Stranger than Fiction: Volcanic Eruption Creates Deadly Acid Lake A group of market women, numbering over 200 took to the streets in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) on Monday to protest the protracted strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The protesters, who matched to the Federal Ministry of Education to register their grievances, were received by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, MacJohn Nwabiala. The protest, which started at about 11a.m. was coordinated by the President of National Association of Market Women, Felicia Sani. She carpeted the striking lecturers for making what she described as outrageous demands on the Federal Government. She said it was unfair for state owned universities to earn equal salaries with their federal counterparts, adding that such measures would cripple the economy. According to Sani, ASU strike has further exposed corruption within the university system, adding that the union’s agitation was politically motivated, rather than addressing the challenging and real issues within the academic system. Her words, “We have seen their secret, how can state universities be demanding equal salaries with federal universities, they want to close Nigeria down, if we protest they say America, America is over 360 years since it gained independence, we are just 53. “The President has grown grey hair overnight due to incessant strikes, the way it stands no undergraduate can pass through the university in four years with this type of strikes, the idea is that our children should go to the university and pass out in four years then come and take care of us in our old age, such is no more the case. “ASUU say the want states and federal universities to pay the same salaries, that is impossible, we know the corruption that plays out in the system, they produce hand outs and sell to students and pocket the money, some are engaged in other activities. “If they are not willing to teach, they should leave the system for fresh people to be employed, these educated people are the ones even more corrupt and giving the government headaches”. Nwaobiala, however, assured the protesting women that the strike would soon be suspended, saying, “the concern by the market women was not a surprise in view of their position as mothers to the students who have been with them at home for nearly four months now”. He urged the women to be patient with government and calm their wards to do same; expressing optimism that the issues would soon be resolved. By Innocent Oweh
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 06:00:01 +0000
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