ASUU strike: Again, government appeals to Union to end strike....
After having waited endlessly for the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to end its ongoing strike over the non-implementation of the 2009 agreement it entered with the government, the Federal Government on Saturday, again, appealed to the protesting lecturers to call off its over four months strike, for the interest of the nation.
The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, made the appeal on behalf of the government at the Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu. The appeal came while she was speaking with journalists after she was been conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Accounting by the University.
Okonjo-Iweala in her appeal said, “I am appealing to ASUU to call off the strike in the interest of the students. The government, on its part, is committed to tackling the rot in the education sector. The Federal Government has acceded to most of the demands made by ASUU.
“Federal Government has set aside N220bn yearly for the development of tertiary institutions in the country. This is part of measures by the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration to develop the education sector.”
Calling on well-meaning Nigerians to invest in education, the Minister said that any investment made towards the growth of education would affect the entire economy positively.
Recall that ASUU in its last meeting with President Jonathan had asked for more time to consult with stakeholders and zonal branches on the latest offer by the government. let's keep our fingers crossed meanwhile after talking to few students, majority though tired of the strike are not willing to resume this year. talking to a student of the Ambrose Alli State University Ekpoma, Ajakaiye Queen; she lamented that the government has dashed the hopes of every student and she has discovered her passion for modeling and as a matter of fact, she's not ready to resume. Another 400L Law student of the same school has said "the year is over already, what's the need to resume when we cannot complete the semester this year? it's only painful that we'll have so much work to do next year because we have to make the Nigerian Law school next year." If you ask me, i'd say this is very unfair to the students but what can we do? when the elites speak, the masses listen.
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