No Cash To Meet ASUU’s Demand - Okonjo-Iweala

[Shola Sholaz]

There ap-pears to be no end in sight to the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, in the country as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala declared, yesterday, that the nation's economy cannot accommodate the demands of the lecturers for now.
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The minister spoke while delivering her keynote address at the opening ceremony of this year's National Council on Finance and Economic Development, NACOFED, in Minna, Niger State, yesterday.
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She said that if other sectors were to be adequately and urgently developed, less emphasis should be placed on recurrent expenditure, especially salaries and allowances of workers.
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According to her, "at present, ASUU wants government to pay N92 billion in extra allowances over and above their salaries. Though we are in discussion with them, the problem is that the resources to take care of the demands are simply not there."