‘Top government officials responsible for lingering ASUU, FG face off’

Calabar Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared that comments of some top government officials, was responsible for Federal Government’s nonchalant attitude to the union’s demands.

Speaking at a media briefing in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State yesterday, its Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Aniekan Brown, noted that such utterances were unbecoming of government officials towards amicable resolution of the lingering crisis.

His words: “Recent vituperations from the some highly placed individuals in government, for instance, the Minister of State for Education, while speaking on national television, asked our members to start farming.

“He also said any of our members who did not want his job should resign for others who are eager to take up the job. He also quoted non-existent figures of our members’ enrollment on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

“Such comments are unbecoming of someone employed to manage the education sector, but who would rather dissipate his energy on insulting the sensibilities of ASUU members. The best the minister could do is to apologise to ASUU and Nigerians.”

He also cited the threats from the Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, which he said, could best be explained in the context of ‘hangover’ of military rule, adding: “He should be reminded that he is dealing with academics in a democracy and as such, he should play the role of a conciliator, not an advocate for any group.”

ASUU, therefore, stressed that instead of the senior government officials to tell the Federal Government the real issues, they were diverting attention from the main issues, stressing that, such was a clear indication that government was determined to continue to close the gates of the nation’s universities.