By Seyi Odewale
The Federal Government says it cannot afford the resources to meet the
demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities at once. The
Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, stated this
yesterday while countering ASUU’s claims that the Federal Government had
been blackmailing the union.

ASUU had in a communique after its emergency National Executive Council
(NEC) meeting in Abuja on Monday accused the Federal Government of
blackmailing lecturers by reducing their demands to payment of Earned
Academic Allowance (EAA), despite having failed to address all issues
raised in the various agreements signed from 2009 satisfactorily.

The union’s meeting was held to review the level of government’s
implementation of the FGN-ASUU Memorandum of Action (MoA) of December
23, 2020, and other related matters. ASUU also suspended its decision to
embark or not to embark on strike to an undisclosed later date after the
expiration of the 21-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government.

A communique signed by ASUU’s President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke,
maintained that the union would continue to pursue its rights and spare
no efforts in its struggle to reposition public universities and by
extension, transform the country.

However, the minister said contrary to the academic union’s position,
the government could not blackmail it when the members had been told
that they would fulfil the agreements signed when the resources were
available.

Nwajiuba said, “We cannot possibly be blackmailing them. We tried to
explain to them that we will fulfill the agreements when we have the
resources. “Agreements have been signed and they are meant to be
fulfilled. But we do not have all the resources to meet all the demands
at once. “The thing is that we all are working together, ASUU and the
Federal Government. The goal is to produce graduates, who will serve
Nigeria, and to make sure that the academic calendar is running
smoothly.

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“So, the government will always pay its dues; you do not have to go on
strike to drive home your points. They need to know that it is not the
government versus ASUU. It is about doing what is right. Let us use the
resources as they come. There are lots of sectors that need attention.
“All we are saying is that once there are resources, we will meet your
needs; all you have to do is to keep the academic calendar running. So,
please, where is the blackmail?”