The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Emmanuel Osodeke said he is disappointed over the comment made by Festus Keyamo, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, on the union’s ongoing strike.
Osodeke disclosed his disappointment on Monday during a program which was monitored by BizWatch Nigeria.
BizWatch Nigeria had reported that Keyamo said that it is impossible for the Federal Government (FG) to borrow money to end the months-long strike embarked by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The Minister while revealing why the federal government cannot borrow to end the strike, pleaded that parents across the country should appeal to ASUU to end the strike.
ASUU’s president’s reaction
Osodeke said the union did not embark on the strike over the welfare of lecturers, but the condition of Nigerian public universities.
“For us as a union, we are not talking about ASUU. We are talking about Nigerian university system that has virtually collapsed in such a way that you don’t see students from all over of the world coming to Nigerian universities as students,” the ASUU president said.
“You don’t see lecturers from all over the world coming to Nigeria to teach, while Nigerian lecturers and students are all moving in droves out of the country. That is why we are on strike. It is not about our welfare; it is about this system.
“Are we proud of this system? Will Keyamo, who had spoken, allow his children to school in Nigerian universities?
“That is the comical thing I saw when he was speaking and for me, why I felt so disappointed is this is someone, before he joined this partisan politics, he was one of those on the streets.”
