ASUU Strike: University Education Is Not For Everyone, FG Can’t Borrow N1.1trn To Meet ASUU’s Demand – Umah
Ebonyi State governor David Umahi has stated that it is impossible for the Federal Government to borrow N1.1trillion to meet the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) demands.
The Chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum said this on Wednesday when he received a delegation from the Nigeria Police Trust Fund led by Dr. Ben Akabueze, in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi capital.
Umahi while speaking to the board of Trustees of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund, NPTF, during a courtesy call at his office in Abakaliki, expressing that university education is not for everybody, adding that the educational system is improperly articulated.
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The governor further urged the federal government to negotiate and attend to the ASUU’s needs little by little as the reason the union is clamoring for the money being owed is for the good of students.
He said, “Our basic problem in the country remains security, health and education. Let me say a little about the ASUU strike. I think that our educational system is improperly articulated. University education is not for everybody and that is the truth. The basic education that every country strives to attain is secondary and vocational schools.
“There is a need to review our educational system and it mustn’t be for everybody. I don’t see how we can’t sit down with ASUU leaders and iron out this ASUU strike. I have seen how painful it is for the students to sit at home instead of being in school. But there is no way the country Nigeria will go and borrow #1.1trillion to meet ASUU demands. It’s unreasonable.
“Are ASUU’s demands genuine? yes. But we can start little by little. There must be a commitment on the side of both ASUU and the federal government. ASUU is not asking for this, for them to take to their house but for the betterment of our children. We can start by a fraction of that demands and have a program that we run with sincerity.”
He also called on varsities lecturers to show some level of understanding so the strike can end.
“So, it is important for ASUU to show some understanding and for those who are negotiating on the side of government to also show some understanding,” he added.
“Let’s meet ourselves halfway and then open the schools to save the fate of our children.”
The governor, who equally faulted the poor maintenance culture in the country, added that there is a need to work on it.
“But let me also say that most of the time, our people have a low appetite for maintenance of public works,” Umahi said.
“No matter how much you deploy to these universities unless the users and the industry regulators begin to treat public infrastructure as their own in the various universities, it will continue to go bad.
