From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Women Leader in Kogi State, Princess Grace Adejoh, has tasked President Muhamamdu Buhari to take decisive action to end the five-month strike by ASUU to save the future of Nigerian students.
She spoke against the backdrop of call by the president on ASUU to reconsider its position on the prolonged strike given the generational consequences for students, the educational system and the country’s future development.
Adejoh, however, condemned the president for calling on stakeholders and friends of ASUU to beg them to call off the strike when as leader of the nation he had failed to hold a dialogue with the striking lecturers.
She said it was not enough for the president to call on members of ASUU to go back to class without making any categorical statement on meeting their demands.
She claimed the president’s approach to the strike appeared too cosmetic and indifferent to the plights of the students.
The PDP women leader said the president ought to have engaged the striking lecturers and let them know the aspects of their demands that could be met immediately, and the ones that could be met later, to enable the students resume classes.
She said of all the ASUU demands, the issue of UTAS payment system was uppermost as the striking lecturers have said the technology passed through integrity test.
Adejoh queried why the Federal Government was still foot-dragging on its approval of UTAS given that the strike had caused serious psychological trauma on students and parents and led to a rise in crime rate and prostitution. She tasked the government to do everything possible to end the strike within seven days.
She also appealed to the leadership of ASUU not to allow ego and selfishness taint their demands saying the future of students and the education sector should be paramount to them.