The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, University of Calabar chapter has criticized the actions of ministers in the Federal Government, declaring openly that picking up a presidential nomination form at ₦100 million shows that they do not value education in Nigeria. Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, and Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, Minister of State for Education have been among those named and shamed with the aid of the organization.
Dr. Edor J. Edor, the ASUU Chairman of the UNICAL branch, stated that the actions of the ministers had exposed the many faults in Nigeria’s foundations. In a briefing with pressmen, he charged the APC presidential aspirants to augment and provide an explanation for just how they raised the ₦100 million required, particularly when their salaries were considered.
According to the chairman, “Nwajiuba has just perpetrated what other various politician is doing; why should I isolate Nwajiuba and condemn him for deciding on the N100 million nomination form to vie for APC Presidential ticket?
“It is condemnable, whether or not it’s Nwajiuba, Ngige, Amaechi, or whoever. It simply implies how defective the basis of the Nigerian country is.
“if they will show you their payslip, told what a minister earns in a month and multiply it by using eight years, it’s not up to N100 million, however they pick a nomination form of N100 million. At N100 million, it would take a Professor 416,000 monthly, 20 years to earn such. And how many Professors do you have that have labored for up to 20 years?
“That means you must have become a professor at the age of 50; the query is, how many of us can emerge as a professor at the age of 50? This shows you that a lot of professors would in no way earn that until they die.
“Consider what they are doing; is it a show of wealth? Is it to show that their political parties have wealthy politicians who have stolen money? They are feasting on the assets of the Nigerian nation.
“To come out and say their nomination form is N100 million, they are just telling us how they are, how corrupt their minds are.”
On whether or not the Ministers value education considering that ASUU is on strike, Edor added: “Of course, they don’t value education; the way Nwajiuba talks about education, you will understand he does not comprehend the university system. That is somebody who goes on air to say ASUU as an employee does not deserve the right to decide a payment platform. Has Nwajiuba forgotten what is referred to as collective bargaining? Does he even comprehend what is called industrial democracy?
“For them, an employer is a boss; an employer is an emperor, an Egyptian Pharaoh, where the worker has nothing to say. No, we have long passed that in this modern-day world.
“There is what is known as industrial democracy, and there is what is known as collective bargaining agreement, where the worker can point to the employer on what can be accomplished to make matters better, and this is what ASUU has done by pointing at the loopholes in the IPPIS and proffering a solution.
“Now they have moved from UTAS did not approve an integrity check to declaring an employee cannot detect the payment mode for the employer. They may not recognize it, however, they are devoid; Nwajiuba does not acknowledge the university system, and Chris Ngige does not apprehend the standards of labor relations.”
The ASUU Chairman additionally stated empathically that the body would continue the industrial action till the authorities meets their needs.
“We are maintaining our industrial motion until the government achieves awareness. Do you presume they no longer understand what they are doing? They have cut our salaries; what else do they prefer to do? A man at the bottom fears no fall; we are already on the ground. We are already inside the water; why threaten me with a cold?”
Also assisting ASUU’s challenges was One Love Foundation, a non-profit organization primarily based in Abuja. Speaking with pressmen, the founder and president Chief Patrick Eholor expressed dismay at the “sheer neglect by the government of public universities in Nigeria.” He delivered that it is unacceptable and should be resisted as it is appalling and not promising for the future of Nigerians and the country as a whole.
“I am deeply worried that even the ministers negotiating with ASUU purchased the ₦100 million APC presidential nomination form when our college students are nevertheless at home. It is sad.”
