A governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State, Senator Julius Ucha has called on all political parties that fielded candidates for the 2023 general election to release 50 percent of the monies realised from aspirants to the federal government to use to cushion the effects of the industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Ucha, who made the call in Abakaliki, the state capital, said political parties have collected so much money from the society.
He noted that it was unfortunate that ASUU has been on strike at a time that insecurity has worsened in the country.
According to him, “It’s very unfortunate that ASUU is still on strike. The government is the largest shareholder in education in the country. The incessant ASUU strike has created a social problem. In every family, parents should be happy that their children are in school when they have solved the problem of paying school fees.
So I’m using this opportunity to appeal to political parties that fielded candidates to release 50 percent of the money they collected from aspirants to the federal government to use it to cushion the effects of the ASUU crisis.”
“Political parties have collected so much money from the society.
“Political parties are also members of the society. ASUU members are also from the society. Children are members of the society. So the entire society is bleeding. Let all political parties help the government to solve the crisis.”
Ucha advocated that: “When children are in school, it is a very big relief to parents and the society. But when they are not in school, they are no longer busy; their minds are no longer busy; their brains are now looking for what to do because an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
“Therefore, I’m using this opportunity to call on ASUU and the federal government to intensify efforts to resolve this strike.