The Academic Staff Union of Universities has pointed out the Minister of State for Education and presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, demanding an explanantion as to how he was able to come up with N100million for the party’s nomination form.
Speaking with journalists on Tuesday, the Chairman, ASUU Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Socrates Ebo, remark that the minister is supposed to be under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission or the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission as touching the money source. He declares in serious climes, Nwajiuba should make explanations to anti-graft agencies.
”It is a big shame that a serving junior minister of education will visibly declare that he is suffering and starving university lecturers all over the nation for attempting to ask that the education system in the country be improved.
“Truly, you can’t shame the shameless. Since when has demanding for the improvement of education in the country become an offence? This is a very bad omen in the chronicles of our country. Indeed, humbugs have taken control over our affairs.
“The Minister of Education should be reminded that lecturers’ responsibilities include: community service, teaching and research. As we speak, lecturers all over the country are engaged in research and community service.
“The strike is a last choice in the trial to make a deafened government improve facilities in our public universities, pay up the lecturers living wage and end the misuse of the nation’s waning resources through IPPIS. What organ of such demand is a crime?
“The minister who is bringing into visibility a show of pretending to attempt to lead the country should rather tell Nigerians how he came up with a large sum of N100m to purchase his party’s nomination form when his legit salary is nothing close to a million naira monthly.
“If Nigeria were a serious country, he should be made to make some explanations to ICPC and EFCC by now. Unfortunately, we are in an era of criminalities. Those who formerly declared that no legit government would ever give in to lecturers going on strike are now not only forcing lecturers into strike but are also starving them in addition. Such an irony of history! It is well with Nigeria.”
ASUU embarked on a four-week warning strike on February 14. On March 14, the union extended the industrial action by another two months to allow the government to meet all of its demands.
The academics seek improved welfare, revitalization of public universities and academic autonomy among couple other demands. One bone of contention for the academics is the non-payment of university revitalization funds, which amounts to about N1.1trillion.
But the Nigerian Government has let us know it cant afford to pay such an amount, regarding low oil prices in the current administration of Muhammadu Buhari. The agreement was reportedly struck in 2009. Another is the problem of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). The academics have lodged an alternative payroll system, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
