By Simon Ebegbulem
GOVERNOR Martins Elechi of Ebonyi State has faulted allegation of president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzia, that South East governors failed to solve the lingering crisis in universities in the zone due to selfish interests.

He accused ASUU president of being economical with the truth, saying governors in the zone had made frantic efforts to find solution to the lingering strike embarked upon by ASUU in the zone but regretted that the union had remained adamant.

Elechi spoke to newsmen in Benin City when he paid a condolence visit to Governor Adams Oshiomhole on the death of his wife, Clara.

He described as outrageous the claim that the governors lacked the political will to end the crisis, asserting that “we insist that the right thing be done.

“First of all, the state governments were not part of the negotiation, it was a negotiation between ASUU and the Federal Government. ASUU of federal institutions, not state government and the state universities that are under different laws with different terms and conditions of service.

“But we are all concerned that everybody should be happy in his place of work.  It would be unfair for ASUU to think that the states’ resources be deployed to addressing only their problems, rather every income that comes to the states should be deployed to address every sector of the state.

“Having said that every kobo in the treasury belongs to everybody, not to one group of people, those who are employed and those who are not employed, the educated and non-educated, they have a share, they have a right to share in the resources of the state and in trying to issue out, it may not be easy for some states and they may not like it, but no one gives what it doesn’t have. “You can only pay as possible within the limit of our resources. That is the true position,” he stated.

According to him,“we are not insensitive or adamant or do we lack the political will?   We have said time without number, we tried to negotiate at the state level when they insisted on working together on zonal basis.

“We invited them and they walked out on us, does that show lack of political will on the part of government?. Far from it, we have the political will.”