The federal government has been given a seven-day ultimatum to resolve the impasse with striking universities lecturers or face the wrath of Nigerian youth.

Besides, the failure to honour its agreement with Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is seen as a ploy to completely destroy the nation’s education.

In an open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan titled “The ASUU strike and the need for urgent action to save our educational system”, a youth leader comrade Timi Frank stated that it is ironic that the wealth of the country is being frittered away through frivolous projects and pervasive corruption while education upon which a brighter future is built is being destroyed.

He reminded the President that if N2 trillion was expended between 2010 and 2011, to bail out banks to save the nation’s financial sector even when it was obvious that some of the funds were embezzled, it will be worth the while if the government will apply the same emergency arrangements to put an end to the decay in the education system.

He lamented that a government that spent N2.3 trillion instead of the budgeted and appropriated N280 billion in 2011 in the name of subsidy and introduced SURE-P as a way of absorbing the negative impact on the economy, should by all ramifications be able to afford the N90 billion for the universities lecturers without much stress.

•Credit (except headline): Daily Trust. •Photo shows President Jonathan.