FG Can’t Meet ASUU’s Demands, Says Okonjo-Iweala

Ngozi-Okonjo-Iweala2If the words of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala are to be believed, the five-week old strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may not be resolved anytime soon as she declared that government has no resources to meet the union’s demands.

Speaking earlier today in Minna at the annual National Council on Finance and Economic Development meeting with theme, “Restructuring Nigeria’s Finances”, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala explained that the striking university lecturers were asking for N92 billion in extra allowances; an obligation the Federal Government cannot meet as it moves to reduce the structure of public expenditures.

According to the coordinating minister for the economy, “At present ASUU wants the government to pay N92 billion in extra allowances when resources are not there and when we are working to integrate past increases in pensions. We need to make choices in this country as we are getting to the stage where recurrent expenditures take the bulk of our resources and people get paid but can do no work.”

She argued that if the demands of the striking lecturers are met and “we continue to pay them salaries and allowances, we will not be able to provide infrastructure in the universities.”

The minister noted that when she assumed office “the share of recurrent expenditure in our total budgets had increased astronomically. “

“In fact recurrent expenditures accounted for about 77.2 per cent of the federal budget and we are now working to re-balance this ratio,” she added.

28 COMMENTS

  1. The FG is like a husband married to many wives. The husband must strive to meet the needs of his wives.Moreover,the husband is also a careless that he has allowed himself to be jilted & robbed by selfish relatives & associates.So the husband is now complaining of low fund.whose fault is this?

    • That’s simple enough… Since the government is cutting costs on everything e.g. Subsidy… And also privatization of Companies… I suggest the salaries of all political appointees and the President, Governors their bonuses be slashed in order to balance the Nations books so that ASUU’s demands would be met. Common sense!

  2. Madam Ngozi can you kindly keep quite with your nonsense talk, you and your Goodluck cabinet are full of rift rat attitude, you only know how to please your pocket and families and forget about the low class Nigeria who are only trying to make a living.
    The FGN are making things more difficult to Nigerian youth..
    Gossa gossa gossa to
    NIGER DELTA MILITANT
    FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HARAM
    BABA ALAKYO…time is around the corner. Give Ceaser what belong to Ceaser, God bless ASUU. Great Nigerian Student. Jos

  3. The whole problem will all fall back on us, the students. The FG will nt suffer any gain or lost, the lecturers’ as well, weather d strike continues or nt their salaries still remain intact. Infact, they ar just relaxing. U see, our future,time,resourses are being wasted!

  4. If there is no fund to pay to ASUU,pls reduced d saraly of d president,sanate,reps,ministers,governors and all political appointee to meet up their demand.are tey nt well educated than u pple?all of u are there for ur selfish intrest. A sanator who is nt educated is collectin up to 30 million! Y nt ASUU who are more educated and traind?. U said it bc all ur children are schoolin abroad.corrupt pple.dats y u were denil of been in control of d world Bank! Shameless pple/country! Education is d dedrock of any nations,y nt here in nigeria? Is dat d tranformation agander when all schools had collaps?bad Roads,no water,no electricity,no hospital equiptment,no equiptment for d forces,no good welfare for d workers and so on!!! God will help us from d hands of d evil ones Amen.

  5. ASUU as a union contributes nothing positive to the nigerian universities…. Their demands are outrageous… The worst of its wickedness to nigerians is their demand for the increment of retirement age for professors while many youths are crying that dey re unemployed…. ASUU as a union is simply unpatriotic.

  6. IF THE FG IS SERIOUS AND HAVE THE BELIEVE THAT EDUCATION IS THE BACK BORNE OF ANY NATION BUILDING THEN LET THEM CUT OFF ANY POLITICAL OFFICE HOLDERS PAY RANGING FROM THE PRESIDENT DOWNWARD. REAL THIEVES

  7. What qualities make ASUU members better than ASUP. If the FG did not grant the demands of polytecnic lecturers (ASUP), why should that of university lecturers (ASUU) be granted. Ngozi has just revealed that what ASUU wants is increment in salary that is already far higher than polytechnics and not increased funding for decaying education as they have been claiming. Even if FG increases funding, corruption among ASUU members and university administrators had been responsible for misappropriation of such funds. So, who is fooling who. ASUU should stop holding Nigeria to ransom because of their selfish demands. Those who claims politicians are earning fattter salaries should go and join politics

  8. asuu, ur are veri stupid, veri wicked n gridy. we complain of no job while u ar requested 4 7oyrs? fools can u teach @ dat age? how many community projects hav u done 4 ur pple? hw many youth du u empowered o giv common admission in ur community? if u follow der negative ideas, u ar very stupid. asuu my sheet, go sleep, u ar stupid, i de ves.
    national assembly kindly change working yrs 2 50yrs of age, asuu stupid

  9. Nigeria as a great nation blessed with milk and honey, the question now is ‘ where does this milk and honey flow?”. the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer which is an injustice for those trying to make a living (students). Only GOD can intervene as at when due.

  10. It is as if we all came here to debate, some speaking for ASUU while others are speaking for the FG. I dont think we can afford to handle this issue with levity considering the damage it stand to cause. ALL stand to say is that every one responsible should do the right thing and see that students return to school, period

  11. The minister is joking because we know what the federal govt can afford. She can’t tell us there is no money! when a good number of our leaders at top are stealing billions every now and then. i beg her pardon where did they got the billions from? is it from her pocket? The FG must cough-out that money for ASUU. Ngozi go sidown jare!!!

  12. The minister is joking because we know what the federal govt can afford. She can’t tell us there is no money! when a good number of our leaders at top are stealing billions every now and then. i beg her pardon where did they got the billions from? is it from her pocket? The FG must cough-out that money for ASUU. Ngozi go sidown jare!!! ASUU ALUTA CONTINUA VICTORIA…..

  13. Una get una mouth. make una dey talk wetin enter una head. All these are total madness. They stimulate una, una begin talk rubbish. Una no go conserve una remaining saliva. Soon una mouth go get dried. FG and ASUU no dey reason una oo. If una like, make una reserve some energy; but if una no like, make una dey here they gossip.

  14. Hahahahahahahaha naija, una no go kill me with laughther. FG they said u must cough d money 4d ASUU o! Students dnt worry urself thank God u r stil students. That environment is better than d Naija labour market o! There’s nothing here, its more frustrating being a graduate in Nigeria than a student. In d past graduate cry out of joy of graduation bt 2day graduate cry when d drop there final paper 4d fear of d battle field (labour market)

  15. What is Dr Ngozi really saying? If the president can be allocated N1b. as feedins allowance, what is N92b for a whole country’s university lecturers? There is a common saying among us Nigerians ‘Eye when dey cry, dey see’. Though ASUU could be said to being too strict, considering the poor Nigerian students, but there is no way the FG could be justified in the ASUU’s action; because what is benefit of labouring to produce graduates to be tagged as ‘not marketable’ or ‘half baked’ or ‘semi literate’? Though ASUU is being patrotic in some of its demand, like the retiring of profs., but 95% of problem lies with the FG. Something positive needed to be done, before any worse unanticipated voilence escalate from these strike actions. Already, ASUP is now warming up from where they paused.

  16. D moni Asuu is asking of is d moni dt is accrued frm d agreemt dey signed since 2009,y will FG enter into an agreemt dey cannt fulfil?haven’t Asuu tried 2 ve stayed since 2009 till date witout paymt?d minister is talking rubbish as usual,FG cannt afford 92billion 4 all lecturers in nigeria 4 paymt of 2009 till date but dey can afford 2 lavish double of dt moni 4 election & 4 politicians 4 doin notin,y did FG allow dt moni 2 accumulate since dey knw dey can’t pay?all of dem up there re very stupid & useless including d lousy minister whose children re schooling abroad & dey wnt 2 jeopardise our own educational system.ASUU weldone u guys shld stand on ur rights,no moni,no schooling dts final.

  17. Dis moni ASUU is asking for is in an acct of jst one individual dt calls himself governor or minister or beta stil politician yet FG cannot afford it. Madam Ngozi iweala u re a liar & a shameless woman.pls tell dos ur men friends 2 release ASUU 92billion u & ur cohorts re owing dem cos i wnt 2 go bck 2 sch period!if there’s no moni dey shld borrow as usual…….thieves!!!

  18. U guyz r just killn urselfs over an issue dat wud benefit u nofin..D truth of d mata is,both FG n Asuu are OGA @ D TOP,weneva dey decide over dere selfish interest dey wud call off d strike bt as 4 nw all we need to do is pray to our God 4 survival,dats all.

  19. Asuu is doing the right I̶̲̥̅̊n fighting for student right in terms of university lab materials, let all student I̶̲̥̅̊n this nation support asuu for them achieve there aim on this issue. Let think of this too shey we have many ambassador in this country and they are very rich men and women, why can they usea, they own money to support the nigeria education.

  20. why i’m rilly sory 4 our OGAs @ d top is dat 9jas may soon start 2 to tak laws into our hands as of Egypt’s.I wish Okonjo realizes our patience has been tampered enough.Anybody could b dealt wit wen d spirit of Aluta enters.REVOLUTION is very close

  21. I HAD ALL YOU SAID ABOUT WORLD BANK BUT TELL ME NOW WHO AM I TO SAY WORLD BANK IS FOR ME OR HAVING BILLIONS IN SWIZ BANK ALL THIS TALK IS WRONG I REMEMBER PEOPLE WHERE CALLING FROM USA,ETC TELLING ME THAT THEY NEED MY ASISTANCE FOR MONEY THAT I DON,T HAVE
    IF YOU ARE SOME ONE THAT THINK DEEPLY YOU DISCOUVER THAT ALL THE PAST TALK OF ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO WAS PROPERGANDER TO LEARN ABOUT PHILLOSOPHY OF LIFE SO FOR THIS SIMPLE REASON IAM NOT A PRESIDENT ALSO IAM NOT CIA AND IF I SAY SOMETHING ABOUT A COUNTRY,MEANS I HAVE LOTS OF EXPIRENCES OF LIFE ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TO LISTEN CAREFULLY TO ME OR ASK ME WHAT I MEAN FOR ME TO EXPLAIN CLEARLY TO YOUR UNDERSTANDING NOT BY GOING AFTER ME FOR A DAMAGE

  22. This is an Element of REVOLUTION
    Madam Finance saying this is an insult to Nigerian Student how will you say so but FG have money to sponsor Terrorism, Buying Estate abroad, and because your children are schooling abroad what a shame………..look you must settle this ASUU.
    For us to achieve this so called Vision 202020 Education must be given greater priority

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  24. Hi! Without any doubtful mind, Nigeria is indeed a peculiar Nation in the sight of the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth and we need to actualize this fact by living together in Peace and Unity, and not in conflict and conspiracy! To achieve this precept sincerely, we don’t have the audacity/right to judge any of the two official bodies lest we get judged by Heavenly Supremacy bcos they were actually established for a certain purpose! Believe this: all you need to do is to strive earnestly for the absolute manifestation of God’s Plan for this Blessed Nation and lets stop deceiving ourselves on the wrong path! Remember, the way U make use of your Integrity today will definitely ascertain where your Future will be positioned tomorrow! Try your Possible Best in making Reasonable Things germinate all through the main cardinal points of Nigeria in Genuine Love and Patriotism! Wishing Nigeria an extra-fortified brighter future ahead! God Bless Nigeria as a Nation!! God Bless U and I also…