Why are you holding Buhari by the neck’ – Presidency queries ASUU

The presidency has questioned the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, over the ceaseless industrial strike.

Garba Shehu, the spokesperson of President Muhammadu Buhari, has wondered the reason university lecturers have been holding the President by the neck over an agreement not signed by his government.

The spokesperson recalled that the agreement in contention has been signed in 2009 by the then Federal Government.

While speaking on a television session, Shehu said Buhari’s administration cannot satisfy them 100 percent.

He revealed that the Federal Government needs to invest on other sectors of the country.

According to the spokesperson, the military needs weapons to combat terrorists, hence the government cannot concentrate its efforts on ASUU alone.

He said: “As for ASUU, the president has the right to appeal on behalf of Nigerians, this is six months or more of the ongoing strike.

“Is it right for anyone to insist on taking 100 percent of all of those grievances that they have? Don’t forget that what is the cause of this problem is a 2009 agreement with the then government that they have no capacity to deliver upon and have passed it from one government to another.

“So, we might ask the question, why is Buhari being held by the neck? What happened in the past? Why didn’t they strangle those past administrations on these matters? That’s our worries.

“The Federal Government has put a lot of substance on the table. Will the Federal Government yield to 100 percent of ASUU demands, I want say.

“There are also other sectors of the economy yearning for attention, the military need weapons, guns to fight terrorists. We have to look into other sectors of the economy.

“The Minister of State for Education has assured that we are about to turn the corner and all these issues are about to be resolved. We have reached this level in the past and my prayer is that it would soon end.

“They have family members and leaders within the community, so they should prevail on them to resume classes and those elements that have not being resolved can be talked over.”

This came following the opinion of Buhari telling the academic body to shift ground, to improve the future of students and back out of the lingering industrial strike.