The Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi has dispelled insinuations that he denigrated the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) during a recent press interview in France, where he alluded to the fact that the union and tertiary institutions have fared better under President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
In a recent statement, released by his Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, he stressed, that, the interview has been misconstrued by chapters of ASUU as a direct comment on salaries of professors and undue meddling in the affairs of the union.
According to him, the thrust of the interview was the need for honest debate on basic and tertiary education in the country. The reference to salaries of professors was only a lightโhearted response to a question about his thoughts on the quality of university professorsโ salaries.
Also, contrary to insinuations that the interview took place during the Presidentโs interactive session with the Nigerian Community, the interview actually took place a day after the event, he claimed.
โI made bold to say that no government has done as much as this government. Not just for ASUU, but for tertiary education in our country. Is it enough? Absolutely, it is not going to be enough. We have to keep doing more.
โBut ask yourself what was the average wage in the university system before. A university professor earn more than me as a governor. My salary as a governor is N500,000. Most University professors earn about the same amount if not more.
โYes, you may argue that there are other opportunities available, there are also other opportunities that are available that are not being taken advantage of by our academics. I can say a little bit about this because this is my terrain.
โI do not think that ASUU on its own strength can argue that government has not done well. There is hardly any institution in Nigeria today, including states universities that have not had the benefit of intervention.
โIt is either the government is building an auditorium or rehabilitating a laboratory, or improving on students hostels in virtually all the universities as I speak to you. That is what TETFUND does via their intervention funds. That again is not the complete solution.
โThere is need to revisit a whole lot of things about education policy,โ he said, adding that, as someone from the university system, there is no way he can denigrate professors and the teaching profession.
