“Call of strike for the sake of our children” – President Jonathan pleads with ASUU

President Goodluck Jonathan has pleaded with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off their industrial action for the sake of students who have been languishing at home for over 3 months.

Speaking during a Presidential media chat hosted by Channels Television yesterday the President said his administration had already released funds to ASUU and he had expected them to call of the strike by now.

His words: “ASUU strike is unfortunate; the Federal Government has made serious commitment on tertiary education but the desired change will not be achieved overnight.

“We started with N100 billion that we injected and we also have funds from other agencies that have been injected.

“Given all that this government has done, I expect ASUU to work with us knowing full well that we have taken all inventory and are attending to it.

“I had expected them to call off the strike by now but the way it is going one can only suspect a political undertone, but I will want to also use this opportunity to call on ASUU for the sake of our children to call off the strike.

“But even if we give ASUU what they are asking for with the present way of university management, there will still be strikes until the universities become autonomous in the real sense of it, particularly in terms of funding and in other areas; unless that, we will still be walking in circles.”