….Says Diezani’s loot enough to end ASUU strike

From: Sola Ojo, Kaduna

The senator representing Kaduna Central in the upper chamber of National Assembly, Shehu Sani has called on President Mohammadu Buhari to as matter of urgency fumigate proverbial hyenas, jackals and wolves in his cabinet.

The lawmaker who stated this in an interview with newsmen shortly after his visit to home of destitute in Kaduna earlier in the day said, Mr.  President’s determination to disinfect his cabinet now is the surest way of achieving his vision, mission and programmes for Nigeria.

According to activist turn politician, any cabinet member who is not performing satisfactorily should be thrown out of presidency while competent hands should be brought in now because if the initial appointment was meant to appease political interest, then the time has come to face the reality to avoid disappointing Nigerian masses who voted for All Progressives Congress (APC) based on Mr. President’s personal respect and integrity.

To Sani, “everybody knows who the Lion is. As regarding the Hyenas, Jackals and wolves, I think I will leave that for Mr. President to mention them if he want to.

“But in general terms, these are the elements within the cycle of presidency that have personal interest other than that of Mr. President. And they are called in broader sense as cabal. These are the mafias that exists within presidency. Like I said, their intent is different from that of president himself but they are part of what is called presidency.

“One thing the President need to do which is very important is a need for him to take a proactive stand in order to reset his presidency by looking at his cabinet in totality.

“Those who have failed should be shown the way out and those who have not been able to perform satisfactorily should be replaced or reshuffled. But it is time for Mr. President to throw some people out of his cabinet and change the portfolio of some of them so they can help him to perform better. There is mid term fatigue that exists and the only way out is to bring in capable hands.

“If the first appointment into office was to appease the political interest, I think the president now should appoint those who are capable of delivering the mission, the vision and the programme of his own administration.

“There is a message I’m sending to Mr. President to fumigate and disinfect presidency in the general interest of his own government and also the country as a whole”, he added.

On the lingering strike embarked upon by members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the senator suggested that, stolen funds recovered from former Petroleum Minister, Alison Diezani Maduekwe should be used to solve the problem between ASUU and Federal Government in the interest of young Nigerians who are trying to acquire knowledge through formal education.

He said ASUU has being deceived since 1992 by different governments sitting with them without actually addressing fundamental issues facing Nigerian public universities.

“Even the money recovered from Diezani can be used to solve their problem and that should be done. So it is very easy to do. Use the monies recovered from loots and equip the public education and that will settle it. We cannot continue to toy with future of our children with very deceptive agreement.

“I as a person, I’m 100 percent with ASUU and I supported their strike and they should continue with their strike until the FG meet their demands. If they don’t strike what would they have done to press for their demand as a trade union? Would they have carried arms?

“So, peaceful strike is allowed in democracy and I think the FG should do something about it very quickly. This problem was inherited by Buhari’s administration but it must see how it can solve it.

“And unless we have a law where people in public offices must have their wards in public schools, Nigeria public schools will continue to be a mockery.

“Why should we have a law that says a public officeholder cannot own a foreign account. And we don’t have a law that says your wards must attend public school within the country, these are questions we need to provide answers to”, he submitted.