The Presidency has commented on the ASUU strike, asking the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to call off its industrial action, claiming the government lacks the financial capacity to meet all their demands.
The Presidency has asked the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to call off its industrial action, claiming the government lacks the financial capacity to meet all their demands.
Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity made the call when he featured on Channels Television’s Programme, Politics Today.
According to Shehu, President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration doe not have what it takes to meet 100 percent of ASUU’s demands. He queried the rationale behind holding the President by the neck over an agreement reached with a different government.
He said that other sectors of the country need the intervention of the Federal Government, asides from ASUU.
He said: “As for ASUU, the president has the right to appeal on behalf of Nigerians, this is six months or more of the ongoing strike.
“Is it right for anyone to insist on taking 100 percent of all of those grievances that they have? Don’t forget that what is the cause of this problem is a 2009 agreement with the then government that they have no capacity to deliver upon and have passed it from one government to another.
“So, we might ask the question, why is Buhari being held by the neck? What happened in the past? Why didn’t they strangle those past administrations on these matters? That’s our worry.
“The Federal Government has put a lot of substance on the table. Will the Federal Government yield to 100 percent of ASUU demands, I won’t say.
“There are also other sectors of the economy yearning for attention, the military need weapons, and guns to fight terrorists. We have to look into other sectors of the economy.
“The Minister of State for Education has assured that we are about to turn the corner and all these issues are about to be resolved. We have reached this level in the past and my prayer is that it would soon end.
“They have family members and leaders within the community, so they should prevail on them to resume classes and those elements that have not been resolved can be talked over.”
Source: Dailypost