FG TO NUT: YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS WITH ASUU STRIKE

Government, on Monday, descended on the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers over its threat to embark on solidarity strike with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). 
Supervising Minister of Education, Mr Nyesom Wike, while reacting to the two-week ultimatum to join the strike, said NUT had no business with the ongoing ASUU strike.
He spoke when he received the House Committee on Education members, who visited the ministry on oversight function.
Wike said: “NUT has no business in ASUU strike. ASUU did not go on sympathy strike with NUT when some states were owing them. What is the relationship between NUT and ASUU? No nexus, no connection.”
The minister, however, in his presentation, gave the ministry a pass mark in the discharge of its responsibilities when he disclosed that 2013 capital budget implementation has been executed between 70-100 per cent.
He said access and quality which have been the major problems facing the Nigeria’s education sector, have improved significantly.
He disclosed that the government has recorded about 23million to 29million school enrolment from 2010-2012.
He said: “Tertiary institutions carrying capacity increased by more than 100,000 students annually” as well as students enrolment which had increased from 620,000i 2011 to 750,000 in 2013.
He added that “there is marked improvement in the quality of education at all levels.”
The Chairman, House committee on Education, Honourable Aminu Suleiman, countered the Minister’s claims and called for a more detailed report.
According to him, “The one you have shown us is too scanty and not detailed enough. You were not specific concerning the locations of the projects, the year of completion and the amount given as well as the contractors handling them.”
He urged the minister to “Find a lasting solution concerning the ASUU strike and other strikes in the sector because this is a recurring decimal and it worries many of us.”
“We hope to see an end to the crisis in one or two weeks as pressure is been mounted on us by Nigerians and we might have no option but to redeploy necessary machinery to end the crisis. Feelers says end is in sight and I hope we will be vindicated in our assumptions.”
Source: Tribune