The National President Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Professor Emmanuel Osodeke has slammed the governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi and Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo over their comments on the ongoing ASUU strike.
Newsonline reports that the ASUU president, Osodeke said the comment of the duo that the Federal government cannot meet their demand and will not borrow to meet their demand showed they are interlopers.
Professor Osedeke stated that at no time did the Federal government approach the university lecturers’ body with a plea that they cannot meet their demand.
ASUU said that the Federal government did not appoint Governor Umahi to speak on the issue because the government understand that ASUU made its position clear.
Festus Keyamo while speaking on a national television programme had said the Federal governmentt cannot close the economy of the country because of ASUU demand.
Governor Umahi also on a national television said ASUU was making an impossible demand which the governement cannot meet.
According to Umahi, the Federal governement cannot borrow one trillion to meet the demand of the universities union.
Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke questioned Umahi and Keyamo if the Federal government said they had no money to meed their demand, or appointed them to speak on its behalf.
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He wondered how a governemnt that borrowed money about N1.4 billion to buy vehicle for Niger Republic would say it has no money for the education of tthe country.
Osodeke said, “Do you believe the FG has no money? Is Umahi the FG? Has the Minister of Education said so? Has the Minister of Finance said so? If the person directed to resolve a matter has not said so when interlopers are saying things, who will you believe?
“When did Umahi become the spokesperson for the FG? They can borrow money for Trader Moni, they can borrow money to feed schoolchildren in schools, they can borrow to buy vehicles for Niger Republic, but they cannot borrow to fund education. We are tired too. If they want to close down all the universities formally, they should.”
ASUU maintained that it would not beg the Federal governemnt to implement their demands.
ASUU added that, “It is not about ASUU bending its demands; our demands are with the government. They should come to us with what they want. We don’t have to beg them. We agreed on something and let them send it to us. We have reached a negotiation. Let them come and tell us what they can do,
