Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s request that the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, resolve the ongoing strike by university lecturers, ASUU, and other university staff members, a sociopolitical organization operating under the auspices of FUSION774 has backed Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s APC presidential candidate decision to address the issues surrounding the protracted strike.
The group said that it is imperative that government and non-governmental organizations work together to put an end to the strike that is slowly destroying Nigeria’s academic system while urging Nigerians to support Tinubu’s decision.
Coordinator of the group, Comrade Sadiq Jikta in a press statement issued to newsmen on Friday, said that instead of misinterpreting the good intention of the APC presidential candidate, there is the need to support him because his intention was borne out of the desire to see that the children who have been out of school for more than five months return to school again.
The group expressed confidence that Tinubu has what it takes to mediate between the government and ASUU and find a common ground that would serve as a lasting solution to the prolonged crisis rocking the nation’s academic system.
FUSION 774 who expressed concern over the negative effect the strike action has been having on the students, expressed optimism that Tinubu’s decision was pure and sincere, as a leader that means well for his people.
The statement reads: “We are convinced that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a great leader, that can mediate between the government and ASUU, and bring a lasting solution to the prolonged strike of ASUU. If he is given the needed support to intervene, we are convinced that our children who have been at home for more than five months now can return to school.
“He is a very intelligent politician and leader that can bring the two parties to the dialogue table to make some compromise because for you to achieve anything positive when there is a crisis between the government and any institution, there is the need for both parties to make some compromise.
“We believe that the reason for this prolonged strike is because the two parties are proving to be stubborn and none wants to make that needed compromise. So we are convinced that Tinubu as a leader and a father, will bring his intelligence to play and ensure there is a compromise from both parties and they will find a common ground to end this strike once and for all,” he said.
The group further said that the lingering strike by ASUU has reached a stage where the end is more important than how it is resolved, saying that there is the need for all well-meaning and privileged Nigerians to do anything possible to make sure that students return to school as soon as possible.
“Our political leaders should emulate the steps Asiwaju is taking to put an end to this lingering crisis between the government and ASUU. If this strike continues to linger, that means we are toiling with the future of our children and the future of Nigeria, because our children are the future of this nation.
“That is why as a pressure group, we are calling on all well-meaning Nigerians to support Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in his moves to find a lasting solution to this strike because the international communities are watching to see how we solve the crisis in this country. So, we should not allow ourselves to continue to be put to shame as the giant of Africa.
“We should prove to be the true giant of Africa by finding lasting solutions to these pressing issues that bother our youths. Our children cannot continue to be out of school because of the failure of an institution. So, we should pray and support the decision of Tinubu and pray that he finds the long-awaited solution to end the strike, for our children to go back to school again,” he said.
FUSION774 also used the opportunity to commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the peaceful and successful conduct of the just concluded Osun state governorship elections, urging INEC to replicate such in the forthcoming 2023 general election.
“We want to use this opportunity to commend INEC for conducting one of the most credible and peaceful elections in the just concluded Osun State governorship election. We keenly followed the process and judge the election to be credible, because the votes of the people counted.
“So, we are calling on INEC to replicate this same gesture in the 2023 general elections, by ensuring that those that registered as voters get their permanent voters cards, and during the elections, when the people vote for the candidates of their choices, let their votes also count during the elections,” Jikta said. (Independent)