By Abbas Bamalli
New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has expressed concern over the the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) since six months ago.
The NNPP Chairman in Katsina State, Alhaji Sani Liti, expressed the concern on Friday in Katsina while addressing newsmen on the party’s agenda.
According to Liti, the situation is worrisome, and becomes necessary for them to show their concerns because it has forced over 10 million students to remain redundant at home.
He therefore suggested that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should sacrifice the funds they realised from the sales of nomination forms to settle the ASUU’s claims.
“If the more than 10 million young Nigerians are allowed to continue to remain at home, we ask Nigerians to start an ‘ASUU back to Class’ contributory fund.
“We believe that Nigerians shall contribute money to ASUU and have them return to classes. Should 60 million Nigerians contribute N1,000 only, the total money should be about N60 billion.
“Political parties, especially PDP and APC, should sacrifice all their income from the sale of forms, estimated to be over N30 billion to ASUU.
“In addition, the major candidates, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr Bola Tinubu should also sacrifice half of the amount they expended during the convention of their political parties,” he suggested.
Meanwhile, Liti said that the political processes and the money used by the political parties and politicians from February to August, was estimated to consume twice the amount for ASUU’s demand to reopen schools.
He advised government that for the country’s economy to improve, and, within the remaining time the government has, it must be able to control politicians’ excessive use and abuse of the Naira.
On security issues, the NNPP Chairman said it had become necessary for the people to embark on a special prayer session as one of the best alternatives to resolve the problem.
“It is, thus, important for the people of Katsina to devise local means of protecting themselves, including local intelligence gathering, ways of avoiding bandits’ attack on their vIllages and several other means they may devise.
“They should deploy the greatest weapon that is available to them, which prayer is one.
“We therefore, urge every grown-up person, who has the ability, to fast at least once a week and ask God to help us overcome the rising insecurity in Katsina State and Nigeria.
“In this respect, we shall call for a state prayer every month. The monthly Katsina state prayer session wIll begin this month, God willing.” (NAN)
