By Adadainfo
There is no way the federal government will be expected to borrow N1.3 trillion to meet the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Gov Dave Umahi said on Thursday in Abakaliki.
ASUU has been on strike since February this year over the federal government’s consistent failures to fulfill its demands concerning funding of Nigeria’s education sector.
Gov Umahi made the call while receiving a delegation from Board of Trustees of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund led by the director General, Budget Office of the Federation, Dr Ben Akabueze, at the Government House, Abakaliki.
Umahi acknowledged that the causes ASUU is pursuing are genuine, but said the possibility of fulfilling them is not feasible.
He therefore called for a compromise on both ASUU and the federal government to find a lasting solution to the imbroglio.
According to him, the FG is also tackling other critical sectors of the country, such as security and health.
He said, “There is no way Nigeria can borrow N1.3tr to meet ASUU demands. Yes, their demands are genuine. But it should be little by little.
“It is important for ASUU to show some understanding. Let’s meet ourselves halfway, and then open the schools. I want to thank the president so much for showing concerns.”
Dr Akabueze, in a speech, said the delegation was in the state to assess the challenges confronting the Nigeria Police in the state command with a view to formulating policies towards tackling them.
Dr Akabueze said since 2020 when the Police Trust Fund became operational, a total of 200 operational vehicles had been distributed to police formations across the country. She called for more support to enable the police to perform better in internal security.
