As the strike action embarked upon by lecturers of Kogi State University Anyingba clocks 150 days, the Academic Staff Union of Universities in the institution has accused governor Yahaya Bello of misinforming Nigerians through the media about the payment of lecturers’ salaries.
Chairman of ASUU kogi State chapter, Daniel Aina, who stated this during an interview with journalists in Lokoja, slammed the government for their insincerity over the plight of education in the state.
He said the government had failed to put genuine effort to meet the demands of the aggrieved lecturers.
“The state government is doing practically nothing to resolve the crisis. What we have heard from the Government is that he is paying salaries as at when due which is far from the truth.
“Some of our lectures were last paid in March, while others were paid 13 months ago”, he alleged.
Expressing disappointment that the standard of the school was falling, the ASUU chairman challenged the governor to show the world evidence that lecturers had been paid to date as being speculated on the media.
“Let governor Bello pay lecturers their salaries and see if they will not resume strike.
“The insinuation that he has paid us using the media or accusing us that we are used by some set of individuals opposing his government is a move to divert the attention of the public from the responsibility he is supposed to take.
“ASUU Kogi is apolitical. If he pays lecturers’ salary today, we will call off the strike. Where is the evidence that he has paid lecturers’ salaries?
“If you are paying the salaries of your employees, then you know what to do to ensure the needful is done. But he can’t do that because he is not doing what he is supposed to do. So it is not true”, Aina Lamented.
Meanwhile efforts to seek clarifications from the Kogi State government spokepersons, the Director General of Media and publicity, Kingsley Fanwho and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Petra Akiti were unsuccessful as phone calls and texts messages were not responded to as at press time.
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