This is a press statement from
the Federal Ministry of Finance
about the ongoing ASUU strike.
It's been four long months
(Quite shameful I must add)
with no apparent resolution to
the conflict in sight...and some
people are blaming the Minister
of finance Dr Okonjo Iweala for
what's going on.
Some people in ASUU have been
distributing flyers with abusive
messages against Dr Okonjo-
Iweala and now the ministry is
issuing a statement about it,
saying the minister is not the
problem. I'd rather read about
when ASUU is calling off this
strike to be honest. Find the
press statement below
Contrary to some recent
media reports, the Federal
government has not
adopted a take-it-or-leave-
it approach in its
negotiations with ASUU.
Rather, the approach is
focused on positive
engagement and achieving
sustainable solutions to the
challenges facing higher
education in the country.
That is why President
Goodluck Jonathan recently
appealed to ASUU to
respond to government’s
positive steps by calling off
its strike in the interest of
suffering students and
parents.
Despite this, for several days
now, some elements in ASUU
have been distributing
pamphlets and flyers with
abusive and inflammatory
messages against the
Coordinating Minister for the
Economy and Minister of
Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-
Iweala in mosques and other
places. This is taking academic
unionism to a new low and
infusing it with unnecessary
politics. I am sure majority of
ASUU members are not in
support of this.
These messages are directed at
using falsehood to demonize
the Minister as callous and
unsympathetic to the plight of
students and parents. The
major lie being peddled in the
pamphlets and flyers is that Dr
Okonjo-Iweala has insisted on a
“take-it-or-leave-it approach” in
the negotiations with ASUU.
Nothing could be further from
the truth.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala is the
daughter of two retired
professors and her father is
presently a member of ASUU’s
Board of Trustees and has been
one for a long time. She speaks
with her father everyday on the
issue so how can be insensitive
to issues concerning the sad
state of tertiary education in
the country? She understands
and sympathizes with the plight
of both students and lecturers.
She wants our children back in
school as soon as possible.
Remember she is a mother and
two of her young relatives are
sitting at home due to the
strike.
This is why government is
working hard, under the
leadership of the President, to
seek practical and sustainable
solutions to the challenges
facing higher education in
Nigeria. The President has
made available N100 billion a
year in the first instance to
repair hostels, laboratories and
classrooms and other facilities.
An offer has also been made to
ASUU of N30 billion towards
their earned allowances. In fact,
negotiations have even gone
further than this. This is the
first time, in years of
negotiating with government,
that significant sums of money
have been put on the table for
ASUU and universities on this
particular set of issues. The
Coordinating Minister is fully
part of this.
Against this background, ASUU
elements who want the strike
to continue should have a heart
and rethink their current take-
it-or-leave-it approach to
negotiation. Government has
demonstrated its commitment
to improving the university
system. And it is even ready to
do much more going forward.
ASUU should listen to the voice
of reason and the yearnings of
Nigerians on this issue.
Paul C Nwabuikwu
Special Adviser to the
Coordinating Minister and
Minister of Finance
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