they bearly afford public universities? Come to think of it, the product of all these private universities are often questionable, unproductive, unqualitative and unresultful while their certificates is defenceless and lacks credibility.. Something has to be done now!

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  7. It is so sad that the educational sector that should have the most attention by the FG is inundated by strikes and instability. How can a country whose educational sector is unstable grow? How effective is Research and Development in the Higher Institutions? What is N92b as compared to the trillions of Naira the FG is spending day in, day out on irrelevant luxuries. When these people called politicians live like kings and lords with excessive wealth, and bank accounts all over the world, how do you expect Nigeria to have money to take care of its most significant needs? Cut down the salaries and allowances of politicians for crying out loud and give this money to the educational sector. Illiteracy is so high in Nigeria and moreso, most are just educated illiterates, who are victims of a poor educational system, underpinned by poor facilities and manpower. Where is the oil money going to? What a shame?

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  8. I am just sitting and waiting til when the youths will come out in one mind to occupy Nigeria by force......
    The Nigerian National assembly is the costliest in the world in terms of running and allowances of the stupid law makers who waste our resources on Gay and Child marriages bills.

    i am in total support of the idea to stop this study abroad thing by the serving public officers because believe it or not thats the reason why they don't care if the schools are shut down for months or even years.....their wards are in foreign lands enjoying uninterrupted academic supplies...so who cares??????????
    But if they come back home in the evening and meets their children seated at home because of strike they will surely do something about it because Nigeria has the money.

    Ask the useless Finance Minister or the stupid education Minister if any of their children study here in their states or federal universites?

    But they want to build first Lady;s Mission Mansion for Billions of Naira and and VP's Resident alone for whooping 14Billion Naira..what is the Minister of Finance saying, is a pity that she has succumbed to corruption, when she came in we thought that a redeemer has come but thats never the case as things has continue to degenerate, the Sure-P programm was manned by corruption in the highest order as the true targets of the program were left behind and insiders used the name of there relatives to secure almost everything.....NIGERIA is heading for the brick walls.........Government shld better answer ASSU and send the students back to school...Idiots

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  9. @yany, pls if there is a way U can help Us (the MASSES) go after these CRIMINALS (POLITICIANS) & their FAMILIES pls do. However, U shld REMEMBER that they (POLITICIANS) have their OWN DEFENSE SYSTEM("IRON DOME") in the form of the DREADFUL BOKO HARAM.
    So, starting a REVOLUTION may AFFECT ONLY the MASSES, as it is happening in EGYPT NOW. But, how can WE STOP the EXCESSES of our GREEDY, I mean VERY GREEDY POLITICIANS & TOP PUBLIC OFFICE HOLDERS? .... PRAY! PRAY 4 GOD's KINGDOM to COME as FORETOLD in GOD's WORD the BIBLE. For that is when we can have PEACE, STABILITY, JUSTICE, EQUAL RIGHT, GOOD HEALTH & PAIN........ DEATH will be no MORE. Pls go & READ the BIBLE BOOK of REVELATION from CHAPTER 21 till the last VERSE.

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  10. But some of the government officials earn more than this annually. if presido can use billions to change presidential cutlery how much more university education. Useless people at the helm of affairs in this country

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  11. @yany, pls if there is a way U can help Us (the MASSES) go after these CRIMINALS (POLITICIANS) & their FAMILIES pls do. However, U shld REMEMBER that they (POLITICIANS) have their OWN DEFENSE SYSTEM("IRON DOME") in the form of the DREADFUL BOKO HARAM.
    So, starting a REVOLUTION may AFFECT ONLY the MASSES, as it is happening in EGYPT NOW. But, how can WE STOP the EXCESSES of our GREEDY, I mean VERY GREEDY POLITICIANS & TOP PUBLIC OFFICE HOLDERS? .... PRAY! PRAY 4 GOD's KINGDOM to COME as FORETOLD in GOD's WORD the BIBLE. For that is when we can have PEACE, STABILITY, JUSTICE, EQUAL RIGHT, GOOD HEALTH & PAIN........ DEATH will be no MORE. Pls go & READ the BIBLE BOOK of REVELATION from CHAPTER 21 till the last VERSE.

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  12. So many stories,so many words,nothing is done why waste time talking,all I know that the man GEJ is a cow,Ngozi is an Ugly demon,so is the rest of them,let them continue ride this country they way they like am coming for them,cause am going to lead a coup that will be recorded as the world bloodist coup ever in the history of mankind,so my fellow Nigerians relax urself,the D day is coming for all of them....God bless Nigeria

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  13. How can an unpaid lecturer do research?

    As lecturers are unpaid, they may not be provided with the teaching and research resources.

    If salaries and allowances of staffs continue to accumulate over a period of time it could reach trillion and more.

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  14. What a nation that can make provision for Federal Executives, Ligislatures bokoharam and their pockets failed to make provisions and invest into their children's future. Oh! Your children are not in Nigeria then let someone tell how can Govt meet up the needs of general populace?

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  15. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

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  16. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm naija

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  17. It is a pity bcos the govt of Okonja can spend money on frivolities but not on education. I wonder how truthful is her statement that the lecturers need such money for their allowances only!.
    Can somebody tell me how much has GEJ and his entourage has spent on fruitless visits to "oversea" countries since the beginning of the year, what about unelected Dame, Okonjo, other ministers,govs, senators, House of rep members etc. Yet nothing to show for all these fraudulent and jamboree trips.
    What do you expect when former presidents, VPs, serving senators, governors etc now have private universities. of course they need students and staff, and they can get them by killing the public universities by staffing the lecturers and hence they have to look for PP in their mushroom private universities. I only pity NUC accreditation which of recent has become carry and carry cum man know man especially for private universities. We now have private universities using psuedo staff from public universities getting full accreditation in all their courses. Univ lecturers teaching in about five to ten schools mostly bcos of money not for efficiency. It is even sad when one kows that most of these "stealers” sorry leaders enjoyed qualitative education in their days by school abroad with full scholarship, good laboratories, sound teachers, conducive accommodation and lecture hall etc. But unfortunately,they are now killing the system by removing the ladder on getting to the top. God is watching o o o o.

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  18. Gents, I for one would have forgiven any other minister in this clueless govt except for our honourable minster of Finance madam okonjo iweala, I will advice her to recall back her 3 Son's from HAVARD University and register them in Nassarawa University to see the other face of life and what Nigeria under graduate are facing. Her contribution to this strike issue is callous and shrewd

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