FG Lied About Releasing N100bn To Universities – ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has
alleged that none of the universities had received any
money from the N100bn the Federal government claimed to
have disbursed to 59 public universities to improve
infrastructure.

Speaking yesterday, after leading members of the branch
on a peaceful march around Makurdi town in protest of the
lingering Federal Government/ASUU impasse, Chairman of
the Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi branch of
ASUU, Dr. Celestine Aguoru, said: “As we are talking today,
government has not released one kobo out of the N100
billion they claimed they have given the universities; this
goes to show the level of insincerity of the government.
“The truth is that government is paying lip service to the
development of education in this country and has therefore
resorted to playing politics with the education sector and
the future of our children.
“It is rather unfortunate that majority of those who are
leading us today went to school in their time on
scholarships, but today they do not want our children to
benefit from that same gesture, all because of greed.
“Today we are faced with a situation where the amount
Nigerians spend yearly to educate their children in Ghana
is far more than the yearly budgetary allocation to the
education sector.
“Our leaders are not being fair to our country, government
should as a matter of priority implement its agreements
with ASUU, Nigerians are tired of this deceit; they should
remember that if they continue to negate their
responsibilities to the people, one day they will certainly
give account to God.”
Meanwhile, former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon
has appealed to both parties to strike a compromise for the
sake of our children and the country.
Speaking in Lagos, at the launch of the first edition of the
Shell Nigeria Scholars Forum, for the beneficiaries of its
scholarship, General Gowon argued that one of the parties
must be prepared to yield ground in order to save the
education sector.
He said: “I do believe it is time for all lovers of education
to come together and get both the federal government and
ASUU to return to the negotiation table and resolve all
outstanding grievances. Both sides must be willing to yield
ground for the sake of our children and that of our dear
country Nigeria.”
In an elaborate ceremony chaired by Gowon, the Country
Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, and Managing Director,
SPDC, Mr Mutiu Sunmonu, said the forum “would serve as
a meeting place for all beneficiaries of Shell post
secondary scholarship schemes.
Source: informationNg