The Senior Special Assistant to...
President Goodluck
Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said at
a press briefing in Abuja that the account, a
"revitalization of Universities Infrastructural
Account," was authorized by the office of the
Accountant General of the Federation on November
13.
Arguing that there were enough reasons for the
nation's striking university lecturers to return to the
classroom, Okupe said, "I state categorically that I
have personally seen the balance in the account as
of today and confirm that it contains the requisite
amount and disbursement will commence as soon
as on going administrative processes are sorted
out."
He said he wanted to re-affirm that the President
and the administration have no credibility issues
whatsoever.
"Mr. President has always honored his words and
obligations to the Nigerian people as and at when
due," he said.
Okupe dismissed the four items mentioned by ASUU
as preconditions for calling off the strike, stating
that none of them "remain substantially pending or
weighty enough to justify" the continuation of the
strike even one day longer.
"Having come this far, we believe it is time that we
all come together once again as major stakeholders
in the affairs of the country and the educational
sector in particular to move on and begin to chart a
new course for advancing the sector and improving
the standard of our institutions for higher learning,"
he said. "There are no victor or vanquished in this
protracted disagreement."
The federal government last week indicated it would
fire the striking teachers today, but ASUU yesterday
ignored the threat, opting to continue.
I don't like the non challant attitude being portrayed by the FG. They are making it seem like ASUU is trying to destabilse Jonathan's govt when the FG doesn't want to do the proper thing. As of between March 2012 to June 2013, ASUU had written 52 letters to the FG complaining about the need to revitalise the University system in Nigeria and the compliance of the 2009 agreement but the FG ignored them. The FG alleged that 200bn has been paid into an account in the CBN and has not communicated it to the management of ASUU up until now. ASUU heard about it like we did from the press which isn't supposed to be. Normally, documents should have been provided. Dr. Isa Faggae has said that once the FG provides the proper documents for the "alleged" 200bn and has signed all the related documents, the strike will be called off. Surely this is a good move cos the FG is known to breach agreements and ASUU is only being careful. The ball is actually in the FG's court. ASUU all the way, I'm still in support of your cause.
ReplyDeletePhilip I disgree wit u quotin nasir feggae in his last condtions Wich must be met b4 d strike wil b calld off is dat he said"once d 200billion is paid 2 CBN in2 d account provided specifically 4 d revitallization of our Nigeria universities,d NEC wil av no option dan 2 call off d 6months old strike"so wit dis,I dnt nid a prophet 2 tell me dat d oda conditions av been met...
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