President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday lashed out at the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), telling them enough is enough on their industrial action.
According to Buhari, they should find a place to reconsider their position on the prolonged strike, expressing worry that the hiatus will have generational consequences on families, the educational system and future development of the country.
The President, who received some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), legislators and political leaders at his residence in Daura, Katsina State said the strike had already taken a toll on the psychology of parents, students and other stakeholders, throwing up many moral issues that already beg for attention.
President Buhari noted that the future of the Country rests on the quality of educational institutions and education, while assuring that the government understands their position, and negotiations should continue, with students in lecture halls.
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, which. Include non payment of earned allowances.
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.
While 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 work space, 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.
The President said relative to the resources available, and compared to the last administration, the government had done well in many areas, particularly in infrastructure.
“I wish the person who is coming after me the very best,” he said.
Mainwhile, ASUU has said they will not call off the strike untill Federal Government adopt their UTAS Payment Platform.
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