ASUU: 'Nigerian Government is Not Telling the Truth'

The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Nasir Fagge, has accused the federal government of not telling Nigerians the truth about the demand of the union as regards the government’s statement that the union's demand has been met.

According to Fagge, ASUU had a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the federal government for it to spend over N3 trillion to turn around the fortune of all federal and state universities and also to better the lot of the educational sector in the country.

“The agreement is for the federal government to spend N800 billion yearly for the next four years, but what we have is government talking about N130 billion which is very insignificant," he said.

Fagge made the revelation Tuesday, while fielding questions from journalists, at the end of the congress of the Benue State University chapter of ASUU, in Makurdi.

He said: "Our demands are genuine, and it is based on the mutual agreement entered into in 2009 by government and ASUU. We urge the government to be responsible to that agreement.

"President Goodluck Jonathan said the strike is being politicised but the truth is that it is government that is playing politics with our demands. It is as if every problem in this country is now being politicised.

"I want to ask one basic question: Is it political to ask government to be responsible enough to implement an agreement she willingly entered into.

"It is important to state clearly that we are a union of intellectuals, and we cannot accept a situation were the tail will wag the dog. Whatever we do is for the betterment of the Nigerian university system.”

In addition, the ASUU national president said: "It is important to place on record that the struggle is a continuous one but the implementation of the 2009 agreement is key to improving on facilities in our universities and placing it at par with what we have in other parts of the world."