Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State has urged labour unions to work towards ending the prolonged and recurring ASUU strikes in Nigeria.
The Governor made the call at Government House, Birnin Kebbi, on Tuesday, when the Kebbi State NLC Chairman , Comrade Alhassan Halidu, along side the executives of the Academic Staff Union of the University (ASUU), and other affiliated Unions presented a letter to him.
The unions were requesting Bagudu’s intervention and support to end the lingering ASUU strike.
The governor, who decried the prolonged ASUU strike, also described it as worrisome, urging the unions in the state to come out with plausible solutions to end the strike.
Bagudu further called in them to proffer workable ways to ensure sustenable funding of Nigeria’s education sector.
Bagudu lamented that inadequate funding was the most challenging issue confronting the education sector which previous governments, including military administrations sought to address .
He appealed to the NLC in the State to set a pace for other Unions in Nigeria, by not following the footsteps of others.
The governor urged, ” rather, they should come up with solutions on how to curb the challenges facing the Nigeria’s tertiary institutions..
“It is important for all the stakeholders to come together, to find solutions to the funding of the education sector in Nigeria.
” No single institution should be closed for one day as such prolonged closures impedes the educational development of the nation.
‘ Let us start analysing the situation, come out on how to solve the problem .
” The NLC love Nigeria, just like all of us, love Nigeria. Let us narrow the challenges, on how we could resolve this so that our institutions could receive better funding “, he averred.
Bagudu thanked the NLC leaders for the visit and presentation of the letter to him.
He promised to do everything possible to find lasting solutions to the problem .
The State NLC Chairman, Comrade Alhassan Halidu, presented their letter to Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, on behalf of the National President of NLC, Cimrade Ayuba Wabba.
Halidu commended the Governor for being among the five Governors who paid up the retired civil servants their pension and gratuities, as well as sustsining regular payment of workers salaries.
He also commended the governor for his unending commitment to the welfare of the workers in the state.
He explained that,they were in Government House to present their protest letter to him for intervention on the lingering ASUU strike.
The NLC State Chairman, comrade Alhassan Halidu stressed that, as the Chairman of Progressives Governor’s Forum, they believed, his intervention would end the prolonged industrial strike.
“You are also the Vice Chairman, National Food Security Council and you occupy a crucial position in the scheme of things of Nigeria.
“We are also religiously optimistic that your kind and urgent intervention is very crucial in finding lasting solutions to the problem at hand,” he said.
The Speaker, Kebbi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abubakar Muhammad Lolo, the Deputy Speaker, Hon Muhamad Usman Ankwai, Secretary to the State Government, Babale Umar Yauri, Acting Head of Service, Alhaji Safiyanu Garba Bena, Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, as well labour leaders witnessed the presentation of the letter to the Governor.
