President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday lambasted the leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) telling them enough is enough on their industrial action which they had embarked upon since February.
According to Buhari, the university lecturers will have to find a place to reconsider their position on the prolonged strike, expressing concern that the hiatus will have generational consequences on families, the educational system, and future development of the country.
The President stated that the strike had already had an impact on the psychology of parents, students, and other stakeholders and had raised numerous moral issues that already cried out for attention while hosting legislators, political leaders, and some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at his residence in Daura, Katsina State.
While reassuring students in lecture halls that the government understands their stance and that discussions should continue, President Buhari stated that the future of the nation depends on the calibre of educational institutions and education.
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Recall that ASUU and other unions within the university system have been on strike for over five months in protest for a number of agreements allegedly breached by government.
While ASUU insists that government must pay its emoluments through the Universities Transparency Accountability System (UTAS) government says all university workers must key into the Integrated Personnel Payrolls and Information System( IPPIS).
ASUU is also prevailing on government to redeem its pledge regarding universities revitalization to boost infrastructures.
But reacting Buhari said, ‘We hope that ASUU will sympathise with the people on the prolonged strike. Truly, enough is enough for keeping students at home. Don’t hurt the next generation for goodness sake’.
The President called on all well-meaning Nigerians, particularly those close to the leaders and members of the association, to intervene in persuading the lecturers to reconsider their position, and the ripple effect on an entire generation and the nation.
President Buhari said students from Nigerian universities will be faced with the challenge of competing with others in a highly connected and technology-driven workspace, and keeping them at home only deprives them of time, skill and opportunities to be relevant on the global stage.
‘Colonial type education was geared towards producing workers in government. Those jobs are no longer there. Our young people should get education to prepare them for self-employment. Now education is for the sake of education.
‘Through technology we are much more efficient. We should encourage our children to get education, not only to look for government jobs,’ he added.
President Buhari said resources should be channeled more into building infrastructure and operations of the health and educational sector, not to expand the bureaucracy to create job opportunities.
‘By this time next year, I would have made the most out of the two terms, and the remaining months I will do my best,’ the President noted.
President Buhari urged those in political positions and places of privilege to be mindful in helping the many Nigerians that were looking for opportunities.