The Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba has said that he was quoted out of the context of reports in a section of the media that he asked members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to take up farming as an alternative for their jobs.
The Minister in a statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Mr Ben Bem Goong, on Thursday in Abuja, clarified that he was only encouraging members of the Association and Nigerians, in general, to take up farming as an alternative source of income.
The statement read: “The attention of the Federal Ministry of Education has been drawn to publications in some national dailies to the effect that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) has called on the Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, to resign his appointment and take up farming as a profession.
“This is in response to a statement supposedly made by the Hon. Minister advising members of ASUU to resign from the teaching profession and take to farming instead.
“We wish to categorically state that the Minister was quoted out of context.
“The Minister was encouraging members of the Association and Nigerians, in general, to take up farming as an alternative source of income.
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“This is in line with the present administration’s developmental agenda of refocusing on agriculture for economic diversification.
“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 Hon. 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,” Goong said.
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