Strike: ASUU president accuses S-East governors of criminal conspiracy

PRESIDENT of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, yesterday, accused the five governors of the South East states of what he described as “criminal conspiracy against the Igbo” by their alleged failure to solve the lingering problem in the universities in the states.

He described both the Governors’ Forum and South East Forum as unconstitutional, saying they “have become a cabal holding the nation at the jugular with their numerous propagandas”.

He spoke in Benin City, at the end of the National Executive Council meeting of ASUU, held at the University of Benin, UNIBEN.

Prof. Awuzie, who spoke while reacting to the lingering crisis in universities in the South East, asserted that “they (governors) came up with a propaganda that they don’t have money to pay.

Ebonyi State is number 33 according to state allocations, but it is paying N120 million monthly subvention to its university.

Imo State pays N57.5 million and Imo is the 14th in the country according to how they receive allocation.

“Ekiti State is 35th out of 36 states and it has two state universities. Rivers State is the 2nd and the governor is playing boyish that he will not pay when he has so much money.

The problem with these governors is not money but the will to do what is right.

Governor Obi’s family is in the United Kingdom so he does not care. Ohakim, Imo State governor, removed his children from Imo State University and took them to London shortly after he became governor.

“In Anambra State University, there is no one-metre road tarred leading to the two universities. The entire Anmbra State University has six professors and four are in the sciences.

So they are doing all this rubbish because their children are not here and that is why I said it is criminal conspiracy,” he asserted.

Prof. Awuzie further insisted that the strike would continue, noting that “they are now saying that we will start in January. You see, they have now found themselves in ego trip.

They don’t want to be seen telling lies. It is either we start now to have a university or we don’t have.

If they want to close them down, let them close them but we will not tolerate their rubbish.”

Source: Vanguard Nigeria