By; AUWAL AHMED IBRAHIM GORONYO
Nigeria is a country of many wonders, a country with many surprises and mysteries. It is a country that the saint becomes the sinner and the sinner becomes the saint, all at the same time, but for what Ahmed Idris did, it was never surprising to all academic unions of tertiary institutions.
Academic unions of tertiary institutions have suffered in the hands of Ahmed Idris to the level of making many like church rats.
ASUP learnt just few days before his arrest that the minimum wage arrears scheduled did not even get to his table for final process of payment until he was bundled.
If ASUU is just demanding for N40 billion for Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) to settle its financial demands and ASUP is demanding for N15 billion Naira revitalization funds much will remain to improvise and flourish the academic sector of Nigeria but rather, the Federal Government of Nigeria is always giving excuses at the academic unions of Nigeria that there is no money to settle their demands.
If there is no money, where Ahmed Idris got the N80 billion he squandered? And where where the Ex-Niger Delta Development Commission got the N47 billion Naira he siphoned from the Niger Delta treasury? And where did the former Anambra State Governor get the N37 billion Naira he embezzled as proved by EFCC and to ask where all corrupt Nigerians get the money they stole and where Nigeria gets its money to settle the workers in juicy organizations before the end of the month, while academic staff receive their peanut salaries late?
NIgeria’s corruption index of 2021 ranked 154th in the 180 countries and every day, top Nigerian civil servants are in a the top gear of it.
It is now a lesson for the wise and for Anamekwe Nwabuoku who was appointed by president Muhammad Buhari to oversee the office of the Accountant General pending his investigation.
Anamekwe Nwabuoku who is a fellow of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN); Fellow, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria(CITN) and member of Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM) has lots of experiences to manage the office of the accountant general and to operate for the satisfaction of all subjects.
Among some of the positions he held include Director (Finance & Accounts), Ministry of Defence, HQ, Abuja from May 2019 to March 2021. He is currently theDirector, Inspectorate Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation presently overseeing the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, there is no doubt he will discharge fine services to lock all potholes of corruption.
Anamekwe Nwabuoku can make all government workers to love him and pray for him if he never tells the Federal Government that there is no money in the treasury as it used to happen. All Nigerian workers expect equal treatments in salary disbursement before the IPPIS system which when luring staff they were told salaries will be paid at the same day, the same time and on every 25th of every month.
At this time that you assumed the office of the Accountant General in acting capacity we hope that you will be in the history of the book of ASUP and ASUU archives to resolve their financial demands as we have started seeing good days in your days.
Academic unions of ASUU and ASUP staff believe that the payment of their arrears happened because of you and we all expect to see these good things in making Nigerian educationists happy by giving them their own benefits. My prayers remain with you in good work for all and with good future.
Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim (Goronyo) is a lecturer with Kaduna Polytechnic, department of Mass Communication and can be reached via auwalgoronyo@gmail.com
