According to Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, President of the Academic Union of Universities, the federal government should have used the $23 million taken from the Abacha regime to satisfy the demands of the academics on strike.
Since this year’s Valentine’s Day, the ASUU has been on strike. Among other things, the demands of the striking lecturers include better welfare, the rebirth of public universities, and academic freedom. The non-payment of university revitalization funds, which total roughly N1.1 trillion, is one point of complaint for the academics. However, the Federal Government has claimed that it lacks the resources to pay such a sum, citing the low oil prices experienced under President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership.
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According to Osodeke, if the Federal administration had been honest, it would have used the $23 million in Abacha loot that the US government just returned to satisfy the demands of the academics on strike.
”Let us take a typical man. You have a house and your child is seriously sick and you were paid money that you were not expecting, where would you put the money? That child will be the first thing you will treat. Is it not? Before you start thinking of how you are going to buy clothes.
Your universities have been shut for six months. You said no funds. Now a fund you were not expecting came. Where should you if you really love education put the money? But you are seeing how the country is going. And you say you don’t have money.” he said
