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.