*Says no governor closed down any of the govt-owned universities

By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI— Governor Ikedi Ohakim has said that no government in the South East geo-political zone closed down any of the state-owned universities.

The governor stated this while fielding questions from journalists in Owerri, after the congresses organized by the national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

“No governor closed down any of the government-owned universities in the South East. We did not equally close down Evan Enwerem University, Owerri,” Ohakim said.

According to the governor, the state government set up a committee to look into the demands of the lecturers.

Ohakim added that he had literally knelt down, begging ASUU in Imo State to go back to the classroom in the interest of the students.

“I believe that the lecturers are poorly paid. But you must note that it is not only the lecturers that are poorly paid. Drivers, doctors, journalists and workers are poorly paid,” the governor recounted.

He was not particularly happy that the whole universities in the South East came together and agreed on a joint strike which, he noted, had never happened before.

“Why is it that universities in other geo-political zones did not go on strike? Did the owners of those universities pay the contentious wage? The answer is no,” Ohakim said.

He challenged the lecturers to name the university where students fees were lower than that of Evan Enwerem University, Owerri.

“The solution is for the lecturers to please consider the plight of our children. We are almost ending the year.

“If anything, we sit down and agree on what the government can afford to pay. We put it in 2011 budget and when it is approved, we begin to pay,” Ohakim reasoned.