“The FG does not have resources to meet ASUU’s demands” – Okonjo-Iweala

Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has expressed her pessimism that the current strike action embarked on by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, might not be called off soon, as the federal government does not have enough to meet the union’s demands.

Okonjo-Iweala was speaking today in Minna at the annual National Council on Finance and Economic Development meeting, with the theme, “Restructuring Nigeria’s Finances”, where she revealed that the University lecturers were demanding N92billion in extra allowances. She made it clear that the FG cannot meet up with the stated amount, as it is trying to reduce the structure of public expenditure.

She said: “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.”

Okonjo-Iweala also argued that if these demands are met, and “we continue to pay them salaries and allowances, we will not be able to provide infrastructure in the universities.”

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