Umahi says, the FG cannot borrow N1.1 trillion to meet the demands of the ASUU.

Ibekimi Oriamaja reports

Yesterday, Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi emphasized that the country could not possible borrow N1.1 trillion to meet the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

One of the requests raised by the group, which has been on strike for more than five months, is the complete implementation of the 2009 agreement that ASUU signed with the Federal Government.

Umahi made this statement while hosting the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Board of Trustees at the Abakaliki new government building.

Umahi remarked, “I cannot comprehend how we cannot meet with our ASUU leaders and discuss this matter about the ASUU strike.

He encouraged the Federal Government to begin by releasing a small portion of the cash requested by ASUU in order to identify long-term solutions to the current educational difficulties the country is now facing.

“I have seen articles in newspapers and social media about how students who opted to remain home or partake in other types of pleasure instead of attending class got into problems. Nigeria is unable to borrow the 1.1 trillion dollars that ASUU is requesting. It is totally illogical. Are their demands genuine? Yes, but we can start out slowly.

ASUU is not, in a sense, asking for this to take place in their homes; rather, they are asking for our children’s benefit in order to improve the facilities, the lecturers, and the students. Yes, but we can start with a small fraction of that and eventually develop a program that addresses every lot based on sincerity.

“Let me add, though, that the majority of our populace is uninterested in maintaining public infrastructure. The public infrastructure will continue to deteriorate regardless of how much money the federal government invests in these universities unless users, industry leaders, and regulators start treating it like their own.