James Iniama , one of top members of People’s Democratic party in Akwa Ibom State, has described the Federal Government’s handling of the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities as insensitive.
Iniama, who contested the governorship position of the state but lost in the primary, said this while fielding questions from newsmen in his residence on Wednesday.
He said whatever reason the Federal Government had for not resolving the impasse between it and ASUU for more than five months was irrelevant and unacceptable.
He said ” It’s very unfortunate. The problem I have is, if you are my friend – my real friend – and we have a disagreement, most likely two of us will not be telling people the actual reason we disagreed.
“So, for the dispute between ASUU and the FG of Nigeria, I don’t think we have heard the truth yet on the issue but whatever, it is irrelevant, and for me, the Federal Government is insensitive.
“Whatever ASUU has done that is right or wrong, as far as I’m concerned, I hold the FG of Nigeria responsible for where our sons and daughter are today. Sitting at home for the fifth month is just not acceptable.”
He said going by the social media posts, the FG must be a joker and unfair to have donated to a research institution in Malaysia, the sum of N610m, adding that the APC-led administration must find it expedient to resolve the strike.
“I was reading yesterday on the social media that this same Federal Government donated to a Research institution in Malaysia, six hundred and ten million naira. For God’s sake, are we jokers? It is very unfair.
“The FG must find it absolutely urgent. They must see it as a duty to our sons and daughters to resolve with ASUU and let our children go back to school. That’s where I stand. We owe them a duty to get them educated.”
The PDP chieftain who spoke on the ongoing Reconciliation Committee set up by the party said he had expected that the committee would be the beginning of the process of re-engineering in the party, but added that he was disappointed that the committee is yet to achieve anything.
He added, “I had expected that the reconciliation committee would be the beginning process of re-engineering the structure of the PDP and the state. I had thought so. The reason I speak in the past tense is that we are drawing closer to the election and I haven’t seen our party engage in an activity that will reassure the people of Akwa Ibom State that they do not need to fret or worry in spite of what the other political parties.
But so far, I haven’t seen us take advantage of that reconciliatory initiative. Yes, the reconciliation committee is made up of eminent Akwa Ibom persons.
“We had that meeting but I want to talk not as a politician, but as a christian politician. I would say that we haven’t yet been reconciled. I’m praying that my party will get organised and deal with issues that are confronting us.”