Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has replied to the minister of State for education statement published by one Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba.

In a statement signed by Dele Ashiru Chairman, ASUU-UNILAG said, “the attention of our great Union has been drawn to a statement credited to Mr.
Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, the Minister of State for Education, disparaging the Academia by
urging members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) “to leave teaching and consider going to farming”. This utterances of the Minister of State for Education, is to say the least reckless, ill thought-out, unconscionable and unfortunate.

This statement much like stuff emanating from back-street beer parlour patrons eloquently
depicts how hopelessly unknowledgeable a Minister of State for Education can be about burning issues under his Ministry. Clearly, the suggestion that the cream of Nigeria’s quality human capital should better go farming for demanding that our universities be adequately
funded has further exposed him as an unpatriotic and dangerous undertaker, who has no business in the Education Ministry.

The utterances of the Minister of State for Education has undoubtedly shown how myopic and shallow his understanding of how the principles of collective bargaining works in a supposedly democratic society. His erroneous allusion to the payment of salaries to Academic Staff in Nigeria Universities up to July 2020, eloquently confirms his ignorance about happenings in the Ministry of Education.

Nwajiuba’s assertion that “you should not force
yourself on the man who has the money” is symptomatic of the sense of arrogance and
ownership of Nigeria, by a coterie of ruling elites. That a public servant can be so
disgustingly insensitive to the plight of the people he superintends over is to say the least
tragic. Mr. Nwajiuba’s unguarded utterances is a clear manifestation of the lack of due
diligence in the appointment of public officers to sensitive government departments in
Nigeria.

Rather than making cheeky statements, what is honourable for the Minister is to concentrate on finding ways to implement the 2019 Memorandum of Action signed with our
Union, as well as putting in motion the process that would enable the speedy conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement.

We call on the Hon. Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu, to rein Mr. Nwajuiba before he wreaks further havoc on an already traumatized sector.

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ASUU Describes Minister of State for Education statement least reckless, ill thought-out, unconscionable and unfortunate