​The Presidency has said that the industrial action declared by ASUU on Monday was totally unnecessary.

This was said by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, who also indicated that the amount of money being demanded by the union was unrealizable.

Shehu spoke in an interview on Channels Television’s programme, Sunrise Daily yesterday.

According to him, the leaders of ASUU were aware of the fact that the current administration inherited the agreements based on which the industrial action was declared.

He said ASUU was also aware that the Federal Government had set up a committee on the matter.

Shehu gave an indication that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government might not be able to meet the huge financial obligation the striking lecturers were demanding since the N850bn debt was more than the total allocation to the Ministry of Education in the 2017 Budget, which he put at N369bn.

Shehu said, “Governments enter into agreements that they can pay for. Ability to pay is a key requirement in going into agreements.

“Since President Buhari assumed office, he has sent words out there in form of a warning to all government institutions that they should not go into negotiations and agreements that they cannot pay for; but get clearance.

“I understand that they are talking about debts owed their members to the tune of N850bn. If I am correct, the entire appropriation for the Ministry of Education for this year is N369bn. So where do they want us to get the money from?

“We have inherited these agreements and we are not running away from them. Government has set up a committee led by (Dr Wale) Babalakin. They are already sitting. Why didn’t they sit down and negotiate?

“This strike is totally unnecessary. The issues can be resolved, especially where we have full understanding of where we are coming from. The governments that signed those agreements did not deem it fit to implement because the capacity was not there.

“If they are ready, they can sit down and discuss with the committee that has capable and qualified people as members.

“They want all the problems to go with a wave of the hand. They want all the answers to all their problems at a go. There is an avenue that the government has opened for them for dialogue and it is not closed yet.”

http://fabinfos.com/ASUU-strike-fg-will-not-meet-lecturers-demands-presidency/

Buhari is a curse to Nigeria.

I does not even knows why we the yoruba was deceive by the gambaris to vote the scam called APC.

We miss Goodluck Jonathan

Gej scammed ASUU, Failed Nigerian.
#TheCluelessManWithoutShoe

Garba Shehu has spoken well.

ASUU is a body that is expected to comprise of intellects from every section of the country.It is sad and highly disappointing to see ASUU make demands which they are aware that the present Government is practically financially crippled to meet.

I expected ASUU to have pressured the previous Government of Mr Clueless to find a way of settling the enormous debt.

It's no longer news that CRUDE OIL(main source of income for the country) price have dwindled and buyers are not even forthcoming.

If ASUU don't want to sit, they can stand up.. But please pay them thier salaries and bonuses. They earned it.

Agreement is Agreement!

Its Nigeria and deceit...


Get used to it.

No money

One problem I have with this government is that they talk freaking too much, they don't know when to talk and when to keep mute.

You just had an industrial dispute with your staff and the best you can come up with is this trash. The excuse of where would they bring out the cash to pay the 800 billion plus debt arrears is simply flimsy and inexcusable. The over 30 million dollars and counting already alledgedly spent in the President's treatment was it captured in the budget?

Oh God why did you bring me into this country called Nigeria, every sane person who dabbles into naija's political space becomes insane and speaks gilberish...

And these same people were the one shouting and condemning ASUU strikes during Jonathan and PDP regime. APC is the worst thing to have happened to Nigeria...

Hmmmmm

baylord101:
Gej scammed ASUU

To be fair, in 2013....the money looked payable...until oil fell in 2014. That's where issues started.

The real thing is that fees have to go up....or we find N3 trillion now. Just for universites

WhiteSoup:
Buhari is a curse to Nigeria.

I does not even knows why we the yoruba was deceive by the gambaris to vote the scam called APC.

We miss Goodluck Jonathan

1.You are a childish bigot.Sorry, but it is the truth.

[b]2.ASUU went on strike twice in GEJ's regime(2012, and 2013)...to get the govt to pay up the N3 trillion agreed in 2009 by Yaradua. GEJ's labour minister finally told them the truth during the second strike in 2013....that govt could not afford N3 trillion, and instead offered N1 trillion over 5 years....which they were able to pay N200bn before oil price falls made that impossible.
(Infact, just to show you how bad things were regarding financing....Governor Wike in 2013 when he was Minsiter of Educaiton signed an agreement with polytechinc lecturers to increase their salaries....an agreement all the parties were happy with. Only for the salaries and wages commision to look at the agreement and tell them that it was impossible to pay such salaries. Back in the good days of GEJ....)

3.At the moment, if we want universities to be adequately funded....we need N3 trillion naira at least. GEJ's last budget was N5 trillion in 2015. This govt is spending N8 trillion this year....much of which is borrowed. Would you agree they spend N5trillion just on universities without even spending on other sectors of education like primary, secondary, polys, colleges of education?

4.Fee rises are inevitable. Infact, fees rose under GEJ's regime in the wake of the new 2013 agreement ASUU signed with govt...simply because VC's realized that the extra money was never coming. And fees may have to go up[/b]

5.Seriously, give up your tribal bigotry. I myself have been deceived and tricked by people of all tribes, and have been helped and treated well by people of all tribes. Losing an election in 2015 is not the end of the world.

Who is the presidency? Photo or picture president?

Mr special adviser, don't you know that govt is a continuum? Govt is always in a state of flux, hence the need for its policies to be succeeding. Just continue from where the previous govt stopped and see how you move things forward. The problem with this Buhari govt is that they always think they can achieve everything through gragra

Who did we offend abeg... What sort of hopeless aides did dis govt appoint? What is d business of d special assistant in making such categorical statement? Even if d demands cannot b met shld u com out and categorically say it?

Those of u blaming GEJ simply don't have sense. ASUU and their demands go as far back as OBJ's administration. GEJ inherited same, negotiated with dem and dey agreed on fresh terms. Dats what negotiation does. There has always been and there will always b strike actions but d most important thing is how d govt negotiates with dem. D govt doesn't have to meet their terms but simply agree on a new one with dem. Such statement only shows how insensitive some of these morons are.



Shehu gave an indication that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government might not be able to meet the huge financial obligation the striking lecturers were demanding since the N850bn debt was more than the total allocation to the Ministry of Education in the 2017 Budget, which he put at N369bn.
Shehu said, “Governments enter into agreements that they can pay for. Ability to pay is a key requirement in going into agreements.


Our Aso clinic's budget is more than dat of our teaching hospitals combined but yet our President has spent more than 150days in total in London for medical treatment..

It is obvious the present Government cannot meet this demand due to present economic situation of the country. ASUU needs to re-think this strike action embarked upon

fg shoud pay bit by bit but jonathan is rather a curse to this country

Jonathan made a promise he couldnt fulfill

what are you people saying? when solving a problem first look at it. My department in school just finished their department building about 3 years ago, This idiots didnt build a lab, only two lectures halls that cant even take upto hundred students per hall, the building is even falling apart imagine a geology student who has not seen a geophone abeg who is deceiving who even if they give dem that money na for their pocket e end

Government of excuses, Lies and propaganda. What of the $90b u guys collected from Madueke?

WhiteSoup:
Buhari is a curse to Nigeria.

I does not even knows why we the yoruba was deceive by the gambaris to vote the scam called APC.

We miss Goodluck Jonathan

And u are a curse to English Language. Was the agreement with ASUU signed during Buhari's regime
Hatred ain't good !!!

Please what is the meaning of ASSU?

plz undergraduate students go n hustle oooo time na moni guyz shud b thinking deep oooo

Economy... They are not meeting up
Education.. They can't meet up
Insurgency.. Meeting up with propaganda
What are they now meeting up with

i dont even pity these lecturers, most of them voted for change, so they now have their change.

Next news please........

Gej na u put us for dis mess

Problems everywhere, from recession to strike.. God dey.

Fact is Lecturers have to be paid well, including pension. The Federal government is just trying to justify themselves. As for me; ASUU ride on.

The presidency should stop pointing accusing fingers or giving flimsy excuses on the subject matter to the detriment of these patriotic students. The presidency should just do the needful.

for once this man talk sense