President Muhammadu Buhari has described his job as President of Africa’s most populous Nation for the last seven years as a very tough one, saying he was eager for his tenure to come to an end.
The President stated this on Monday, while calling on the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to suspend their ongoing industrial action and return to classroom.
Buhari made the call when he received some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), lawmakers, and political leaders at his private residence in Daura, Katsina State.
The President told the visiting politicians that he had not been to his house in Daura for close to a year due to the demands of his office, lamenting the toll official duties have taken on him in the last seven years.
“The observation that I abandoned my base was made by the Emir of Daura, Dr. Faruk Umar Faruk, at the eid prayer ground. He held the microphone and told everyone that the last time I was in Daura was during the Eid-el-Kabir of 2021.
“In 10 to 11 months time, I will come here. I have a better house in Kaduna, but it is too close to Abuja,” Buhari said.
The President explained that the schedule of work was much, saying he recently had to sympathise with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, who had to be away most of the time from his family.
He claimed that relative to the resources available, and compared to the last administration, the government had done well in many areas, particularly in infrastructure.
“I am eager to go. I can tell you it has been tough. I am grateful to God that people appreciate the personal sacrifices we have been making. I wish the person who is coming after me the very best,” he said.
Addressing the now six-month ASUU strike that has crippled academic activities in public universities nationwide, the President appealed to lecturers to consider the effect of the strike on future generations.
According to him, the strike had already taken a toll on the psychology of parents, students, and other stakeholders, throwing up many moral issues that already beg for attention. He said enough is enough.
While claiming that the government understands ASUU’s position, the President remarked, “We hope that ASUU will sympathise with the people on the prolonged strike. Truly, enough is enough for keeping students at home. Don’t hurt the next generation for goodness sake.”
He urged well-meaning Nigerians, particularly those close to the leaders and members of the association, to intervene in persuading the lecturers to reconsider their position and the ripple effect on an entire generation and the nation.
President Buhari said students from Nigerian universities are already handicapped in competing with their counterparts in a highly connected and technology-driven workspace, therefore, keeping them at home only deprives them of time, skill, and opportunities to be relevant on the global stage.
“Colonial type education was geared towards producing workers in government. Those jobs are no longer there. Our young people should get education to prepare them for self-employment. Now education is for the sake of education.
“Through technology, we are much more efficient. We should encourage our children to get education, not only to look for government jobs,” he added.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, assured the President that the governors would work to ensure the party’s success in next year’s elections.
He claimed that the roaring insecurity in the north has done little to the country’s food security, especially due to the “favorable seasons”.
“In spite of the attacks by the renegades, our country remains self-sufficient in food production. We have seen investments that were not there before you came into power.
“Not less than 20 states now have agriculture process zones. We have rice pyramids in Ekiti, Gombe, and Niger, while maize pyramids were revived in Katsina and Kano states,” he said.
APC Governors at the lunch with the President include; Aminu Masari of Katsina State, Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, Abubakar Bello of Niger State, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, Dr. Fayemi Kayode of Ekiti State and Simon Lalong of Plateau State.
(Adapted from a report by The Punch)
