The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has said it was unrealistic for the Federal Government to borrow money to end the months-long strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
The Minister said this on Friday when he featured on a programme on Channels Television: “Politics Today.”
Keyamo said: “Should we go and borrow to pay N1.2 trillion yearly?
“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.”
The Minister urged parents to join President Muhammadu Buhari in begging ASUU to call off the strike.
He added: “Like the President said the other time, those who know them, appeal to their sense of patriotism.
“Let them go back to classes.
“They are not the only one in Nigeria.
“They are not the only ones feeding from the federal purse.
“The nation cannot grind to a halt because we want to take care of the demands of ASUU.”
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