Gbenro Adesina
The Federal Ministry of Education in Nigeria on Thursday October 10, 2020, confirmed that its Minister of State, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba has called on the universities’ lecturers to take up farming as an alternative source of income.
The Ministry stated this in a rejoinder titled, “Re: ASUU blasts Education Minister” and signed by its Director, Press and Public Relations, Ben Bem Goong.
Though, the ministry claimed that the minister was misquoted to have asked members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resign from the teaching profession and take to farming instead.
The Ministry in the rejoinder stated, “The Minister was encouraging members of the Association and Nigerians in general to take up farming as an alternative source of income. This is in line with the present administration’s development agenda of refocusing on agriculture for economic diversification”.
He explained further, “Furthermore, farming is the only profession in which civil servants are constitutionally empowered to engage in, even while they are working. Agriculture helps boost food security, national development, as well as provide economic empowerment for Nigerians
“The Federal Ministry of Education is therefore, surprised at the outburst of ASUU on the minister’s statement as there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking up farming while still working. The Minister of State is on point. The outburst of the Academic Staff Union of Universities is clearly a matter of transferred aggression, totally unfounded, misguided and absolutely unnecessary”, the ministry concluded.
