Hopes of quick resolution
of the present face-off
between the Federal
Government and the
Academic Staff Union of
Universities were dashed
on Tuesday as the Minister
of Finance, Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala, said the
government has no
resources to meet the
union demands.
Foreclosing possible truce
to the five-week old
industrial action that has
paralysed academic
activities in the nation’s
ivory towers, Okonjo-
Iwela said the striking
university lecturers were
asking for N92 billion in
extra allowances,
maintaining that
government lack means of
picking the bill.
Speaking in Minna at the
annual National Council on
Finance and Economic
Development meeting, the
minister said that ASUU
demand was coming at a
time government was
making efforts at reducing
the structure of public
expenditures.
The theme of the meeting
is: “Restructuring Nigeria’s
Finances.”She said, “At
present ASUU wants the
government to pay N92
billion in extra allowances
when 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.”
She declared that 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 argued that
when she assumed office
“the share of recurrent
expenditure in our total
budgets had increased
astronomically.
“In fact recurrent
expenditures accounted
for about 77.2 per cent of
the federal budget and we
are now working to re-
balance this ratio,” the
minister added.

Arrant nonsense! U can't pay lecturers who do brainwork but almost-useless politicians can share millions to themselves abi! If I were ASUU, until all d demands are met to d last, strike continues. Useless politictians. Mtcheeeeeeeew!

Nigerian Students are in for something serious then...The FG can't pay lecturers that amount but the Senators,Governors,House members etc can easily share that amount sharply.. I pity this Nation shaa

Oko_AGB: Arrant nonsense! U can't pay lecturers who do brainwork but almost-useless politicians can share millions to themselves abi! If I were ASUU, until all d demands are met to d last, strike continues. Useless politictians. Mtcheeeeeeeew!

read with understanding,Ur selfish ASUU is demanding for extra allowances of 92 billion apart from their salaries.this is not d money for infrastructural development my the are asking for.i think at this point ASUU is getting it wrong more over govt must not meet all there demand at once at list 80% is gud and they can still b fight why we are in skul.we are going to protest against ASUU if u ppl dont want to b reasonabel

Please can anyone in the house help me with the full report of the agreement ASUU entered with the Federal Government in 2009? I need to read that agreement thoroughly..A handsome reward awaits you.

how much do senators earn per month again?

naija need dose that wil sacrifice their life bt no, we only have dose who knw hw to curse n abuse their father frm d comfort of thier room. These ASUU need serious beating frm d students they're punishing wit their selfishness, they also dont hv their wards in any of d public schls.

Selfish ASUU! 92Billion naira for extra allowance? Can you imagine that? Not even for infrastructures but personal gains! Let GEJ ignore those idiots, let them continue with the strike. When they get tired, they would make sensible requests! Idiots

If every Civil Servant demand additional N92 Billion,where wll Govt have resources to provide infratracture?Egg Heads that are still using 1980 lecture notes in 2013.

I know lecturers salaries were reviewed during OBJs era so Madam Ngozi knows what she's talking about. 77% of budget on recurrent expenditure is not sustainable if we want development. The question is shouldn't other public servants make their own sacrifices so that the majority of our people can benefit from improved infrastructure all over?

Those who know should compare the lecturers salary scale to the salary package of our legislators and other political appointees. That may explain why there is agitation but I think they should go back to work and allow our students to be positively busy. Time for new methods.

No resources to meet the union demands, but resources are available to satisfy the greed and maintain the outrageous lifestyle of the ruling class.