The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the Federal Government of not prioritising the development of higher education in the country.
During an interview on Wednesday, ASUU President Professor Emmanuel Osodeke made this claim.
He bemoaned the fact that the government is more concerned with a nonexistent fuel subsidy than with reinvesting in the nation’s universities.
More than two months after lecturers went on strike, the ASUU president asserted that the government has been insensitive to union demands.
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“A government that cannot raise N200 billion to revamp all Nigerian universities and bring them to world standard doesn’t have the money to do that, but that same government can raise N4 trillion for fuel subsidy; fuel subsidy and university education, which is more important for any country that wants to progress?” he asked during the morning show.
“You can raise N4 trillion for fuel subsidy in a year, but you can’t raise N200 billion for your education because you don’t have enough money; education is a priority.” You can spend N228 billion to feed children in primary and secondary schools, but you cannot raise N200 billion to fund your universities; the problem is a matter of priorities.”
Since the strike that paralysed public universities in February began, according to Osodeke, the government has refused to take any concrete measures to address the lecturers’ demands.
According to him, nothing significant has occurred, and the government has made no indication that it is willing to address the issues.
The ASUU president listed among the contentious issues renegotiations of the 2009 agreement, a payment system for members, and the revitalization of the nation’s universities.
Despite a number of meetings with a government delegation led by the Minister of Labor and Employment, he emphasised that no concrete resolution was reached.
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Osodeke stated, “Since we declared the strike approximately nine weeks ago, nothing significant has occurred, which indicates that this system (government) is truly uninterested in education.”
“Something is terribly wrong if all universities are closed for approximately nine weeks and the government makes not a single comment.”
