The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has warned President Goodluck Jonathan against taking advice from some of his aides, saying their advise would only ruin his government.
The Chairman of the University of Ibadan branch of the union, Olusegun Ajiboye, who gave the warning at the university campus on Monday, said if the president failed to purge his cabinet of some elements, he may end up with regret.
Mr. Ajiboye specifically mentioned the Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, who, he said, was labelling ASUU “enemy of the state” for making legitimate demands on the Federal Government.
He said though the union respected the office of the President, Mr. Okupe and other sycophantic advisers were trying to ridicule the office through their unguarded utterances against the union.
The don described Mr. Okupe as a political jobber, who only thrives where there is crisis; saying it was regrettable to hear a medical doctor (Mr. Okupe), abandon the job of saving lives for the job of a praise singer.
“Indeed, it has become necessary for the president to screen his advisers who feed him with anti-masses opinion and paint the president in bad light.”
“Historically, leaders have failed because of the bad counsel of their advisers. Mr President needs to be careful not to be derailed by people like Okupe who do not see corrupt politicians and cabals as well as looters as enemies of state.”
“Okupe does not see anything wrong in bad roads, comatose health sector, pension fraud, subsidy saga, aviation revelations, oil theft as enough problems for the masses by the leadership,” the ASUU leader said.
The union leader appealed to Mr. Jonathan to call to order, fifth columnists out to rubbish the meeting he had with the union by deliberately removing issues captured at the meeting from the resolution.
It urged the President to read the letter sent by the union to him in order to know that the union was not out to disrespect him but give him more credibility.
“Nigerians should judge the true enemies of state between a person begging the owner of schools to fund it and the praise singers saying government has released money when it has not. Posterity is there to judge us all,” he said.
Academic activities remained grounded at UI on Monday as lecturers refused to resume as directed by the President.
The members of the academic union also held a congress on Sunday where they were told to remain resolute. They were also told not to sign any register if the government chooses to open one.
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