Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is
currently under fire over a recent statement
attributed to her, when she said that the
federal government cannot afford the
N92bn demanded by the Academic Staff
Union of Universities, ASUU.
Angry Nigerians, while describing her
statement as deeply rooted on sentiment
against the striking university lecturers
declared that the Minister was doing more
harm to the nation’s economy than good.
Okonjo-Iweala, at the opening of a two-day
meeting of Commissioners of Finance and
Accountants-General of states, said the
N92bn being demanded by the university
lecturers was not within the reach of the
Federal Government.
She said, “At present, ASUU wants the
Federal Government to pay N92bn in extra
allowances, when the 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.”
Reacting to her assertion, angry Nigerians
described her as an agent of the nation’s
enemy.
Venting his anger on the Minister, one Mr.
Nigeria said, “Does anyone get confused
about Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s postulations
about Nigeria economy sometimes? Yes, I
do!
Madam Iweala bandied indices of growth at
will but her defense of what actually is on
ground is abysmal. Now, Mrs. Iweala is
trying to play sentiment against Nigerian
University lecturers for demanding that
which government have promised them in
the past. This is the same Madam who
wants her salaries paid in Dollars in her first
sojourn as a minister. Ngozi is playing
smart and feeding fat on the ignorance of
ever-gullible Nigerian masses who sees
everything on the microscopic eye of tribe
and religion.
Mrs. Okonjo is doing more harm to the
Nigeria economy than good, she lies
blatantly at every opportunity to defend
government instead of telling Nigerians the
true state of the economy. Today the
economy is strong, tomorrow the economy
is sick. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, I put it to you
that you have run out of ideas on how to
get this voodoo economy going. It is time
for you to resign and apologize to
Nigerians for helping the power that be to
mismanage the country’s economy.
For Bosso Nwoke, the purported N92b
demanded by the lectures is noting
compared to what politicians earn at the
National Assembly.
According to him, “Just 100 PDP members
can boast of 92b naira. Both in open and
stolen assets. The whole ASUU is asking for
N92b and it became such a big deal. Iweala
is as corrupt as the rest of them. ASUU will
make more than thrice if they leave Nigeria
to work abroad even in economies that are
not as rich as Nigeria’s. A single house of
representative member or a senator earns
so much that ASUU cannot be faulted for
asking for this amount. Iweala never faulted
these morons in the NASS earning this
undeserved loot from the treasury. Please
shut up madam if you can’t tell the truth for
once. Working with GEJ is enough blemish
on your career. Show me your friends they
say and I will tell you who you are.
Does the Minister have
any good intention for
Nigeria? “No” another
Israel declares, “the lady is an agent of the
enemies of Nigeria and the masses,
grammar is the only thing she can offer but
no practicality of the big economic
postulations, all manner of lies on daily
basis. GEJ can finance subsidy that does not
exist but arranged by the financier of PDP
candidates to loot the nation and inflict
pains on the masses FGN can finance all
those abokis at the National Assembly,
earning N35m a month without any
certificate other than OND in Islamic and
Sharia Studies, while professors and
lecturers cannot be paid N1m a month. FGN
can finance useless special advisers like
Doyin Okupe and others that add no value
to Nigeria in any form: all GEJ appointees
are as clueless as GEJ himself,” he asserted.
Genuinely, Igwe backs ASUU to be resolute
this time around. Saying, “No
implementation, the strike continues.
Nigerians are behind you.
He added, “This is ridiculous! Only N92bn
and madam Finance is crying. It is a pity
that many of those working for Mr.
President do not wish him well.
The money Nigerian students spend in the
UK alone at the undergraduate level for
school fees alone (accomodation and
feeding excluded) is ten times what ASUU is
asking for in allowances for a period of 4
years, (4 good years)- 2009 to date. Mr.
president should open his eyes. This is
another blackmail, this time from the
Finance minister against ASUU; Dora did
hers in 2009, saying FG had met 3 out of
the 4 things demanded by ASUU and that is
75%, the Federal government had a pass
mark, 75% in an examination had an ‘A’
grade. I don’t know who told Dora then
that all questions in an examination attract
the same score; coming from an ex-
lecturer; that was nothing but a blackmail.
I think the worst that has happened to our
universities in recent times is the NUC
secretary, Prof. Julius Okonji. That man is
supposed to be working for the betterment
of the universities, but he seems to be
working against the institutions he’s
supposed to protect with his many lies to
the presidency. May God help Nigeria.
Another Dr Pat Kolawole Awosan said, “With
president Jonathan maintenance of ten
presidential jets in the presidency and his
Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison Madueke
who spent about ten million dollars on
rental of private jets to travel around for
official and personal trips, the demands
may never be met; if Nigeria could put its
fiscal house in order and be prudent, FGN
should be able to meet the demands of the
striking ASUU-N92 billion naira demand
through reasonable and convincing
negotiations.
But FGN and minister of education are both
careless and not much concerned about the
welfare of workers and generality of
Nigerian people anyway”

If the allowance will stop lecturers from collecting money for grades and handout,then ASUU has my backing.

but iweala and children cannot study in nig university. Who is staying at home wen he is suposed to b in schl? Nigerian youths. My kids in sha allah won't go to nigeria univasity. Keep suporting them.

OP
You are on your own.
Nigerians say NO to outrageous additional aloowances for ASUU