The Founder of the Save-Public Education Campaign, Nigeria, Comrade Vivian Bellonwu stated at a town hall meeting on Tertiary Education In Nigeria with the theme,” The Locked Gates of Our Citadels – A National Emergency”, in Abuja, that ASUU has demonstrated sufficient forthrightness in resolving the crises as against the accusations levelled against them.
She lamented that Nigerians, do not appreciate the fact that ASUU members are also suffering the impact of the ongoing strike.
Comrade Vivian, appealed to the Federal Government to find a meeting point that will bring solution and an immediate end to the crises, and allow the students go back to school as quickly as possible.
Speaking at the town hall meeting, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke enumerated ASUU’s demands as Revitalization fund, Earn Academic Allowance, Visiting Lecturers Payments, Proliferation of Universities, among others. He said,as soon as the federal government is willing to show commitment to resolve the issues they will call off the strike.
He said,”when you are negotiating you should tell us what you can afford not me telling you what I will accept. We have giving what we want to accept if you cannot tell us what you can afford. and we will look at it and go to our members. That is it, so all the issues we have listed the revitalization fund is very critical that is number one, earning allowances you are owing somebody several years of earn allowance, you told us you put it in the budget in 2020 till now is not there. They put something in 2021 but this year is not there.”
Ghana gives between 16 and 20%, South Africa between 16 and 20% to education, but Nigeria gives 5.39 and that is the problem. What they give to education is less than what they take to the National Assembly. And finally as we speak, the president of Nigeria have an allowance called “Hardship Allowance” in his salary.
All the Senators have hardship allowance. All members of the House of Representatives have hardship allowance.
They are suffering so much so they must have hardship allowance, but the drivers in the National Assembly, the cleaners, they don’t have hardship allowance, they are enjoying themselves. How will you have peace in such a country? How will you say there is no money,” the ASUU President asked.
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