THE Federal Government, on Friday, said the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has no basis sustaining its ongoing industrial action which has closed down universities for about five months now, while insisting that the action was becoming damaging to education sector.
The government said it initially did not see the union as being used by anybody or organisation against the current administration, as it was convinced the striking lecturers decided to down tool out of what he described as their conviction.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, however noted that the industrial action which commenced in July was becoming damaging to the education sector.
The minister expressed fear that the crisis may take its toll on states as many of them would not be able to pay allowances to the lecturers at the end of the current crisis.
“By the time we finish with the strike, the crisis will take its toll on states as many of them won’t be able to pay allowances,” he said.
Maku, who noted that the previous administrations did not invest in the education sector the manner the current government is doing, further stated that more time was needed to address the rot in the sector.
Urging the lecturers to have sympathy for students and call off the strike, the minister disclosed that the Federal Government had already provided N200 billion for the upgrade of infrastructure in the ivory towers and another N45 billion for allowances of the striking lecturers.
He said, “In every country in the world, there are challenges in the eeducationsector, but these vary. You cannot address a 30-year-old problem in one moment
“No government has pumped money in the education system like the government of President Goodluck Jonathan. This government is not against workers so we cannot just close down schools.”
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