I’m Pained By ASUU’s 8 Months Strike , Buhari Says In Independence Day Speech

The president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has said that he is pained by the industrial action of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, which has now stretched to eight months.

University lecturers declared their strike on February 14, 2022.

They resolved to stop lecturing until the federal government fulfils its terms of agreement with the union which is based largely on adequate funding of tertiary institutions and employees.

Speaking during his Independence Day broadcast on October 1, Buhari pleaded with the lecturers to go back to the classroom.

He pledged to meet up with their demands.

“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.

“This administration has made appreciable progress in redressing these issues that have been lingering for over eleven years,” Buhari said.

Buhari assured stakeholders that the Federal Government will continue to mobilize resources both internationally and nationally towards funding education to ensure that Nigerian students are well educated and skilled in various vocations.

He agreed that education guarantees the economic growth of the nation.

The president committed to ensuring a credible election in 2023 but warned Nigerians to shun violence.

He implored all aspirants to conduct issues-based campaigns devoid of hate speeches.

He said, ” 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.

“Fellow Nigerians, in the past few years we have witnessed and overcome a good number of challenges that would ordinarily have destroyed our Nation. However, the indefatigable spirit of the Nigerian people has ensured that we overcome our challenges.

“It is in this spirit that I call on all of us to individually and collectively bring to the fore in dealing with all our development issues.

“I was called to serve, along with my team, I saw an opportunity to create a better Nigeria which we have done with the support of Nigerians.

“Almighty God and the good people of Nigeria supported us in laying a solid foundation for the Nigeria of our dreams.

“​I thank you all and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”