As Nigerians express outrage over the reported donation of $1 million by President Muhammadu Buhari to Afghanistan, at a time the university lecturers are on strike, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has vowed not to enter into any renegotiation with the Federal Government over their disagreements.
The lecturers’ union who condemned the president’s donation to the Arab country, which was meant to cater for the needs of Afghan people, including women and children, has accused the federal government of being unwilling to pay the outstanding funds.
This disclosure is contained in a tweet post on Friday from the official Twitter account of ASUU, where they said that the president’s action is coming at a time the university lecturers are still on strike across the country.
What ASUU is saying
ASUU in its tweet post said, ‘’President Muhammadu Buhari has today, donated $1 million to Afghanistan to ease their humanitarian situation and to help in catering for the needs of the millions of Afghan people, including women and children. Meanwhile, ASUU is still on strike.
‘’On the other hand, ASUU has vowed not to renegotiate, says Federal Government is not willing to pay outstanding funds.’’
What you should know
- Recall that the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha, was reported to have in a statement, revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari donated the money over the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
- He said that the donation was coming in time to add a new momentum to OIC’s efforts to contribute to easing the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and to help in catering for the needs of millions of Afghan people, including women and children.
- ASUU, had on February 14, embarked on a 4-week total and comprehensive strike to press home their unresolved demands on the federal government.
- Some of the lecturers’ demands include funding for the revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution and promotion arrears.
- Others are the renegotiation of 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, and the inconsistencies in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
- There has been accusations and counter-accusations between the federal government and ASUU as the blame game has continued since the later went on strike as they both accuse each other of insincerity.
- The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, had in an update a few days ago, said that the federal government had so far paid over N92 billion as earned allowances and revitalisation fee to federal owned universities across the country.