The presidential aide addressed the media on Wednesday.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public
Affairs, Doyin Okupe, has provided evidence that the
Federal Government has opened an account for public
universities at the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

The opening of the account and disbursement of N200
billion to the universities within two weeks was one of the
demands made by ASUU before they would call off the five months old strike.

ASUU president, Nasir Fagge, had stated in an interview
with Channels TV that the opening of the account and the
disbursement of the money to the Universities would make the lecturers call off the strike.

“Once that is done, and the committee that is supposed to disburse the funds starts working, our members will have no reason not to suspend the strike action,” he said.

Mr. Fagge had also addressed a press conference on
Monday in which he stated that a central monitoring
committee should be established to monitor the usage of
the revitalisation fund and should submit quarterly reports to the Minister of Education.

Speaking to journalists in his office on Wednesday, Mr.
Okupe showed reporters evidence of correspondences
between the office of the Accountant General of the
Federation, AGF, and the Central Bank.

The documents showed that on November 13, the AGF
authorized the banking and payment system department
of the Central Bank of Nigeria via a letter with reference
number FD/OAGF/220/ADC/1/4DF to open a “revitalization
of Universities Infrastructural Account” with the CBN.

Also, on November 29, the Central Bank confirmed in a
letter reference BPSD/BSD/CON VOL 17/088 to the
Accountant General of the Federation that the said account had been opened and an account number was given.

Mr. Okupe said prior to these, the Director of Funds in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, M.K. DIKWA, through a letter reference FD/LP2008/37/C/I/DF,and dated November 8, communicated with the ExecutiveSecretary of the Nigeria Universities Commission, NUC,Julius Okojie, requesting for the list of federal universities in Nigeria for the purpose of opening a Special Account for them.

[B]Mr. Okupe said that on November 12, Mr. Okojie’s office, in a letter referenced NUC/ES/444/VOL15/280, responded to the request and gave the list of the universities with their various account numbers domiciled with the Central Bank.[/b]

“Following this, the Accountant General has communicated with the Executive Secretary requesting for the details of amount payable to each of the listed Universities which is currently being processed by the NUC,” Mr. Okupe said.

While speaking to Channels TV over the weekend, Mr.
Fagge had wondered why the government failed to make
the money available.

“Why won’t government make available this money so that we know the money is there and the universities
commence drawing from this money to address the
problem of decay in infrastructure, teaching and research
facilities? When that is done, our members will suspend the strike,” he said.

Mr. Okupe did not comment on the other major demands
by ASUU that non-victimization of lecturers that partook in the strike be included in the final agreement to be signed by the lecturers’ union and the federal government; and that the agreement be signed on behalf of the federal government by the chief law officer of the country, the Attorney General of the Federation.

He also did not comment on why a renegotiation of the
controversial 2009 agreement between both parties be
done in 2014, as reportedly agreed at a meeting with
President Goodluck Jonathan, was not contained in the
‘resolution’ of the meeting prepared by the government
and sent to ASUU.

The presidential aide did not entertain questions after the
media briefing.

The Federal Government, through the NUC, had given an ultimatum that all university lecturers resume by
December 9 or face sack.

premiumtimesng.com/news/150859-ASUU-strike-nigerian-government-met-lecturers-demand-n200-billion-funding-okupe.html

SPace booked....I was here first.

Aasu, wats your excuse

mumumugu: Aasu, wats your excuse

We wan celebrate christmas and new year before we resume..

If true and confirmed cos these goverments are crooks, then I hereby direct ASUU to resume anytime they feel like.

NOV 13!!!!!!! ASUU ASUU ASUU

this should nail it dis tym

Okupe is a person that lack intergrity from onset of his live. You people should not forget in a hurry how this man occupied himself with hypocrisy durring OBJ regim. as far as i'm conversant with dubious and irresponsible of Nigeria government nothing good can come out from Okupe mouth.

is i am GEJ will sack all those ASUU criminal in the 1st month of the strike so by now the new lecturers must have been granded with the university system.there are many youths out the who luv this their job more than they do and can lecture beta than some of those ASUU thiefs

FG should stop beating about the bush. Let all the stakeholders sign the MoU. If signed, it will be binding. Remember the fund is to be released once every year, without making this agreement mandatory how do we know that after once or twice that the FG will not back out again. So it must be signed.

The government has lost credibility and this has been the root of the problem. A precedent has now been set. The government has received a bloody nose and will continue to get one .

Next time Labour strikes, na United Nations security council go countersign agreement, Yeye people!"!!!¡!

Okugbe only proved an account was opened, he didn't prove there is money in the account.

It is sad commentary that the Nigerian President and his handlers behave puerile, wanting to score cheap points from the ASUU issue. In the first place you make these guys look like villains because they stood by the truth and insisted that you do your jobs, now the next thing Okupe and co do is to talk to the press before talking to ASUU, childish!

->>The account has been opened, is the money there?
->>If yes, why wasn't this communicated to ASUU?
->>Knowing you haven't completed the process, why run to the press, why issue an ultimatum for resumption?

Childish (adjective)

Of or suitable for a child. Behaving immaturely.

synonyms
♦ (behaving immaturely) infantile, immature, silly, unbecoming

abes: Okugbe only proved an account was opened, he didn't prove there is money in the account.

Okupe is so deceitful and thinks Nigerians are dunce. This is only an evidence that an account has been opened, it is not an evidence of payment. If they had deposited the N200billion why did Okupe not produce documentation/evidence of payment, that is so and so amount have been credited into the 'Universities Infrastructural Account'?


This isn't the first time the Government is employing this deceitful tactics of misinforming the public. In August, we were told that the Government had distributed N100billion as part of the intervention or revitalization fund to the universities;

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/fg-distributes-n100bn-to-59-universities/157047/

Only for the VC's to raise alarm seven weeks later that they have not received a dime from Government;

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/10/ASUU-strike-re-yet-receive-n100bn-fg-vcs/

Government should do the right thing, which is to deposit the N200billion into the account and communicate to ASUU and other parties involved with evidence of payment.

There is not a cent in that account and and the said evidence was back dated. If these were true why didnt that thugish minister present them at his last press briefing to justify his ultimatum? This govt think they are dealing with pipeheads here. Discerning mind can easily see through their lies and deciet. ASUU would make a huge mistake not getting that document signed by govt before calling off the strike.

omenka: There is not a cent in that account and and the said evidence was back dated. If these were true why didnt that thugish minister present them at his last press briefing to justify his ultimatum? This govt think they are dealing with pipeheads here. Discerning mind can easily see through their lies and deciet. ASUU would make a huge mistake not getting that document signed by govt before calling off the strike.

You dey mind them? In the eyes of a public official like Okupe who is paid from the public purse to disinform the public, Nigeria is a Confederacy of Dunces.

ASUU knows what it is doing by insisting that Government must sign an MoU. Fo0l me once, shame on you; Fo0l me twice, shame on me.

mumumugu: Aasu, wats your excuse

wc 1 b Aasu again ?
@topic, i just hope FG will make the contribution yearly not just for ds purpose of calling off d strike

Circle-Of-Wilis:
state university lecturers wont have a dime from dis billions, wasted months of strike for em....thr counterparts in the federal uni wil be d ones 2 enjoy the bounty

bros u post na comedy post, let me hint briefly how dy are going to benefit from d strike
1) The salary will be a bench mark for them
2) Grant to the lecturers to enable them carry out their research with less finance
3) Education Tax Fund for the general development of the school.
I hope with ds little point u can now see how they will benefit from the strike

state university lecturers wont have a dime from dis billions, wasted months of strike for em....thr counterparts in the federal uni wil be d ones 2 enjoy the bounty

Tinubu dogs are ready to give up their life to see this strike continue because of POLITICS, nothing more. I just admire the patience of this president in tolerating all these nonsense.

After the 13 hours meeting with the president, the president proposed to ASUU that they should have an MOU on all the areas agreed by both parties and that the MOU should be signed by both parties. But ASUU leadership refused this proposal but rather said they preferred a letter of comfort from the govt on what govt has offered so they can take the letter to their state branches.

Part of the agreement reached after the 13 hours meeting with president was that ASUU will call off the strike within one week. But over 3 weeks after, the strike has still not been called off and now the same ASUU that rejected an MOU in front of the president has now made MOU one of the reasons it has not called off the strike.

ASUU has failed to call off it strike within one week as they agreed with the president, but ASUU is asking the FG to pay N200 billion which the govt promised to pay this December. Notwithstanding that ASUU failed to keep its side of the agreement, FG has kept its side of paying N200 billion into an account.

See all the first in the ongoing ASUU versus FG face off:

1. GEJ is the first president to sit with ASUU in a negotiation

2. GEJ is the first president who on his own set up a committee to go round and assess the infrastructural decay in our universities. This was called the NEEDS assessment.

3. GEJ is the first political leader to sit with labour unions in a 13-hour meeting.

4. GEJ is the first president who has to release funds before a strike is called off. In the past, once an agreement is reached, labour unions call of their strike.

5. GEJ is the only president that had to make 3 different offers to ASUU and yet the strike has not been called off. The FG committee headed by governor Suswan made the first offer, that was followed by the offer by the vice president of Nigeria and then the last offer was made by the president himself.

Despite all of these efforts, the strike is still on.

So what are the "sins" this president that he has to be treated differently from past presidents? His only "sin" is where he comes from, nothing more. This is very unfortunate for our country.

Sincere 9gerian: Tinubu dogs are ready to give up their life to see this strike continue because of POLITICS, nothing more. I just admire the patience of this president in tolerating all these nonsense.

After the 13 hours meeting with the president, the president proposed to ASUU that they should have an MOU on all the areas agreed by both parties and that the MOU should be signed by both parties. But ASUU leadership refused this proposal but rather said they preferred a letter of comfort from the govt on what govt has offered so they can take the letter to their state branches.

Part of the agreement reached after the 13 hours meeting with president was that ASUU will call off the strike within one week. But over 3 weeks after, the strike has still not been called off and now the same ASUU that rejected an MOU in front of the president has now made MOU one of the reasons it has not called off the strike.

ASUU has failed to call off it strike within one week as they agreed with the president, but ASUU is asking the FG to pay N200 billion which the govt promised to pay this December. Notwithstanding that ASUU failed to keep its side of the agreement, FG has kept its side of paying N200 billion into an account.

See all the first in the ongoing ASUU versus FG face off:

1. GEJ is the first president to sit with ASUU in a negotiation

2. GEJ is the first president who on his own set up a committee to go round and assess the infrastructural decay in our universities. This was called the NEEDS assessment.

3. GEJ is the first political leader to sit with labour unions in a 13-hour meeting.

4. GEJ is the first president who has to release funds before a strike is called off. In the past, once an agreement is reached, labour unions call of their strike.

5. GEJ is the only president that had to make 3 different offers to ASUU and yet the strike has not been called off. The FG committee headed by governor Suswan made the first offer, that was followed by the offer by the vice president of Nigeria and then the last offer was made by the president himself.

Despite all of these efforts, the strike is still on.

So what are the "sins" this president that he has to be treated differently from past presidents? His only "sin" is where he comes from, nothing more. This is very unfortunate for our country.

When all the chips are down, rabble rousers, ethnic stooges, hired guns and mercenary interests usually play the ethnic card to attract sympathy. Many of the striking lecturers are from the SS and SE. Most of the striking lecturers are students(post graduates) and many of them have children in public universities so they are also affected. How many of our political leaders are affected?


ASUU is a union that practices internal democracy, ASUU leadership does not have the mandate to sign an MoU without first consulting their members.

You claim the FG paid N200billion into the account, yet Government did not produce an evidence of payment rather they produced a memo or circular that only shows that an account has been opened.


If GEJ is the first President to sit with ASUU in a meeting, it is no big deal. That is part of what he was elected to do. Solve Nigeria's problems.


Yes, GEJ did set up the NEEDS assessment committee in January 2012 and the findings of the committee detailed the parlour state our universities are in. And Like every other committee reports/recommendations submitted to this Government of Commitocracy, did GEJ act on it since then? Why did he wait for ASUU to embark on strike more than a year after before coming to the realization that we must inject funds for the revitalization of our universities? Why do Government wait for unions to go on strike before deciding on doing the right thing?


GEJ sat with ASUU for 13 hours, any big deal? Is he doing the job for free? Why must we deify our leaders? So many parents and students do not know the name of the Minister of Education(Wike) all they know is GEJ who they elected. Because OBJ, Yaradua and others derelict in their duties, so we must applaud GEJ for doing what we elected him to do?


If Government feels that they have acceded to ASUU demands, why is Government reluctant to sign an MoU?

Please those who are conversant with how CBN operates should help explain this...Can an account be opened in CBN be opened without paying in a dime? As the custodian of the country's finances doesn't it mean that opening an account in CBN is equivalent to assigning a certain amount from the nations's purse to that account?..or does it mean that if an account is opened in CBN then it will be empty and the money will be sourced from whr?

Sincere 9gerian: Tinubu dogs are ready to give up their life to see this strike continue because of POLITICS, nothing more. I just admire the patience of this president in tolerating all these nonsense.

After the 13 hours meeting with the president, the president proposed to ASUU that they should have an MOU on all the areas agreed by both parties and that the MOU should be signed by both parties. But ASUU leadership refused this proposal but rather said they preferred a letter of comfort from the govt on what govt has offered so they can take the letter to their state branches.

Part of the agreement reached after the 13 hours meeting with president was that ASUU will call off the strike within one week. But over 3 weeks after, the strike has still not been called off and now the same ASUU that rejected an MOU in front of the president has now made MOU one of the reasons it has not called off the strike.

ASUU has failed to call off it strike within one week as they agreed with the president, but ASUU is asking the FG to pay N200 billion which the govt promised to pay this December. Notwithstanding that ASUU failed to keep its side of the agreement, FG has kept its side of paying N200 billion into an account.

See all the first in the ongoing ASUU versus FG face off:

1. GEJ is the first president to sit with ASUU in a negotiation

2. GEJ is the first president who on his own set up a committee to go round and assess the infrastructural decay in our universities. This was called the NEEDS assessment.

3. GEJ is the first political leader to sit with labour unions in a 13-hour meeting.

4. GEJ is the first president who has to release funds before a strike is called off. In the past, once an agreement is reached, labour unions call of their strike.

5. GEJ is the only president that had to make 3 different offers to ASUU and yet the strike has not been called off. The FG committee headed by governor Suswan made the first offer, that was followed by the offer by the vice president of Nigeria and then the last offer was made by the president himself.

Despite all of these efforts, the strike is still on.

So what are the "sins" this president that he has to be treated differently from past presidents? His only "sin" is where he comes from, nothing more. This is very unfortunate for our country.

Shut up... Everything GEJ does, equals "ATTEMPTS" .

He never succeeds, its always the presido is the first to but, the presidio signed but, the Presido decided but

You entire post is a load of crap. He is the first to do this, he is the first to do that.... But what has he achieved, no legacy... No milestones, no victories

I would also like to bring to the public's notice, that : our presidio and his cohorts can't even construct descent sentences. The statements they make are always full of, that, the, that, and, that, more that's, and the

Arrant nonsense. Once again Mr.man shut up.

awodman: Please those who are conversant with how CBN operates should help explain this...Can an account be opened in CBN be opened without paying in a dime? As the custodian of the country's finances doesn't it mean that opening an account in CBN is equivalent to assigning a certain amount from the nations's purse to that account?..or does it mean that if an account is opened in CBN then it will be empty and the money will be sourced from whr?

Have we(NASS) appropriated money for such? Can the FG or CBN unilaterally credit the account without appropriation? No.

touch4mony: is i am GEJ will sack all those ASUU criminal in the 1st month of the strike so by now the new lecturers must have been granded with the university system.there are many youths out the who luv this their job more than they do and can lecture beta than some of those ASUU thiefs

From your spoken english, if you were gej, you would not only sack the lecturers, you would proscribe education across the country. Ignorant illiterate who assumes Graduate Assistants can become PhD holders in 5months if the govt trains them and makes them well ''granded''! Wonder the kind of pipeheads who liked the post.

An ugly truth is far better than a beautiful lie.

take dat: When all the chips are down, rabble rousers and mercenary interests introduce ethnic cards to attract sympathy. Most of the striking lecturers are students(post graduate) and many of them have children in public universities so they are also affected.


ASUU is a union that practices internal democracy, ASUU leadership does not have the mandate to sign an MoU without first consulting their members.

You claim the FG has paid N200billion into the account, yet Government did not produce an evidence of payment rather they produced a memo or circular that only shows that an account has been opened.


If GEJ is the first President to sit with ASUU in a meeting, it is no big deal. That is part of what he was elected to do. Solve Nigeria's problems.


Yes, GEJ did set up the NEEDS assessment committee in January 2012 and the findings of the committee detailed the parlors state our universities are. Like every other committee reports/recommendations in this Government of Commitocracy, did GEJ act on it ever since then? Why did he wait for ASUU to embark on strike more than a year later before realizing that we must inject funds for the revitalization of our universities? Why do Government wait for unions to go on strike before deciding on doing the right thing?


GEJ sat with ASUU for 13 hours, any big deal? Is he doing the job for free? Why must we deify our leaders? So many parents and students do not know the name of the Minister of Education(Wike) all they know is GEJ who they elected. Because OBJ, Yaradua and others derelicted in their duties, so we must applaud GEJ for doing what we elected him to do?


If Government feels that they have acceded to ASUU demands, why is Government reluctant to sign an MoU?

Maybe you should re-read my post very carefully. During the president's 13-hour meeting with ASUU he proposed that both parties should have an MOU signed on all the areas of agreement. But ASUU objected to this request from the president. How come the issue of MOU is now a reason for the strike to continue?

Sincere 9gerian:
Maybe you re-read my post very carefully. During the president's 13-hour meeting with ASUU he proposed that both parties should have an MOU signed. But ASUU objected to this request from the president. How come the issue of MOU is now a reason for the strike to continue?

Read my post again. ASUU leadership cannot unilaterally decide to sign an MoU without consulting their members! They are not PDP or APC, ASUU practices internal democracy. You are aware that they had to vote in their NEC meeting before agreeing to call off the strike subject to the FG agreeing to their conditions/resolutions. While addressing the Press after the meeting with the President, ASUU chairman told the press that he would consult members and get back to Government. Government should sign the MoU as a sign of good faith and let students get back to school.

Sincere 9gerian:
1. GEJ is the first president to sit with ASUU in a negotiation

Was he forced to do so ? Where was Minister for Education Wike ? GEJ was in meeting because he appointed a man that does not give a damn to Nigeria Education but a man that was only interested in Rivers politics. GEJ sack a professional in field ( Prof Rukayat) and leaves a politician to do the job , so what do you expect.
You even talk of Suswam, pls spare me that name, Suswam that is yet to solve ordinary primary school strike in Benue will now be talking of ASUU Strike.
Bros did you know that UCH Doctors has just suspend their strike for 1month, after 1month now and they embark on indefinite strike and FG will accused them of something else and also accused the oppostion of hijacking the strike.
https://www.nairaland.com/1541651/uch-doctors-suspend-strike-month

take dat: Have we(NASS) appropriated money for such? Can the FG or CBN unilaterally credit the account without appropriation? No.

Have you not heard about the Special Funds Accounts which is solely at the discretion of the presidency?..

Meanwhile if you insist that the money must be appropriated by NASS before it can be made available..then why is ASUU with supposed educated members insisting that govt must open this account and credit it within two weeks..If they know this simple fact doesn't it justify the position of govt that ASUU is been pushed?..

Also if you insist the money must be appropriated..then doesn't this show of proof by govt that the account has been opened and the modalities for disbursement is been worked out not enough for ASUU to call this strike off..or are you suggesting that this strike should be called off in 2014 when the budget must have been passed and signed by the president?

Pls you guys should stop shooting yourself on the foot

take dat: Read my post again. ASUU leadership cannot unilaterally decide to sign an MoU without consulting their members! They are not PDP or APC, ASUU practices internal democracy. You are aware that they had to vote in their NEC meeting before agreeing to call off the strike subject to the FG agreeing to their conditions/resolutions. While addressing the Press after the meeting with the President, ASUU chairman told the press that he would consult members and get back to Government. Government should sign the MoU as a sign of good faith and let students get back to school.

That is absolute thrash. Why didn't ASUU get inputs from its state chapters before going into the meeting with President? Why didn't ASUU harmonize its position before going into the meeting with the president? The essence of the 13-hour meeting with the president was to resolve and agree on ALL issues. That essence is defeated if ASUU will be going back and forth like little kids.

Anyway, discussing this issue with you is like speaking to the deaf. You support this strike simply because it is in the political interest of Tinubu to continue the strike. I'm done with you.

Sincere 9gerian:

So what are the "sins" this president that he has to be treated differently from past presidents? His only "sin" is where he comes from, nothing more. This is very unfortunate for our country.

Ummm no. If that's the case, who were the people that fought for him to become President during the Yar Adua saga? Name one South East leader that spoke up during that critical time. I'll wait...

You're just a disgrace and a very dangerous liar that cares for his stomach more than anything else.