President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to consider the plight of students and call off the ongoing strike.
Buhari also urged students in public tertiary institutions in the country to exercise patience as the government is taking steps to address the issues in the nation’s university system.
The president made the appeal on Thursday at the 19th National Productivity Day and the conferment of the National Productivity Order of Merit Award to 48 eminent Nigerians and organizations in both the public and private sectors, for their high productivity, hard work, and excellence.
The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, made this known in a statement titled, ‘At National Productivity Day Awards, President Buhari appeals to ASUU to call off strike’.
Buhari recalled that he had earlier directed the Chief of Staff, Hon. Ministers of Labour and Employment, Education, Finance, Budget and National Planning to immediately bring all parties to the negotiation table to again critically look at the critical areas in the demands of ASUU and in fact all other University-based labour unions.
The President, however, pledged that the Federal Government would continue to do everything possible to uplift the standard of the educational system in the country.
He added that his administration recognized that the future of any nation is contingent on the standard of its educational system.
‘‘Therefore, if we desire to transform Nigeria into a competitive, strong, vibrant, productive and sustainable economy, improving our educational system should be accorded the highest priority.
‘‘Quality educational system is good not just for the national economy; it is also good for the citizens.
‘‘Ignoring the productivity dimension of education would endanger the prosperity of future generations, with widespread repercussions for poverty and social exclusion.
‘‘It will be difficult to improve our economic performance and overall productivity, without improving our educational system.
‘‘Government notes the emergency situation in our educational system with particular reference to the dearth of qualified and dedicated teachers to enhance the quality of teaching and learning at all levels of our educational system,’’ he said.