The President of the Academic Union of Universities ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, has said that the federal government should have used the $23 million Abacha loot to meet the demands of the striking lecturers.
ASUU has been on strike since February 14 this year. The striking lecturers are seeking improved welfare, revitalization of public universities, and academic autonomy among other demands. One bone of contention for the lecturers is the non-payment of university revitalization funds, which amounts to about N1.1 trillion. The Federal Government has however said it doesn’t have the money to pay such an amount, citing low oil prices during the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
In an interview with Channels TV, Osodeke opined that if the Federal government was sincere, it would have used the $23 million Abacha loot the US government recently returned, to meet the demands of the striking lecturers.
”Let us take a typical man. You have a house and your child is seriously sick and you were paid money that you were not expecting, where would you put the money? That child will be the first thing you will treat. Is it not? Before you start thinking of how you are going to buy clothes.
Your universities have been shut for six months. You said no funds. Now a fund you were not expecting came. Where should you if you really love education put the money? But you are seeing how the country is going. And you say you don’t have money.” he said
Reconsider your position on indefinite strike – FG tells ASUU
The Federal Government has asked the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to reconsider its position on industrial strike.
In a statement issued on Tuesday August 30, the federal government which reiterated that it has done so much for the education sector, especially universities, stated that it wouldn’t be out of place for major stakeholders in governance, like the members of the National Assembly, to leverage on what the government has done so far to see if the striking lecturers can go back to the classrooms.
Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah who said this in a presentation to the Senate Committee (Tertiary Institutions and TETfund) during an oversight visit to the Federal Ministry of Education on Tuesday August 30, in Abuja, insisted that the federal government has done the necessary things for ASUU to resume classes.
Opiah, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media/Public Affairs, Kelechi Mejuobi, said contrary to the wrong impression being held about the position of the federal government, all demands of ASUU have been met.
He also said the federal government only came up with a standard principle of “no work, no pay” which he said was a universal policy the university teachers are expected to imbibe and let go.
The statement added;
“Government has yielded to all the demands of ASUU. The only thing is that government doesn’t support anyone who doesn’t work but wants pay”
Opiah, who represented the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu also said that TETfund has done more than expected by throwing in trillions of naira into the system, more than what ASUU requested for the infrastructural development of universities in the country, adding that issues related to their welfare have also been settled.
Insisting that a stakeholders’ dialogue on education can’t be ruled out from having a perfect system in the sector, the Minister stated that the involvement of other stakeholders will vindicate the position of government in the matter.
The Nation reported that the Minister solicited the support of the Senate on Tertiary Institutions and TETfund for financial support to the new institutions of higher learning created by the federal government towards the end of the 2021, as bail-out request had been made to the minister of finance, budget and national planning for support to the institutions.
FG summons Council Chairmen and VCs to crucial meeting
The Federal Government has summoned Pro-chancellors, Chairmen of Governing Councils and Vice-chancellors to a crucial meeting next week after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) declared an indefinite strike.
The invitation circular said the crucial meeting is with the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu.
The circular addressed to Federal University council chairmen and vice chancellors is dated August 26th and signed by the Deputy Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Maiyaki.
The circular titled: Industrial action by university-based unions: Invitation to a special interactive meeting with the minister of education, also copied the Minister of State for Education, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education and the Executive Secretary of NUC.
The circular further stated that the special meeting will hold on Tuesday, September 6th, at NUC Auditorium.
The letter reads in part: “As the Pro-Chancellors and Chairmen of Councils and the Vice-Chancellors are quite aware, the industrial action by University-based Unions has led to the closure of the institutions since February 2022.
“You are also aware that the non-teaching Unions have suspended their industrial actions with effect from August 24, 2022, while a final decision is being awaited from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
“It has become necessary for the Governing Councils and the Managements of the Universities to be briefed on the decisions and actions taken by the Federal Government so far, to allow for a well-coordinated review of the situation, including building consensus around succeeding actions.
“Consequently, I am to invite the Pro-Chancellors & Chairmen of Councils as well as Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities to a special interactive meeting with the Honourable Minister of Education (HME).”
