ASUU Strike: Jonathan Begs ASUU To Call Off Strike

The latest development on ASUU Strike is that President Goodluck Jonathan begged members of ASUU to go back to call of the ongoing strike and go back to work. This is coming days after it was reported that ASUU rejected a fresh N600bn offered by the FG. We also reported that NANS barricaded Niger Bridge for hours in protest against the ongoing strike.

We should also remind you that members of ASUU reportedly met yesterday (Saturday) and we are still waiting for the outcome of that meeting.

Read the full gist of the latest ASUU Strike news:

President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday in Ado-Ekiti appealed to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to return to the classrooms in the interest of their students.

He made the appeal at the inauguration of the College of Engineering Complex at the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Ekiti State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that three-storey college complex was also named after the President.

Jonathan urged ASUU members to heed his appeal saying that whatever their grievances might be, keeping students out of school for four months was unpatriotic.

“I once again appeal to the entire membership of ASUU to pause and ponder on the adverse effect of their action on the future of the vibrant youths of this great nation.

“The collective destiny of tens of thousands of tomorrow’s leaders should not be held hostage to vagaries of labour disputes.

“As long as we are humans, as long as we are a developing society, this labour dispute must come up.

“I always say that even in the developed societies we hear about labour dispute; and there is no society, even the most developed, that has provided the facilities for every worker.

“Our security services, the Police, the Armed Forces, Navy, Air Force and para-military, intelligent services are also operating in an environment that is not the best.

“If all of us should go on long strike because our environment is not at its optimum, then definitely we can never get the Nigeria of our dream.

“So, let me use this unique opportunity that I am interfacing with our future leaders, our students, to plead with ASUU members.

“If it is a genuine strike keeping students out of classrooms for almost four months, by that they have demonstrated to everybody that they have a case.

“And if the strike is motivated by some other interests, they have also achieved that by keeping students out of schools for more than a semester,” he said.

The President emphasised that the freedom of association and the right of workers to go on strike should not be abused to harm the country’s interest.

“I believe that labour has the right to go on strike, but in that strike, any action taken must be built on patriotic zeal.

“In as much as you can go on strike, you must be patriotic to our country.

“No matter how and what you feel about Mr president and the federal government, I plead with ASUU that for the sake of our students, they should resume classes,” he said.

President Jonathan assured all that the government would continue to work with all Nigerians to build a better country for all and future generation.

He noted that as long government had shown commitment to improving the qualities of infrastructure in the universities and the operating environment, ASUU should reconsider its stand.

Jonathan noted that if students of private universities could get their degrees within three and half years as witnessed in ABUAD, “it is unacceptable that students of public institutions are kept for extra one or two years”.

The President congratulated the founder and President of ABUAD, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), for the feat achieved in the institution.

He said he was deeply humbled by the decision to name the College of Engineering of the institution building after him.

“It is often said that great minds live great history behind them and this history is built on a very great vision.

“The vision of Aare Afe Babalola, founder of this promising institution, is a noble one.

Jonathan noted that historically, some of the greatest institutions of learning in the world were shaped by the vision, foresight and personal experience of their founders.

He described Babalola as “a man of unassailable character, profound vision, an epitome of the highest ideals and a quintessential Nigerian patriot”

The President charged the pioneer graduating students of the institution to become good ambassadors of the school and decent citizens that would make Nigeria proud.

In a welcome address, Babalola said the institution built some three and half years ago ss worth over N60 billion in private investments.

He said that with more than 4,000 students from 36 States of Nigeria and FCT, the institution was reputed to be one of the fastest growing private universities in Africa.

The renowned lawyer and educationist said ABUAD was the second best private university in the country and the 14th best among all public and private universities in Nigeria.

Babalola said he decided to invest in the education sector because of his firm believe that government could not fund the sector alone.

He noted that the best universities in the world such as Oxford and Havard were privately owned.

Babalola said the naming of the College of Engineering of the institution after the president was in recognition of the immense contributions of the administration to education sector.

Specifically, Babalola said the College was dedicated to the President in endorsement of the laudable transformation programmes in the education sector and in particular, the enabling environment given to the private sector.

He called on the President to intervene in the development of the Ekiti Airport.

He said that in spite of the more than N600 million approved by the federal government for the commencement of the project in 2011, nothing had happened at the site of the airport.

Minister of State for Education Nyesom Wike congratulated Babalola for setting standard in private university funding and operation.

He said that ABUAD could favourably “compete with any university on earth” with world class infrastructure and well-behaved and brilliant students.

Wike also reiterated the federal government’s commitment to transform the education sector.

NAN reports that Governors Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo, Ramalan Yero of Kaduna, Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe and the host governor, Kayode Fayemi, attended the ceremony.