FG can’t borrow N1.1trn to end ASUU strike – Festus Keyamo
Festus Keyamo, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, has said that it is unfair and totally unrealistic for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to expect the Federal Government to borrow money to end the more than five-month old strike.
He made this statement on Friday while speaking on ChannelsTV Politics Today. He couldn’t fathom why ASUU would prefer that the government borrow to pay them considering that their salary already takes up around 50 percent of the government’s overhead. “Should we go and borrow to pay N1.2 trillion yearly?” he asked.
“You cannot allow one sector of the economy to hold you by the jugular and then blackmail you to go and borrow N1.2 trillion for overheads when our total income would be about N6.1 trillion.” And you have roads to build, health centres to build, other sectors to take care of. ” He added
He, however, urged parents to plead with ASUU to call off the strike while negotiations continue.
CHINA HALTS CO-OPERATION WITH US ON KEY ISSUES OVER – Pelosi’s Taiwan visit
China is putting a brake on diplomatic ties with the US over Congress Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. The areas of mutual cooperation likely to be affected are climate change, military talks, and efforts to combat international crime.
According to the BBC, China, which also announced that it would be sanctioning Pelosi and her family, views the visit as a challenge to its claims of sovereignty over Taiwan.
The self-ruled island sees itself as distinct from the mainland. The measures were announced by China’s foreign ministry on Friday.
It said dialogue between US and Chinese defence officials would be cancelled, while cooperation on returning illegal immigrants, climate change, and investigating international crime would be suspended.
