Emmanuel Osodeke, president of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities, says the Muhammadu Buhari regime can meet the union’s demand
without borrowing.
“Who is asking them (Federal Government) to borrow? They
have the money,” Mr Osodeke said per a Punch report. “If they can release
N400bn for trader money, did they borrow that? Is trader money more important
than universities being closed?”
Continuing, the lecturers union boss asked, “If they
dedicate N200bn for feeding of children in school, which we don’t see; if they
can be thinking of plea bargain with somebody who stole N80bn, they should let
Nigerians know that they are not interested in education rather than giving
flimsy excuses.”
Mr Osodeke’s statement comes days after Ebonyi State governor David Umahi said the Buhari regime cannot borrow to meet “unreasonable” ASUU demands because university education is not for every Nigerian.
The union president, however, said he will not respond to Mr
Umahi’s statement because he is not a federal government spokesman.
Last week, Minister of State for Labour and Employment,
Festus Keyamo, said parents should beg ASUU to call off strike as their demands
cannot be met.
He claims the government would need over N1 trillion naira
to fulfil ASUU demands, saying the government could not afford it.
Public universities across Nigeria have been shut down since
February 14 due to unresolved impasse between the federal government and ASUU.
The union is demanding the implementation of a 2009
agreement which stipulated a better working condition for university lecturers,
among other demands.
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Governor David umahi labelled asuu demand as "unreasonable " because he has no value for education, he should ask himself if educational system was like this in his days as a student. Why can't he use this opportunity now he's in office as the executive governor and correct the wrongs instead of siding this guys that has no value for the future of Nigeria youth and educational system.
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