FG never not tell us they can’t meet our financial demands — ASUU speaks against claims

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU has said that the Federal Government never informed them of their inability to meet their demands.

This is coming after Mr. Festus Keyamo, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, and also David Umahi, the Governor of Ebonyi State claimed that the FG is not willing to borrow over N1 trillion to meet ASUU’s financial demands.In reaction to their statement, the union’s National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke said, in an interview with Punch, that the FG or the Minister of Labour and Finance never issued a such statement to them.Speaking on the union demands, Osodeke said: “Do you believe the FG has no money? Is Umahi the FG? Has the Minister of Education said so? Has the Minister of Finance said so? If the person directed to resolve a matter has not said so when interlopers are saying things, who will you believe?“When did Umahi become the spokesperson for the FG? They can borrow money for Trader Moni, they can borrow money to feed schoolchildren in schools, they can borrow to buy vehicles for Niger Republic, but they cannot borrow to fund education. We are tired too. If they want to close down all the universities formally, they should.”When asked if ASUU was willing to bend its demands so the student would return to school, Osodeke stated that the major issue was the government agreeing to come to the negotiation table.“It is not about ASUU bending its demands; our demands are with the government. They should come to us with what they want. We don’t have to beg them. We agreed on something and let them send it to us. We have reached a negotiation. Let them come and tell us what they can do,” he said.TopNaija reports that the union has been on strike since February 14, 2022, after submitting its demands, with the strike entering its 180th day today, Friday.