Call Strike Off Before Losing People’s Sympathy, Abdusalami Abubakar Tells ASUU

Former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar
As the strike embarked on by the Academic Staff Union
Of Universities, ASUU lingers, former Military Head
of State, General Abdulsami Abubakar(rtd) has called
on ASUU and the Federal government to reconsider
their stand on the ongoing strike in order to avert total
collapse of education in the country.
Speaking with with journalists shortly after paying
sallah visit to Niger State governor, Dr. Muazu
Babangida Aliyu at his residence in Minna on Friday,
General Abubakar who spoke extensively on other
nagging national issues including security, oil theft
among others, also called on all other unions already on
strike or warming up to enter into dialogue with the
relevant authorities to avoid the collapse of the nation's
economy.
General Abubakar said, "I believe that strike is a
normal issue but I think we are overdoing it in this
country because in other developed countries, strike is
done within 24 hours aimed at drawing attention to
their plight. Nigerians are already feeling the pinch of
these strike actions and so government and these strikers
should look at how these issues can be resolved
immediately."
Abubakar opined that the government should not have
allowed the strike to linger on for so long and therefore
called on it to look into their demands and address them
accordingly regardless of its dwindling resources.
"Government should look into these various issues and
demands and address them accordingly regardless of the
dwindling resources of the country and similarly, the
strikers should also look at the coffers of government
and try to be reasonable in their demands."
Abubakar said the various unions had made their points
and therefore urged them to go back to work pointing
out that if the strike continues, they might eventually
lose the sympathy of the people.
The former Head of State, who also spoke on security,
saying it is the business of all Nigerians and should not
be left in the hands of government and security agents
alone.
He therefore called on the public to always pass on
relevant information regarding security to the
authorities. Just as he also called on the security
agencies to always protect sources of their information
in order to give more room for more information.
Abubakar described those involved in the constant oil
theft as unpatrotic and urged them to abandon the
business in the interest of the economy of the nation.
"I look at the ongoing development as very sad and
look at the people as very unpatrotic. To them, they
think they are getting their share of the national cake by
stealing whereas they are not. I want them to have a
rethink and search their conscience and turn a new leaf
so that we can have a peaceful and developing country"
Abubakar dismissed insinuations the country would
break up in 2015, saying, "God has joined us together
and whether you break Nigeria into pieces, we will still
remain joined by our umbilical cord because our
umbilical cord is still there and we will continue to live
together either as neighbours or as communities."