The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called for the immediate resignation of State Minister for Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, for it described as incompetence for him occupy the sensitive position of Minister.
This is contained in a page statement by Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria branch Chairman of the Union, Professor Rabi’u Nasiru and made available to Journalists in Zaria.
The statement read in part “The academic Staff Union of Universities, Ahmadu BelloUniversity, Zaria chapter is appalled by statement credited to the Minister of state for Education, Mr Chukwuemeka Nwjiuba where he called on University Academics to take farming as alternative profession. Thee Minister instead should have been making concerted efforts to address issues identified in the Memorandum of Action (MoA)signed on 7th February, 2019. To say least, the Minister has portrayed himself as one who knows very little about what is going on around the Ministry he is assigned to head. We therefore call on him to begin to be conversant with issues related to his Ministry, otherwise we wish to sincerely advise him promptly resign his position for a more serious-minded Nigerian to come on board. It is so unfortunate that this kind of person is appointed to such a sensitive position, a Minister of state for Education.
“The statement made by the Minister about our withheld salaries is most unfortunate and had laid some credence to the rumours that part of our withheld salaries is being used by the Ministry of Finance, OAGF and IPPIS is dubious business, since we have not been paid our salaries between the past 3 and 8 months, we want to know where is diverted to.
The union pointed out that it’s rejection of IPPIS was on the basis of University autonomy law and the failure of the IPPIS to address the peculiarities of University system.
It further stated that it was only the law that would determine it’s members aurgument, adding “our Union is mindful of the fact that one never change things by fighting the existing reality but to change something one has to build a new model that makes the existing model absolete.”
The statement also said that the Union use its meagre resources to develop UTAS for use by University administration and wondered why the Minister who didn’t understand his schedule, would advise them to go to farm while among them were many professors of Agriculture and practicing Farmers, who produce in tones.
“We therefore urge him(the Minister) to redirect his advice elsewhere especially to his likes who probably do not practice agriculture and henceforth desist from making such callous statement.
