Minister of Education become first to resign for presidential aspiration

The Minister of State for Education, Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba, is marked first to resign following the president's directive that all cabinet members tender their resignation on or before May 16, 2022.

The development was made known on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja.

According to reports, the minister intends to focus on the upcoming party primaries.

Hon Nwajiuba (54) obtained his nomination form last week and he is expected to battle for the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential ticket with the likes of Bola Tinubu, Yemi Osinbajo, and others.

The tenure of the minister is tainted with unceasing industrial actions by the Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU. The most recent industrial action kicked off since February 14 with no hope of resolution in sight.

ASUU has been demanding that the federal government upholds its 2009 agreement signed with the union. The agreement requires that the government commit N200 billion annually for five years to the revitalisation of the sector. To meet this segment of the ASUU demand, FG must cough out N1 trillion.

The union also said the government refused to include earned academic allowances in the 2022 budget as promised.

While Nwajiuba has maintained close to silence on the issue, Chris Ngige, minister of labour now turned presidential aspirant, says the federal government does not have the funds to meet some of the demands of ASUU.

Ngige, however, is yet to follow the president's directive and resign as he also is aspiring to be president of Nigeria.