By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday, lashed out at the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba over his comment that the union is “mean and wicked for shutting down universities”.
ASUU in a statement by the Chairman of the University of Ibadan branch of the union, Professor Ayo Akinwole, described the minister’s comments as a reckless and irresponsible.
Professor Akinwole emphasized that universty lecturers in Nigeria have sacrificed their labour, sweat and health “only for parasites in government to come and destroy common heritage and collective patrimony”.
” ASUU has become very tolerant and endure suffering for the sakes of student and Nigeria. We have showed understanding but this government has even failed to deliver on the timeline agreement we signed with this government”, he said.
Professor Akinwole added, ” Nwajiuba’s claim is deceptive and unfounded. This is a deceptive government. They have set up up to 40 committees on our renegotiation since 2017 and the same government is now setting up another committee to look into what those ones did for almost four years? They are unserious, wicked and parasitic leaders”.
The ASUU Chairman pointed out that the Minister of State for Education represents one of the deceptive and insincere characters of the President Buhari administration, saying, ” it is a sign of acceptance of failure for a Minister to admit that they have consistently being irresponsible by pleading with a Union to bury the welfare of her members and not fight for infrastructure face-lift for the children of the masses and new salary for the welfare of her members.
Challenging the Minister of State for Education to make public his salaries and allowances and also tell Nigerians how much he is being owed by government since he became Minister, Professor Akinwole said ” lecturers have been considerate of the plight of the students and the society and this is why it has taken the Union members show understanding with government owing her members 12 years of earned academic allowances and 13 years on old salary when likes of Ministers and Cabinet members in the Government of President Buhari enjoy periodic review of allowances and salaries.
ASUU lamented that it was unfortunate that the minister of State has been heading a ministry where budget to education has regressed since assumption of office saying “this government fails to realise that not funding education adequately is itself influencing insecurity in the country”.
