The Federal Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo has stated that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, should not expect the Federal government to meet its requirement because the government cannot close other sectors.
Newsonline reports that the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, who was once a strong critic of bad governance said the Federal government cannot borrow money to pay ASUU.
Recall that the university lecturers union on Monday extended their industrial action which started on February 14 by four weeks after a failed negotiation between the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu and the body.
President Buhari had given the minister a two weeks ultimatum to address the demands of ASUU for students who have been at home for five months to return to school.
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Keyamo said parents of Nigerian students should beg ASUU members to return to school out of patriotism as the government cannot meet their demands.
Speaking on Channels TV life programm on Friday, Keyamo said, “You cannot allow one sector of the economy to hold you by the jugular and then blackmail you to go and borrow N1.2 trillion for overheads when our total income would be about N6.1 trillion.
“Like the President said the other time, those who know them, appeal to their sense of patriotism.
“Let them go back to classes. They are not the only ones in Nigeria. They are not the only ones feeding from the federal purse. The nation cannot grind to a halt because we want to take care of the demands of ASUU.”
