Daily Independent (Lagos)
6 July 2009
Lagos — The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria ( TUC) and United Action for Democracy (UAD) have called on the Federal Government to honour its agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff association of Universities, Teaching Hospital, Research Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI) that has led the closure of the universities due to strikes.
TUC in a statement signed by its President General, Peter Esele, and Secretary General, John Kolawole, said "It is dishearten and worrisome to hear the minister of Education, Sam Egwu, lament over the non-performance of the committee set up by government to review and recommend steps to end incessant strikes in the nation's educational sector, as the failure of the committee is the failure of the federal government and all relevant agencies charged with this matter".
"We commend SSAUTHRIAI, ASUU and others for their faith in our educational system and for having resisted overtures from operators of private universities that come with irresistible incentives", the labour centre said.
TUC, however, maintained that a nation that does not place value on the moral and educational upbringing of its youths is invariably inviting chaos, which at the long last will pay it no good.
Also, the United Action for Democracy (UAD) has thrown its weight behind the position by the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU in declaring the strike, "we commend the union for its consistency and commitment to saving public education in Nigeria, it said.
UAD in a release signed by its Convener, Abiodun Aremu and Secretary, Taiwo Otitolaye, said "Rather than respond to the genuine demands of ASUU, the failed Yar'Adua regime has began a campaign to discredit and undermine these germane demands, in the same way it did with the demand by primary and secondary school teachers for Teachers' Salary Structure (TSS), which most state governments are yet to honour"
"The regime's floated propaganda that ASUU wants N78b smacks of falsehood, makes mockery of its Nigeria's re-branding agenda, and begs the issue", it added.
According to the group, it is instructive to note that political office holders, comprising 469 National Assembly members, 472 from the federal executive members, 36 Governors and their 2,664 officials, and 1,152 officials of the 36 state assemblies in the guise of salaries, car maintenance allowance, wardrobe allowance, utility and entertainment allowances, cost the economy more than N1.2trillion annually.
The democracy group, however, said aside from the looting of money by public officeholders, they still collect unaccounted sitting allowances, travel allowances, constituency allowances and public hearings per-diem, yet the 93 universities with just about 13,000 staff receive poor funding.
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Going by the figures in this article, it is very disheartening seeing the discrepancies between pay packages of politicians (who see themselves as gods of Nigeria) and ASUU (those doing the work). Look at this revealing statistics:
13,000 University staff asking for N92 Billion. this is N7.076Million each on the average per annum as against
4793 politicians spending over N1.2 trillion, equals N250,363,115.79 each per annum.
This is robbery,this is committing murder, this is stealing and this is killing the people that elected them. No wonder the huge unemployment rate, why the number of armed robbers on our cities/roads, the ritual killings all in a bit to close this gap, no wonder the increase in patronage of cult activities in the universities. This is the reason for the agitations in the Niger Delta region, the "RELIGIOUS" crisis stirred by political ambitions.
This is very disappointing for this nation, that at this age we still go for immense wealth to the detriment of the large majority. From the presidency to the local government councilors, they need to bury their heads in shame for destroying the unity of this great country, for impoverishing the nation and hindering the development of this country's infrastructures, and aiding in the killing of children and women of this nation with diseases they could have easily prevented if this money were used to provide good health facilities. WHAT A HYPOCRISY!