Strike: “ASUU will wait till FG gets money” – Professor Okolie

According to Professor Aloysius Okolie, the immediate past chairman of the union at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, will not call off the ongoing strike, until the Federal Government gets the money to meet its demands. Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Okolie said: “The National Assembly and some executive members are paid jumbo salaries but when it comes to education funding the government has no money. “How will the country be able to achieve its vision 20:2020 of being among the 20 leading economies if the education sector is not well-funded.” The ex-officio member, also pleaded with the students and their parents, explaining that the union’s demand was beneficial to all parties involved. “It is unreliable that in some universities student receive lectures under the trees and in stadium. “Books, laboratory equipment in our libraries and laboratories are outdated while some politicians and government officials are wasting money in building houses in every state capital and buying fleets of exotic cars. “The demands will enable the universities to produce quality graduates employable in any part of the world,’’ he said.