USA Africa Dialogue Series - ASUU's Dr. Nasir Fagge says: ASUU: Union's Demand is N3tn, Not N130bn

"The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Nasir Fagge, has accused the federal government of not telling Nigerians the truth about the demand of the union as regards the government's statement that the union's demand has been met.

According to Fagge, ASUU had a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the federal government for it to spend over N3 trillion to turn around the fortune of all federal and state universities and also to better the lot of the educational sector in the country.

"The agreement is for the federal government to spend N800 billion yearly for the next four years, but what we have is government talking about N130 billion which is very insignificant," he said.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/asuu-unions-demand-is-n3tn-not-n130bn/160469/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 
Okay, this is where ASUU gets in trouble. I guess if I start asking for details now, ASUU's attack dogs will come nipping at my drawers with their toothless gums. N800 billion annually on tertiary education is not a hill of beans. We are talking approximately $4.5 billion annually. If $3.5 billion of that is proposed to be spent on capital (I don't know, the president of ASUU presumably has a detailed spreadsheet in his sokoto that contains all the details to spend all this money). I can only say from professional experience managing operating and capital budgets that it is mathematically possible to spend that kind of money annually - if it is looted. Nigeria has no capacity to spend that kind of money annually on capital budgets. There are not that many bricklayers and not that many airports to fly in the army of Chinese that will be needed to rebuild broken classrooms.

I am now more than convinced that ASUU is not serious. How can you tell me, as some of her members have said, that ASUU is not in the business of ensuring that universities have transparent data, and then you throw out N1.3 trillion and throw tantrums until it is given to you? What are you going to do with the money? Show me the money, show me the spreadsheet, show me the plan, show me anything. Anything. ASUU is not serious jor. I am going to sleep. *cycles away slowly*.

- Ikhide

Stalk my blog at www.xokigbo.com

Follow me on Twitter: @ikhide

Join me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ikhide