Buhari pleads with ASUU to call off strike

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday, again appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU), to call off the strike embarked upon about seven months ago.

The President, in his Independence Day broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 62nd Independence anniversary, said he is “pained” by the recurring disruption of academic activities in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

“I must confess that I am very pained by the recurring disruption to our tertiary education system and I am using this Independence Day celebration to re-iterate my call for the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to return to the classroom while assuring them to deal with their contending issues within the limits of the scarce resources available.

The President said his administration has made appreciable progress in redressing these issues that have been lingering for over eleven years, pursuing policies and implementing programmes designed to create a literate and proficient society that ensures that citizens are availed with opportunities for life-long achievements.

He also assured that the Federal Government will continue to mobilize resources both internationally and nationally towards funding education to ensure that citizens are well educated and skilled in various vocations in view of the fact that education is a leading determinant of economic growth and employment generation.

As Nigeria politicians kickoff their political campaigns, ahead of the 2023 general elections, the President reiterated his earlier calls for peaceful and issue based campaigns devoid of rancor and violence

“As we begin the transition process to another democratically elected government, I want to implore all aspirants to conduct issues-based campaigns devoid of hate speeches as well as other negative and divisive tendencies”

He noted that only good governance system anchored on electing credible leaders on the basis of free, fair, credible and transparent elections, will strengthen gains made so far by his administration

“I also want to express my wish that we see more female and youth participation in the forth-coming electoral cycle. I am sure that our teeming and energetic youths now realise that violence generally mar elections and so should desist from being used by politicians for this purpose,” he said.

President Buhari re-stated his resolve to bequeath a sustainable democratic culture which will remain lasting.

“The signing of the Electoral Act 2021 as amended with landmark provisions further assures us of a more transparent and inclusive Electoral Process,” he added.

“Having witnessed at close quarters, the pains, anguish and disappointment of being a victim of an unfair electoral process, the pursuit of an electoral system and processes that guarantee election of leaders by citizens remains the guiding light as I prepare to wind down our administration.”

He cited recent elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun) and a few federal constituencies, which he said have shown a high degree of credibility, transparency and freedom of choice with the people’s votes actually counting, promising to improve on them in the 2023 General Elections.