The Minister of State for Labour and Employment Festus Keyamo, SAN has been heavily criticized for absolving the federal government of blame for the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
Keyamo, during an interview session Friday on Channels TV admitted that the federal government can not afford to meet the demands of the university workers urging parents to appeal to the lecturers’ “sense of patriotism”.
He revealed that the federal government has explored all avenues to reach a compromise, but that the striking ASUU members turned deaf ears.
Keyamo stated that ASUU failed to honor dialogue with the key stakeholders holding the purse of the federal government.
The minister said the government cannot go beyond its capacity because it is not only ASUU that is feeding from the federal government’s ‘slim’ purse.
Nigerians have expressed disappointment over Keyamo’s lack of empathic feelings for the suffering students of universities in the country who have been rotting at home for over five months because of the lingering ASUU strike.
According to Dr Idris Hamisu, a geologist, berated Keyamo for “opening his mouth on Channels TV to say that the government cannot because of ASUU demands throw the nation into debt. This shameful statement coming from a hypocritical activist like Keyamo is regrettable .”
Festus Jentegbe, a businessman says the current central government has failed Nigerians in all ramifications. “No serious minded Nigerians should expect anything good from the current president. His look warm attitude to issues is his greatest shortcoming. Never again,” he concluded.
Okey Nwafor, a final year student in one of the universities in the country believes that Keyamo must be reminded of some hard facts in today’s governance. He declared: “The government that Keyamo is serving gave $ 1 million as gift to Afghanistan; approved and constructed a 1.9billion rail line to Maradi, Niger Republic and another N1.4billion worth of exotic cars was earlier this week purchased for the same Niger Republic which according to President Buhari were meant to fight insecurity.” He queried, “how can any serious government of a country with suffering majority of citizenry like ours be doling our borrowed funds careless like that?”
Another concerned Nigerian simply identified as Umar alleged that “An MoU of $ 2 billion was signed with same Niger Republic to transport our crude oil through pipelines put in place through taxpayers’ money to refine in Niger’s 20,000 capacity refinery while Nigeria’s four refineries with individual capacity of 450,000 barrels per day were left to languish in ruins. Keyamo sees nothing bad in this after having tasted the forbidden fruits in government as a minister of state” he stated.
According to a Tweep with the name, @tempacliffy, “Can you imagine what is coming out of the mouth of a an apc member still seeking votes in 2023? Asin… Parents should go and beg Assu? And apc is giving Niger republic 1.4billion. God will punish anybody still campaigning for APC. Amen.”
“Festus Keyamo is a disgrace. Parents should go and beg ASUU you said. In your days in the university where they ASUU strike. Shame on you. Wetin money go do people for this country, said @DukeSapele on Twitter.
