ASUU Strike: Keyamo’s ‘no money’ comment sparks new talks

In response to rumors that the Federal Government lacks the resources to meet the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which is presently on strike, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the Ministers of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, and his education counterpart, Malam Adamu Adamu, are to schedule a new meeting.

At a news conference on Monday in Abuja, Comrade Odiahi Thomas Ikhine, Vice President of NANS (Special Duties), said that the students were unhappy with Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, who allegedly said that the government lacked the resources to meet ASUU’s demands.

Keyamo reportedly asked parents to beg ASUU to call off the strike since the government apparently couldn’t afford to meet the N1.2 trillion demands of the Union as proposed by the Emeritus Prof. Nimi Briggs Committee on the modification of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement.

President Buhari ordered a halt to the strike within two weeks, and Ikhine said the NANS leadership would meet with Adamu and Ngige to better grasp the situation.

FG can’t borrow N1.2trn to end ASUU strike – Keyamo

He stressed once more that Governor Godwin Emefiele of the Central Bank of Nigeria was not demanded to be fired by NANS.

He assured the pupils that they would persist in doing things correctly.

“On the issue of ASUU strike, we as an organisation have been doing our best. We have been able to pressure the government and just recently the NLC called for a protest and we joined them. As it is, we are not relenting.
“We, therefore, wish to dissociate ourselves and the name of our organization from the unpatriotic call for the sack of the CBN governor. It is our belief that the CBN governor needed to be given moral support,” Ikhine explained.

He added, “We call on security agencies to do their best in bringing impostors who go about heating polity and engaging in actions capable of affecting national security and stability to book, especially at this time of fragile national security experience.”