•Education not govt’s only headache –Maku

By Innocent Oweh (Abuja), Harris-Okon Emmanuel
(Warri) and Tor Vande-Acka (Makurdi)


Rising from its congress at the Delta State University
(DELSU), Abraka, Benin Zone of the Academic Staff Union
of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday night vowed that the
ongoing industrial action by lecturers would not be called off
despite release of N100 billion by the Federal Government to
ease the burdens in the universities.
The union accused the Federal Government of divide and rule
by trying to buy the Committee of Pro-Chancellors and
Committee of Vice Chancellors with the recent release of
another N30 billion, saying such policy would not divide
them.
Coordinator of ASUU in the zone, Sunny Ighalo, insisted that
until government adhered strictly to the agreement earlier
reached by both parties, the lecturers will not return to the
classroom.
“The ASUU has been on a nationwide total and indefinite
strike to express its frustration over the continuing reluctance
of government to fully implement vital aspects of the 2009
FGN/ASUU agreement as captured by the MoU of January
2012.
“This struggle, which has now entered its ninth week, is
driven by the unshakable resolve of our members to stem the
continuing trend with successive governments of Nigeria, to
systematically destroy public education through neglect and
near total abandonment.
“The strike has indeed moved into a critical stage where
government is now applying the instrument of intimidation
and blackmail and other gimmicks to undermine the struggle,”
Ighalo said.
At the end of their meeting a statement was signed by
Chairman of DELSU ASUU, Emmanuel Mordi; Chairman of
UNIBEN ASUU, Anthony Moye-Emina; Chairman of AAU
ASUU, Fred Esumeh; Chairman of NDU ASUU, Beke Sese;
and Ighalo himself.
The lecturers accused government of being insensitive to the
plight of Nigerians by not meeting their demands as contained
in the MoU.
Ighalo insisted that the union was not on strike to make fresh
demands, and neither was it ready to renegotiate the existing
agreement.
Rather, “We are calling on the government to implement the
2009 ASUU/FGN agreement it willingly signed with the
union in 2009,” he added.
According to him, though N500 billion was expected from the
government based on Needs Assessment carried out and
contained in the MoU of January 2012 for revitalisation of the
universities, government claimed it distributed N100 billion
most of which were promissory notes.
He appealed to parents and students to understand
the lecturers’ position, noting that it was to help the education
system in the country which had almost collapsed.
But Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, himself on
Thursday pleaded with Nigerians to try to come to terms with
the predicament government faces in all sectors of the
economy and refrain from assessing the administration of
President Goodluck Jonathan as under-performing.
Maku, who spoke against the backdrop of the ASUU strike at
an interactive forum with journalists in Abuja, said huge
money being spent on the sustenance of peace, particularly in
the crisis-ridden North East states, was indirectly having its
toll on the resources available for educational development.
He described ASUU’s demands as mundane, saying, “The
striking lecturers’ grievances are tied around earned
allowances but they forget that government in the past two
years has never defaulted in the payment of their statutory
salaries.”
“People are quick to point accusing fingers on the Federal
Government, even when things are not working at the state
level.
“Take the issue of primary school education for instance, it is
the responsibility of states and local governments to provide
basic education for citizens in their states, not the
responsibility of the Federal Government, but we go out of
our way to intervene in the education sector, which accounts
for why Federal Government released funds for the building
of ‘almajiri’ schools in the North.
“What ASUU is clamouring for bothers on allowances, not
unpaid salaries and government has provided N30 billion for a
start, yet they are not satisfied.
“It is not only in education that we have challenges, we have
challenges in almost all the sectors, from insecurity, aviation,
agriculture, power and a host of others.
“But we appeal to Nigerians to understand our predicament as
a nation, look at what we have spent on insecurity, which is
far higher than education; we are calling on our people to give
peace a chance, as we generate more monies through tax
revenues more funds will then go into education,” he stated.
Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, also spoke on the
strike, calling on students to engage members of the ASUU in
dialogue, stressing that the lecturers have no reason being on
strike.
The Governor, who noted that the Federal Government had on
Tuesday released another N30 billion for federal universities
in the country, added that his own state university – Benue
State University (BSU) – has already received about N950
million from the N100 billion earlier released by government.
The Governor spoke when he hosted officials of the National
Union of Benue State Students (NUBESS) led by its
President, Matthew Mamwoo, at the Government House,
Makurdi, on Thursday.
He, however, told the students that his call was not to prompt
them to embark on strike but instead to “engage ASUU in
dialogue.”
Suswam lamented a situation whereby ASUU was still
insisting that government pay a total of N92 billion because
“it is not practical” after government has shown commitment
by paying N30 billion.

Seriously! ASUU should be considerate! Apparently they're fighting for their pockets at †ђξ expense of the poor innocent students! Nawao !! They should be sensitive enough to understand that †ђξ federal Government cannot meet their total demand at this point in time!

End time things for ASUU

I'm very sure multiple of what these people are asking for is in the private pocket of our various politicians who are looting us every seconds.
Let PEJ alone declares what she has stolen and the ASUU strike is over.

The strike has just begun.

Season 4 Episode 1. This is a very interesting series movie..

Na them know sef, me never ready to go back 2 school sef

mr_king: Seriously! ASUU should be considerate! Apparently they're fighting for their pockets at †ђξ expense of the poor innocent students! Nawao !! They should be sensitive enough to understand that †ђξ federal Government cannot meet their total demand at this point in time!

Mumu post

abu12:

Mumu post

Not really. ASUU went on strike for the same reason of lack of infrastructure and all that in 2009/2010. Why was it called-off if the needs were not addressed? I think the cry about the dearth of infrastructure is a smokescreen for ASUU to get something through the backdoor. I tell you that this strike will be suspended once the FG release their EARNED ALLOWANCE, which is the main cause of the strike.

slap1: Not really. ASUU went on strike for the same reason of lack of infrastructure and all that in 2009/2010. Why was it called-off if the needs were not addressed? I think the cry about the dearth of infrastructure is a smokescreen for ASUU to get something through the backdoor. I tell you that this strike will be suspended once the FG release their EARNED ALLOWANCE, which is the main cause of the strike.

Asking why they called off their strike in 2009/2010 is another question, because you should know where the agreement between ASUU/FG is coming from.

N500 billion for infrastructure, N92 billion earn allowance for TEACHING(lecturers) and NON TEACHING STAFF, is not too much for the government to raise since 2010 if they have interest in providing quality education for nigerians.
If the N592 billion is for political jamboree or where they will get kickback they won't be crying looking for sympathy for gullible people to carry along their skim

^^

You could also get your opinion across effectively without implying that anyone is a "mumu".

abu12:

Mumu post

for the fact you disagree with me isn't enough reason to call me names! Its my opinion! Not yours!

mr_king: for the fact you disagree with me isn't enough reason to call me names! Its my opinion! Not yours!

Apology

ASUU have some other things in mind than infrastructural development of the universities..

Abeg maki smbody helep me; (1)fg still de pay ASUU 4 all d tym wey dey don stay 4 house? (2) we go still de pay schl fee after d fg don pay N500m?

Abeg maki smbody helep me; (1)fg still de pay ASUU 4 all d tym wey dey don stay 4 house? (2) we go still de pay schl fee after d fg don pay N500b? Abegi no insult.