‘Buhari, not ASUU should have mercy on varsity students’

ASUU PRESIDENT

The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Monday begged President Muhammadu Buhari to show mercy on helpless students currently bearing the brunt of the ongoing strike.

The union said Buhari had the capability to resolve the lingering issues between it and the Federal Government for students to continue with their academic activities forthwith.

ASUU has been on strike since November 5, 2018.

The union reiterated that it was on strike to make the ruling class responsible for the future of Nigerian children.

ASUU, in a release signed by Dr Deji Omole, the University of Ibadan chapter Chairman, described the call by the Labour Minister, Dr. Chris Ngige, on the union to have mercy on students and call off its strike “as misplaced and a merciless utterance.”

According to Omole, the statement by the minister exposed the ruling government’s insincerity and callousness to the well-being of Nigerian students.

ASUU said since government is a continuum, it was regrettable that “Ngige who is being paid salaries put in place by previous governments as a minister will say previous governments caused the problem of the strike by signing 2009 agreements.”

The ASUU boss who noted that the present government had not shown mercy to education and health of the nation, said the union had a genuine concern to truncate the plans of the ruling capitalists to destroy the future of Nigerian youths by not funding education.

Omole argued that “education is an instrument of liberation which will stop many youths from joining kidnapping gangs, armed robbery, militancy and terrorism. We are patriots, otherwise we would not go on strike. We would have been looking and allow everything to be destroyed.

“But we cannot allow our future (children) to be taught in zoo-like conditions. This kind of education system cannot give us a leader who will be kind to others if we are not kind to them by giving them the best environment to learn from. Nigerians should join us to beg President Buhari to meet our demands on time rather than using a ‘keep them talking’ approach.”