A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Haruna Yerima, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take swift action to resolve the ongoing crisis with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Yerima cautioned that allowing the lecturers’ strike to drag on could damage the administration’s public image and erode the trust of Nigerian youths who form a large part of Tinubu’s support base.
He gave the warning in a statement released on Sunday in Abuja, appealing to the president to avoid the mistakes that caused prolonged industrial actions under previous administrations.
According to Yerima, the two-week warning strike declared by ASUU last week is a red flag that must not be ignored.
The union had accused the federal government of failing to honour several past agreements, especially those related to improved funding, fair wages, and better working conditions in Nigerian universities.
Professor Yerima, a former House of Representatives member, said the poor condition of public universities is a national embarrassment.
“Mr President, as a realist, you know the level of infrastructural decay in our universities,” he said.
“The student-teacher and infrastructure ratio is not encouraging. That is what ASUU is fighting for.”
He stressed that the economic reforms introduced by President Tinubu, though necessary, have worsened the financial struggles of university lecturers.
“What professors earn today is a peanut compared to their workload,” Yerima stated.
“Their salaries cannot even cover basic utilities, school fees, or healthcare costs.”
He urged the president to remember that most of his supporters are young Nigerians who deserve quality education.
“It is dangerous to toy with the future of our youth,” Yerima warned. “Do not repeat Buhari’s mistakes that led to the second-longest ASUU strike in Nigeria’s history.”
He advised the president to address all outstanding agreements reached with ASUU once and for all, noting that Tinubu has the resources and capacity to resolve the crisis permanently.
Yerima added that Tinubu’s economic vision such as making Nigeria a trillion-dollar economy cannot succeed without a well-educated and skilled workforce.
“No nation can grow without quality education,” he said. “An uneducated youth population will undermine Nigeria’s economic goals.”
He also expressed confidence that Tinubu will rise to the occasion and end the decades-long ASUU dispute.
“Nigerians have faith in your leadership,” Yerima said. “We believe you will not fail them.”
ASUU’s warning strike began last week, demanding full implementation of past agreements, including better salaries and improved funding for university infrastructure.