ASUU Strike: Buhari Seeks To End Action

President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to consider the plight of students and call off the strike.

The presidential aide, Femi Adesina, stated this during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

 “He (Buhari) appealed to ASUU to consider the plight of those young ones. It shows that the president is ready to resolve this matter once and for all,” Adesina said. 

He explained that the President is seeking a lasting solution to the lingering strike, maintaining that there have been industrial actions “under everyone”.

“Last week, I saw something on Facebook that Alhaji Shehu Shagari was appealing to ASUU to go back to class. Alhaji Shagari ruled 43 years ago. And he was appealing to ASUU to go back to school,” the presidential aide said.

“That shows you that this is an endemic issue. Left to the government, the students will go back tomorrow, but then the issue has to be resolved conclusively so that in another six weeks, eight weeks, or six months, we don’t go back to where we are today.

“It would not vitiate the president’s legacy in any way because this dates back in time. It was there under Shagari; it was there under Buhari as a military leader; it was there under Babangida, and it was there under Shonekan — under everybody.”

Earlier, Buhari had appealed to the striking lecturers to consider the plight of students and call off the strike.

“I want to use this opportunity to call on ASUU to consider the plight of the students and call off the ongoing strike action,” Buhari said at the 19th National Productivity Day and conferment of the National Productivity Order Merit award held at the State House in Abuja.

“I also call on students to exercise patience as we try to address the nagging issues in our university system within the ambits of available resources.”