ASUU demands are valid — Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday said in Ibadan, Oyo State
that the agitation by the Academic Staff Union of Universities for
improved welfare, infrastructure, funding and other contentious
issues affecting the nation’s universities were genuine.

Buhari, who was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at
the 70th Foundation Day ceremony and award of certificates to the
PhD graduands and honorary doctoral degree awards to some notable
Nigerians by the University of Ibadan, however, said the government
could not do it alone. He called for alternative sources of funding
education.

The celebration peaked with the conferment of honorary doctoral
awards on six Nigerian: Chief Bode Akindele; Prof.(Mrs.) Bolanle
Awe; Prof. Grace Alele-Williams, Mrs Olufunmilayo Olopade, Prof.
Akinlawon Mabogunje, and Prof. Omoniyi Adewoye.

Buhari agreed that the nation’s education was underfunded but
regretted that the Federal Government could not meet all the
demands of the lecturers.

He therefore called on the authorities of various institutions
to explore other sources of fund to meet their demands.

Th President, who said basic issues such as population growth,
climate change and education called for insightful thinking,
singled out education as a major source of concern to the Federal
Government.

The President pointed out that the best efforts of the
government could not provide what was needed for education in the
country, stressing that government alone could not provide
everything needed for the nation’s education, saying ASUU’s
agitation was valid.

While emphasising that the country could not achieve accelerated
development without substantial investment in education, he
canvassed the idea of raising money from the capital market to fund
education.

In his remarks, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State called on
all the stakeholders to come together to develop the nation’s
education sector.

A former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd.) called on
members of the university community to continue to hold on to the
tenets of academic excellence, integrity and patriotic zeal in the
country.

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