End your strike, Jonathan begs ASUU again

President Goodluck Jonathan has once again called on the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities to call of their lingering strike. Jonathan, who was represented by the Coordinating Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, at the 29th convocation of the University of Ilorin on Wednesday, said the Federal Government would systematically continue to address challenges of the university system. According to him, the Federal Government has increased the budget of education from N234.8bn in 2010 to N426.5bn in 2013. He added that the FG in 2013 allocated N55.74bn to the university sub-sector alone. Jonathan also said FG had released N130bn to universities for infrastructural development and payment of earned allowances to staff of universities. He added that the government was seriously working on the best ways to ensure the implementation of the Report of the Needs Assessment Committee for Universities. “I wish to once again call on ASUU to allow reason to prevail by immediately calling off their ongoing strike action in the interest of the nation and our children while government systematically continues to address the myriads of challenges facing our university system. “I call on the university teachers to work with the government to make our universities centres of excellence,” Jonathan said.