The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has responded to the statement by the minister of state for education, Emeka Nwajiuba that the federal government does not have money to pay the university unions currently in strike.
Nwajiuba in an interview monitored by our correspondent, said the university unions were selfish and mean for refusing to work over unfulfilled promises.
He had said that the FG would pay what it owes the union but that the present economic realities make it impossible for the government to do so.
Reacting, the National President, ASUU, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, insisted that the government has money to pay, adding that the strike will continue till the government get the money to pay.
“They (government) have money to pay him all his allowances. They have money to feed students for the so-called N250bn a year and I have not seen students who said they were fed. They have money to construct the second runway of the presidential wing of the airport but they don’t have money for education,” Osodeke said in an interview.
“Nigeria has money to be used to pay school fees every year in foreign countries but we don’t have N200bn to use in our country.
“Tell him if that is what he wants, they should close all the universities, till when money comes.”
He added that government officials plans to kill public education institutions for the private ones to thrive.
“Do we still have public primary and secondary education? They have killed them. That is what they want to do to universities. If we give up this fight, you will be surprised that in the next two years, Nwajiuba will have a university.”
“Their children are not in this country and they have nothing at stake. They are not interested. If they have their children in this country, they will not tell you there is no money for education,” he concluded.
