The Imo State Government has denied receiving the sum of N70b as tax from the Federal Government.
In a statement signed by the Media Adviser/Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Oguwike Nwachuku, the Government debunked
the claim by a group of people “purportedly from Egbema, in Ohaji/ Egbema Local Government Area, that N70b was released to the Imo State Government as accrued taxes from the oil producing status of the state.”
Said the statement:
“No such money was released to the State Government.
“This Government runs an open and transparent process.
“There is no way such a huge amount of N70b could be released to the State Government as accrued taxes, secretly.
“The truth is that the information is false. Those behind the press conference should desist from raising false alarm.”
When a proud Oluwatobiloba Ayomide Amusan climbed the podium in faraway Eugene, Oregon in the United States, as the World Champion in Women 100m Hurdles, not a few equally proud Nigerians mounted with her in spirit.
She had just set a new World Record at 12.12s breaking Keni Kendra Harrison’s 27-year record and leaving legend Michael Johnson wondering how she did it.
Whether from their living rooms in Canada, in the consulting rooms of UK hospitals, or even on the streets of Indonesia, where they have all migrated in search of the good life that had eluded them in Nigeria, in those few moments we were all Nigerians. We were there with her on the podium.
In that brief moment when Nigeria’s National Anthem was played for the entire world, our Nigerian-ness was not in doubt.
Then the Commonwealth Games started a few days later in Birmingham, UK and our star girl repeated the feat.
Along with other Nigerian girls, she reminded the world of the greatness that is in and of Nigeria, despite the odds.
Before the games started, the team found as it was in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow eight years ago, and even in the Tokyo Olympics, too, that the officials had forgotten the team’s kits.
The omens didn’t look good.
Tobi Amusan
Make no mistake about it, Nigeria has everything it takes to be great and occupy a front row seat among nations as a world leader.
We all know it, even if it’s unfortunate that Tobi, just like many others before her, could only truly display that greatness in spite of, rather than because of Nigeria.
Tobi Amusan was born and raised Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria. Her parents, who are school teachers in a country where teachers are worth 10 for a penny, could never by any stretch of luck afford an education in the University of Texas, El Paso, where she met her current coach, Lacena Golding-Clarke.
Listening to her during an interview she granted at UTEP in 2018, Amusan made it clear that she couldn’t have gone far without scholarships from the American university and her coach, who is also a three-time Olympian for Jamaica.
Yes, it’s true that the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Habu Gumel, has come out to say that Amusan is one of the Nigerian athletes on the sponsorship of the Olympic body with some annual stipends since 2018 till date.
But that only came two years after her UTEP’s scholarship. As a matter of fact, she went Pro in 2018, which means that though she was still taking courses at the University toward her degree in Health Promotions, she was no longer competing for UTEP.
It was between 2016 and 2018 that she got the greatest boost her career needed, and that didn’t come from the Nigerian government.
Nevertheless, her win is for her, as well for Nigeria and Nigerians.
But typical of Nigerians and our penchant for always searching for thorns even among de-thorned roses, we have managed to make Amusan’s glorious win another moment of national homicide.
The tears that involuntarily ran down her face while the Nigerian National Anthem was on hadn’t even dried before the ugly divisive theories took over.
On the one side are those who have obviously ruled out any goodwill towards this country and so the best they could do was to link her tears to everything that has gone wrong with Nigeria. You would think Amusan had written a speech and handed it over to them to disseminate. Yet, every single word came from their own already poisoned selves.
Of course, it isn’t difficult to understand this almost suffocating bile and its roots. But how do despair and spreading apocalyptic theories make the country any better?
Then, on the other side are the government apologists, career ostriches who have long unashamedly forgotten their heads in the sands of a clueless and rudderless leadership that has bedevilled this country for a while now. They think Amusan’s win is another reason to sneer at those they have labelled as this administration’s detractors.
To them, Amusan’s win is another sign that Nigeria is doing well and would get even better if only the critics stopped calling out this government at every turn.
They always wait for these blue moon appearances on the world stage to gloat about their pseudo-patriotism and the rest of the boloney, that even they themselves would ordinarily find hard to keep down, if their outlook hadn’t been so coloured by illogical self-preservative tendencies.
The truth they know but prefer to overlook is that for every Amusan out there mounting world podiums in Nigeria’s name, there are countless other athletes who have since given up and would proudly wear the flags of other countries in their moments of glory.
For instance, in 2016 about 10 Nigerian athletes were at the Rio Olympics for other countries. This was repeated during the last Olympics in Tokyo, Japan in 2021.
During that Olympics, while only Blessing Oborodudu and Ese Brume were the only athletes that won medals for Team Nigeria, at least 10 Nigerian athletes played for other countries like Japan, USA, Italy and Norway during the games, with some of them winning medals for those countries.
And, really, no one blames them because the Nigerian government’s poor treatment of Nigerian athletes – and its professionals in general – over the years isn’t some secret tucked away in hidden files; it’s always displayed at every opportunity.
The unfortunate result is there for all to see.
Just a few days ago it was disclosed that the UK’s General Medical Council had licensed at least 266 Nigerian doctors in June and July 2022.
And that’s for a country that has long fallen short of the United Nations and the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of one medical doctor to 600 patients.
According to a recent report by the ICIR, only four doctors are available for 10,000 patients as of 2022, and this is even said to be the best in the last four years. That’s the same country that has allowed itself to lose three doctors daily to the UK just between June and July.
In August 2021, armed operatives of the State Security Service were reported to have gone to Sheraton Hotel in Abuja to disperse Nigerian doctors who were arriving for an interview for medical positions in Saudi Arabia.
The current trend of brain-drain in Nigeria cuts across professions, especially among the younger population.
That Amusan and some of her colleagues haven’t abandoned Nigeria isn’t because of Nigeria and we must never become so deluded as to think so.
And that’s what we should celebrate; her win, her strength, her skills and her patriotism, which has proved real and true.
The performance of our athletes in Birmingham should remind us of millions of Tobi Amusans pining away in the crannies of our country, the same country that produced and nurtured world class athletes from Emmanuel Ifeajuna to Richard Ihetu (Dick Tiger), and from Chidi Imoh to Sunday Bada and FalilatOgunkoya, among others.
Turning Tobi Amusan’s golden feat into another opportunity for needless propaganda or spreading bile all over an already fragile country would be a major disservice to this great Nigerian young woman.
It would also be a great loss of a teachable moment for us all. When the official chest-thumping is over and hopefully some shame and modesty return, the government should decide to henceforth do all it can in the short time remaining to nurture and retain every Tobi Amusan out there, not just in sports, but also across all professions.
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has canvassed better welfare package for the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force to motivate them for quality service delivery.
The Governor spoke on Thursday when he received executive members of the Board of Trustees of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund in Ado Ekiti.
Speaking while receiving the team, Dr. Fayemi, who spoke through the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, said the welfare of officers and men of the Nigeria Police should be accorded priority because of their importance in maintaining security of lives and property.
He identified areas that the Police need motivation to include better salary and allowances, training, housing scheme, insurance and state-of-the-art equipment to tackle insecurity and all forms of crimes and criminality in the country.
Responding to the request of the leader of the delegation for the support of the states and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) for the Police personnel, Dr. Fayemi said efforts should be made by stakeholders to support the Police to perform their statutory and constitutional duties.
“We appreciate the laudable roles of the Police Trust Fund and we will support it in giving welfare to the personnel. We are going to look into your demands because we recognize the importance of the Police.”
The Governor assured that his administration would continue to support the state police command within the limited resources available to the state government.
Dr. Fayemi commended the Police for displaying high level of professionalism and efficiency during the last governorship election held in the state which was conducted under a peaceful atmosphere.
The Governor charged corporate organisations to support the Police Trust Fund to deliver on its mandate to assist the Police in the areas of better welfare, training and retooling.
Speaking earlier, leader of the.delegation and member, Board of Trustees, Police Trust Fund, Dr. Adebiyi, commended the Ekiti State Government for its moral, financial and logistics support to the Police.
Dr. Adebiyi disclosed that the Police Trust Fund was established by President Muhammadu Buhari, to mobilize funds in order to improve the funding of the Police in view of the fact that the security force is underfunded.
The Police Trust Fund chief noted that the Board deemed it fit to go to the field to see the challenges being faced by the personnel and to explore ways to ameliorate the situation.
He used the opportunity to express the gratitude of the Police to the state government for the support enjoyed in Ekiti while also describing the security situation in the state as commendable.
Dr. Adebiyi urged Governor Fayemi to use his position as the NGF Chairman to assist the Police Trust Fund to access its funds held up by legal issues to assist the Force to achieve its mandate.
Attorney General of the Federation, (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has absolved the present administration from any blame on deductions from states funds arising from Paris Club refund to settle consultants.
Under the previous administration states shared the sum of $418m Paris Club in form of loan to assist them to get over some of their financial problem.
According to the AGF, state Governors have no basis to complain about deductions from the Paris Club refund paid to the consultants they hired.
Malami, during a ministerial briefing in Abuja on Thursday, explained that the Governors created the liability whuch payment they have also indemnified.
Addressing the controversy caused by the recent deductions made from the refund, the Minister affirmed that when the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) made a request for the refund, one of the components was the settlement of the consultants who were engaged by the forum.
Malami recalled that when the Paris Club refund was paid to the states, the governors initially made part payment to the Consultants, but later decided to stop payment, which led to Court case and they asked for an out of court settlement.
The Minister said this resulted to request to the President to make the payment to the Consultants, a request he said, was then passed on to the Office of the AGF for legal opinion.
Malami noted that after being subjected to necessary checks, it was found out that there was no element of fraud involved
“The President passed all the requests of the governors to the Office of the Attorney General for consideration.
“I suggested to the President on the face value of the judgment and the undertones associated with the consultancy services, it was my opinion, the same treatment we metted to P&ID, that let us subject this claim, the consent judgment to investigation by the agencies of the government.
“Mr. President approved, I directed the EFCC and DSS to look into these claims and report back to the office of the Attorney General.
“And these agencies reported and concluded that there are no problem undertone associated with it. The government may continue to sanction the payment dependent. Now, that was the background.
“Even at that, we took further steps after receiving these reports from the EFCC among others, to demand for indemnity from the governors.
“You, as a forum, you incurred this liability, you submitted to consent judgment, we have subjected this claims to investigation and we have a report.
“But even at that, we need independent indemnity from you, establishing that it is with your consent and understanding that these payments should be made, in writing.
“And I’m happy to report to you that the governors individually and collectively provided the desired indemnity to the Office of the Attorney General, conceding, agreeing and submitting, that the payment should be made.
“Yes, and that was the ground and the basis on which we eventually took a decision by advising the President that the payment should be made.
“And then along the line, there was a change of leadership of the Governors Forum.
“And all the noise making that is now being generated arising from the Governors Forum is not only unjustified, but indeed, a clear case of absence of defense.”
“But one other point of interest you may wish to note, is the fact that the new leadership of the Governors Forum instituted an action, even when the federal government was indeed acting on the basis of the judgment of the Supreme Court.
“They now embarked on a fresh legal suit, challenging the payment, challenging the previous agreement, challenging the indeminity and the court dismissed the application. Their case was dismissed by the Federal High Court.
“So, that is the foundation and I’m happy to report one, that the judgment and contention was a judgment that was obtained long before the Attorney General, Abubakar Malami came into office, long before the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari came into office.
“It was a product of their own doing and they had it submitted to judicial proceeding, judgment was entered against them.
“They have committed to the payment of the money, they have on their own indeed effected part payment. I closed my case and I will not like to answer any further question on that.”
The Lagos State Government has been charged to invest more on Health Security and the COVID 19 Pandemic.
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other critical stakeholders interested in the country’s health security made this call on the Lagos State Government to make available more financial resources and institutionalise financing mechanisms for COVID-19 and health security in the State.
They made the call at the end of a two –day retreat to review draft national and states scorecards on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent and Elderly Health Plus Nutrition (RMNCAEH+N) and COVID-19 and Health Security Accountability, championed by Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), in Lagos.
The COVID-19 and health security accountability scorecard were developed through the adaptation of indicators from the World Health Organization (WHO) and review of government documents as well as advocacy/retreat meetings with relevant government agencies, CSOs, media and young people.
The scorecard was developed to report a CSOs review on Lagos state’s capacity for preparedness and response to health security and COVID-19.
The scorecard serves as an evidence tool to be used by all stakeholders including CSOs, professionals and other stakeholders to strategically influence actions that will mobilize resources, promote prudent spending, transparency and accountability of COVID-19 and health security fund.
“To achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030, domestically financed public resources will play a predominant role in keeping Lagos state and the country’s collective commitments toward attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Achieving quality health care will also strengthen the state’s ability to be better prepared for future pandemics, in a context where health security is increasingly important for economic security.
“Strengthening pandemic preparedness and response efforts, and overall emergency preparedness, requires strong and resilient health systems while investing more and better requires sustainable public financing and harmonized health efforts,” says Hon. Mohammed Usman, Chairman, National Advocate for Health (NA4H).
The CSOs advised the Lagos state government to focus on building stronger and more equitable health security to promote recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that would leave no one’s health behind in the state.
They further called on the State Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance to publish the state government 2021 and 2022 COVID-19 and Health Security expenditure report.
The CSOs further called regular engagement and collaboration with the state Ministry of Health to monitor/track allocation, availability of adequate COVID-19 donor support, loans and government vaccines in all the state`s vaccination releases for health security and COVID- centres aimed at increasing uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in the state.
The CSOs said that the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency should strengthen community and CSO involvement to increase the utilisation of COVID-19 vaccines, improve routine immunization performance and support factual public information on COVID-19 across the state.
The Coordinator of Africa Health Budget Network, Dr. Aminu Magashi Garba also called on the state government to strengthen legislative oversight on budget performance for the implementation of the Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Adolescent and Elderly Health plus Nutrition (RMNCAEH+N), Recovery Plan in the state.
“The global pandemic is not yet over and the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 has insisted there is considerable uncertainty about the path that the pandemic will now take in the country.
“Therefore, the Lagos state should collaborate with communities and CSOs to set out how it will ensure resilience, maintaining contingency capabilities to deal with a range of possible scenarios.
“Besides face masks, social distance, and good hand hygiene, a rapid vaccine program is crucial in controlling the pandemic.
“However, willingness to be vaccinated depends to a large extent on factors beyond the availability of vaccines,” Garba stated.
The war on terror took a new turn Wednesday when the Nigerian Airforce neutralized over 26 terrorists in an Air attack on their hideouts.
The Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said in a statement Wednesday that the Air Force has sustained attacks on terrorist bases in the Northwest, with the terrorists suffering heavy casualties.
Recall that recent terrorist activities resulted in President Buhari summoning Service Chiefs to a meeting in Aso Rock. Part of the outcome of that meeting, and subsequent invitations of the Service Chiefs by the National Assembly, was redeployments of some Commanders of top military formations.
The raid also resulted in no less than 26 kidnapped victims being released from their captors.
Gabkwet said that the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, has commended troops for their gallantry during the operations.
“One of such strikes which occurred on August, 9, resulted in the elimination of a well known terrorist leader operating in Kaduna State”, he said.
“Indeed, following receipt of intelligence on same day, that a well known insurgents kingpin, Alhaji Shanono, had scheduled a meeting with his foot soldiers at Ukambo, a village about 131 km from Kaduna.
“The Air Component of operation `Whirl Punch` dispatched aircraft for interdiction mission at the location.
“Overhead the location, insurgents were sighted under clusters of trees at the foot of Ukambo high ground and after ensuring the absence of civilian settlements within the location, the crew received the authorisation to strike.
“Feedback from local sources disclosed that over 30 rifles and 20 motorbikes were destroyed while about 18 insurgents, including Alhaji Shanono, were neutralised while others sustained various degree of injuries.
“However, sources also revealed that not less than 26 kidnapped victims earlier held by the insurgents were released as a result of the airstrike,” he added.
Gabkwet said that the CAS had been briefed on every step of the proceedings, and had given fillip to the attacks. He addressed the Commanders urging them not to rest on their oars, and to continue the campaign.
“From the briefings received by the CAS, it is evident that so far, the directive given to the Operational Commanders is yielding the requisite outcome,“ he said.
`’We can’t afford to let down our guards,” the CAS told the Commanders.
Beside the North west, coordinated attacks on terrorist enclaves are also being sustained in the Northeast, with the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai conducting successful strikes on insurgents’ targets in Borno.
“One of such operations was conducted on Aug. 6 at Gazuwa, about 1.2 kilometers to Gargash, after intelligences revealed that infighting for supremacy was underway between Shekau`s faction and Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP) faction.
“The state of confusion and disorder between the two factions presented an opportunity for a surprise strike by NAF pilots which was carried out using two aircraft types.”
The attacks, according to the Air Force, has disorganized the insurgents.
“It should be noted that though the map coordinates led the pilots to the exact site of the infighting, the location also had an ISWAP flag hoisted on the structure and three solar panels on the rooftop.
“Intelligence received and corroborated by local sources revealed the strike was a success as the insurgents did not anticipate it with several eliminated and others injured.
“Most are said to be contemplating surrendering just like others before them,“ he said.
A Human Rights Lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, who was recently jailed by the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaette Obot, for alleged contempt of Court has been moved.
The controversial sentencing has put the Judiciary under trial, with the scale in the court of public opinion tipping against the heads-up of the State judiciary.
Already the convict has spent two weeks out of his one month jail term before he was moved.
This may not be unconnected with planned protests friends and family, human rights lawyers and well wishers, planned for Thursday (today) in Uyo to draw attention to his continuous detention even after the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, had protested that Justice Ekaette did not follow due process in the contempt trial. The NBA has decided to take the case to National Judicial Commission, NJC.
Effiong was transfered Wednesday from the Ikot Ekpene Medium Security Custodial Center to the Uyo Custodial Center.
Augustine Asuquo, lawyer and colleague to Effiong, told CrossRiverWatch, a local tabloid:
“I went to Ikot Ekpene to see him this morning, and I was told he has been transferred to Uyo, and I am heading there now to see him.
“I wonder why they will do that because Uyo (custodial center) is not even a safe place for him. They are saying he was sent on quarantine to Ikot Ekpene, and they have to bring him here now,” the legal practitioner said.
Recall that Effiong was remanded for alleged contempt of Court by the Chief Judge of the state while defending a fellow lawyer, Leo Ekpenyong, in a defamation suit filed by Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State.
Effiong had earlier filed a motion asking the Chief Judge to recuse herself on the likelihood of bias.
On the day he was jailed he had protested the order by Obot, asking a Premium Times Reporter out of the Court room. He had also protested the presence of two armed Mobile Policemen in the Court, and asked Obot to send them out because he did not feel safe with them around. An angry Obot, disgusted with Effiong’s carriage, ordered him down from the bar, and Jailed him for one month.
The Judge found his request contemptuous.
An unnamed relative told CrossRiverWatch that he was scared for Mr. Effiong’s life. “I have been informed that he has been moved, and I am not happy. Maybe, they want to be monitoring him because the Uyo prison is next to the Chief Judge’s office and the Governor’s office,” the relative said
For five months and counting, the nation’s tertiary education has been in comatose following the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, that crippled educational activities in Federal and States Universities across the nation.
This is coupled with the appalling insecurity in the nation which has led to the criticism of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress, APC, administration.
A Chieftain of the APC, Adeshina Saheed, an Executive of the 53 Community Development Areas in Orile Agege, has berated President Buhari for his lackadaisical approach to insecurity and Education in the country.
Adeshina said that education is germane for any nation to develop, and for the FG to neglect this shows that Buhari doesn’t prioritize education.
“President Buhari hasn’t been fair. The neglect of the educational sector spells doom, though we know that ASUU is synonymous to strike over the years, but I was expecting the APC at the Federal level to change the narrative, but I must confess am disappointed”.
He appealed to the FG and ASUU to sheath their sword for the betterment of the nation’s educational sector and the youths who have been languishing at home with dim hopes.
As regards insecurity, Adeshina said this menace is escalating, as banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and other social vices have become the order of the day.
He also appealed to the FG to find a lasting solution to this menace.
Adeshina stressed further that as the 2023 election draws close, he is optimistic that his Party will soar higher in spite of all the challenges it is facing, saying that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima will bring the desired change and progress to the nation.
The 16-year-old wonderkid, Uchegbu Obinna John-Paul from Imo State scored 9 As in the 2022 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams.
He also scored 331 in the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) exams.
Imo OAP Amb Pope Saviola Godwyn shared the news on his social media to celebrate the teenager he mentors.
Showering encomiums on his mentee, Saviola, who shared his results and pictures on Facebook, described Obinna as a brainiac and urged netizens to join in celebrating him.
In a chat with Legit.ng’s Victor Duru, Saviola said Obinna’s results were expected owing to the excellence the lad had demonstrated while under his tutelage and mentorship.
“The results were quite expected considering the times we’ve spent together assiduously working towards achieving those results.
“He loves reading, he even got better than me because I love reading and I’m a prolific writer who always aim to gain knowledge.”
Singing the praises of the kid who hails from Mgbirichi in Ohaji Egbema, the radio personality recalled how he turned his room into a blackboard. “Obinna reads a lot and ahead too, he started reading Biology textbooks for senior secondary school when he was in Jss 2. I could remember him turning his room door to blackboard where he teaches his imaginary friends Biology.
“He wakes up to read at night and is quite jovial too always wanting to know more.” Saviola added: “He’s very decisive about beating records in the family and beyond including that of his father who is a renowned bank auditor.”
According to the OAP, he started mentoring the kid right from his JSS 1. “I started mentoring him when he was in JSS 1 first by being his friend and brother and a trusted confidante. “Helping with his dad to day struggles as it’s not everything teenagers will discuss with their parents. I served as an academic tutor for him.”
Saviola also shared the many other ways he helped the kid.
“I served as a career counselor to him, helping him to brainstorm career possibilities, define career goals and establish action plans to reach those goals. I was and still I’m always in his corner bolstering his self-esteem. Making sure he sees himself as a champion. Recognising and celebrating his successes and working on the failures.
“I helped in making him a better leader by teaching him to relate to different kinds of people. Helped him develop strong communication skills so he can handle any situation.
“Always made sure he has data and airtime for research and study.” Obinna desires to study medicine and surgery at the University of Nigeria Nsukka.
Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state, has stated that the federal government will not borrow over N1 trillion to please the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU. The universities teachers have been on strike since February this year in protest of unpaid allowances and emoluments by the federal government, which needs N1.1 trillion to meet the Union’s demands.
The strike has academic paralysed activities in both states and federal owned ivory towers, and the Union has vowed not to return to class until they are settled.
As a result, the federal government has also stopped the lecturers’ salaries as part of its no-work-no-pay policy, leading to stalemate between the contending parties amidst appeal from parents and other Nigerians for them to reach a compromise so that students can go back to class.
Governor Umahi’s spoke few days after the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo expressed the same view that the federal government is not prepared to borrow to pay ASUU
The Ebonyi helmsman who spoke when a delegation from the Nigeria Police Trust Fund led by Dr. Ben Akabueze, in Abakaliki, paid him a visit appealed to ASUU to come to an understanding with the government, even though their demands are legitimate.
Umahi said borrowing such a humongous amount is “quite unreasonable” describing ASUU’s “demands genuine.”
According to him, “There must be a commitment on the side of both parties that look, this ASUU is not asking for this to take to their houses’ so to say. It’s asking for it for our children, to better the infrastructure, to better the lecturers and the students.
“Yes, but we can start with a fraction of that and then have a programme that will run on the platform of sincerity to address all the lots.
“But let me also say that most of the time, our people have a low appetite for maintenance of public works.
“No matter how much you deploy to these universities unless the users and the industry regulators begin to treat public infrastructure as their own in the various universities, it will continue to go bad no matter how much the federal government deploys to it.’’
“So, it is important for ASUU to show some understanding and for those who are negotiating on the side of government to also show some understanding,” he added.
“Let’s meet ourselves halfway and then open the schools to save the fate of our children.”
Meanwhile, close watchers of the long ASUU strike insist that the labour dispute may persist for a long time if feelers coming from the government is anything to go by.
“What this means is that universities students will remain at home for long time except either ASUU and FG shifts grounds.
“The two parties must come to a compromise to resolve the issue, failure to do this, our children will continue to remain at home with attending social problems associated with youths’ redundancy. An idle mind is the Devils’ workshop,” a parents told the magazine on Thursday.
