Paul Orude, BauchiPresident Muhammadu Buhari has assured the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) that the federal government is working on
modalities to address their grievances without a face-off thereby
ending incessant strikes in the country’s universities.
Buhari who gave the assurance in his address on Saturday during the
23rd, 24th and 25th Convocation ceremonies of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
University (ABTU), Bauchi, stated that the move was to attain
stability and balance in the country’s university system.
The President who was represented by Dr Gidado Bello Kumo from the
National Universities Commission (NUC), said: “Our resolve to address
the decay in the system is not in doubt, just as our collective
resolve as a government and a people is unwavering. We invite you to
come to us with meaningful suggestions that will add value to the
system.
“It is my belief that exchange of views an ideas will assist in
arriving at mutually acceptable solutions to most of our today’s
problems in the educational sector. I therefore advise for continued
dialogue and consultations among all the stakeholders in the system”
The president said that the administration had gained a clear focus on
how to re-orient the system to address the challenges of the 21st
century.
“But the support of all stakeholders is needed to ensure that we
succeed. In this regard, the central players are the teachers and
students who are the nucleus and major actors on the stage. No nation
will progress if its educational institution is poor,” he stated,
revealing that government was looking into the operations of
educational agencies to find solutions to their problems militating
against their desired impact, specifically the university system.
In his welcome Address, the Vice Chancellor ATBU, Professor Saminu
Abdulrahman Ibrahim, expressed gratitude to the President who is also
the Visitor to the University for honouring their invitation.
Ibrahim said: “We appreciate the commitment of your administration
towards salvaging University education sector as demonstrated in many
ways including the setting up of a Committee to recognise the sector
headed by Prof Peter Okebukola. We assure you of our total alignment
to your administration’s drive to move the education sector forward”
The VC appealed to the President to facilitate the speedy release of
the final tranche of the NEEDS Assessment funds to facilitate the
completion of on-going projects in the university.
Prof Ibrahim however expressed gratitude to the federal government for
the establishment of Presidential NEEDS assessment Intervention Funds.
He said that ATBU has experienced enormous challenges as a result of
paucity of funds saying that in spite of that the management was able
to witness modest achievements in conjunction with stakeholders.
He commended the Senate of the University and other members of
collective staff for “constructive deliberations” on academic matters
and especially for maintaining the high ethical standards which
ensured prompt and efficient processing and releasing of results.
“We appreciate our staff and student unions, including ASUU, SSANU,
NAAT, NASU and SUG for engaging in useful and constructive dialogue
that has kept the university relatively peaceful despite the external
threats by national strikes”
Earlier in their separate remarks, the Chancellor of the University
Oba Rufus Adeyemo Aladesanmi III, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti and the
Pro-Chancellor Ambassador Dr Nimota Akambi, commended the Governing
Council, Senate and Management of the University for maintaining the
standard of the university.
Our correspondent reports that no fewer than 8,495 students graduated
with 480 for National Diplomas, 5,637 for first degrees, 1,580 for
PGD, 770 for Masters and 90 for PhDs respectively, out of which 118
bagged first class.

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