Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, has argued that the funds utilized to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic should have been better used to settle the dispute between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Bello has constantly refuted the claim that Covid-19 exists in his jurisdiction.
Since February 14, ASUU has been on strike in protest of the federal government’s refusal to comply with its demands over the funding of universities and the pay / benefits of lecturers.
Speaking the ongoing ASUU strike on Channels Television ‘Sunrise Daily’ programme, on Friday, the governor said that the “trillions” spent on COVID-related nose masks and hand sanitizers throughout the nation might have been better utilized in the education sector.
“Like I used to say; I’ll return to the days when I was a loner, I think I’m still a loner on the issue of no COVID-19. The trillions spent buying nose masks and hand sanitisers… a lot could have solved this ASUU issue, but that’s that,” he said.
Yahaya asserted that the ministers bargaining with ASUU are not portraying President Muhammadu Buhari well.
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“I don’t think they [ministers] are representing Mr President well. This is a man that cares so much about education, and even children during that lockdown were being fed at home.
“Those who Mr President entrusted to handle this protracted issue are not doing justice to it.”
He revealed that the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), is also making frantic effort to finding a lasting solution to the issue.
“The NGF has been making every effort to ensure that on behalf of all the governors, we discuss with ASUU and all those that are involved, we are making such efforts,” he said.
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