By Wendy Nweke
President Muhammadu Buhari Monday has called on Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to reconsider their position on the prolonged strike.
Expressing worry that the hiatus will have generational consequences on families, the President also observes that the strike would affect the education system and future development of the country.
The President, who received some governors of the APC, legislators and political leaders at his residence, noted that 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 depended 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.
He said he hoped ASUU would sympathise with the people on the prolonged strike, stressing that enough is enough for keeping students at home, appealing to them not to hurt the next generation.
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.
He said students from Nigerian universities would 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.
The President said colonial type of education was geared towards producing workers in government, noting however that such jobs are no longer available, stressing that young people should get education to prepare them for self-employment.
President Buhari said resources should be channeled more into building infrastructure and operations of the health and educational sectors, not to expand the bureaucracy to create job opportunities.
He urged those in political positions and places of privilege to be mindful in helping the many Nigerians that were looking for opportunities.
President Buhari urged the APC stalwarts to keep working for the good of the people and the country, noting that Nigerians are a lucky people, but that they need to reflect more on the situation of the country before now.
The President said relative to the resources available, and compared to the last administration, the government had done well in many areas.
On security, the President noted that the northwest had posed more challenges, saying however that appreciable level of success has been recorded in other regions.
President Buhari advised some indigenes in the south-south to stop hurting national assets, which also affect their livelihood.
In his remarks at the meeting, the Chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, had thanked the President for his leadership roles in improving the economy of the nation and the many successes recorded in the APC, which include two conventions to produce the party leadership and the presidential candidate.
Alhaji Bagudu, who is the Governor of Kebbi State, said the favourable seasons supported the vision of ensuring food production and making agriculture a priority, with clear results in rice pyramids in various states.
He said in spite of the attacks by the renegades, the country had remained self-sufficient in food production.
Bagudu also appreciated the President for providing ease of access to governors and political leaders, noting that the opening of the National Economic Council for more fluid exchange of ideas greatly helped in improving the economy.
APC Governors at the lunch with the President were Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina, Nasir El-rufa’i of Kaduna, Hope Uzodinma of Imo, and Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa States,
The rest were Abubakar Bello of Niger, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Fayemi Kayode of Ekiti, Simon Lalong of Plateau, and Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi States.
