President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that the Federal Government of Nigeria will develop measures to curb incessant strikes and address grievances by staff of universities in the country.
Buhari, represented by a Director with National Universities Commission, Dr Gidado Kuma, spoke on Saturday at the 23rd, 24th and 25th combined Convocation Ceremonies of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi.
“I have noted with great concern the incessant strikes by teachers and other university workers, even though, most of the demands are germane but the repercussions have negative consequences.
“Let me assure you that this administration will very soon come up with modalities of addressing your grievances without face-offs so that we attain stability and balance in the system.
“The university is unable to conduct convocations as at when due for sets of students, this is not peculiar to your university but rather an underlying difficulty the system has found itself over the years,’’ the president said.
He said that no nation would progress if its educational system was poor.
Buhari said government was looking into the operations of agencies in the education sector to find solutions to the problems militating against their desired impact, especially in the university system.
Buhari challenged such institutions to surprise Nigerians at occasions such as convocation ceremonies by presenting new discoveries or inventions that would add value to the technology drive of the country.
He said “Nations across the globe are in stiff competition, we cannot lay back and take the back seat as simply consumers of other nations’ products but must come with our own products for others to buy.
“Nations are in stiff competition to outwit one another in the area of offering quality knowledge and positive research and we must provide leadership in Africa in this regard.
“Our agencies in charge of educational development must find a way of encouraging our youth to aspire learning in the country’s institutions but as well attract foreign students and researchers so that our global ranking of universities can soar”.
Comentários