The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has said only federal universities are affected by the lingering strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Atiku said federal universities are not supposed to be on strike since state universities are on session.
The PDP presidential flagbearer made the claim when he featured in a live programme broadcast concurrently by radio stations in Kano Tuesday night.
“It is Federal Government universities that are on strike. State Universities are working. So if states universities are working why federal universities can’t work?”he asked.
He faulted education minister, Adamu Adamu over handling of the lingering strike in the Ivory Towers.
He said:”I was discussing with Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau who was education minister and he said when he was appointed minister he met ASUU on strike but it did not take him three weeks to resolve it and they returned to work.
“There’s incapacity and incapability with the education minister because it’s his responsibility to mediate and solve this issue.
“I can’t say who is at fault but I believe it’s the federal government who is not willing to end it.”
He explained that in Europe and America states and private sector dominate ownership structure of universities.
According to the opposition candidate, the eight years of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) only compounded insecurity in the country and made unemployment and poverty worse.
“There’s nothing to write home about. What APC promised people is absolutely contrary to what we are witnessing.
“I felt it’s high time Nigerians sat and changed the government and bring back PDP because what PDP did, one cannot compare with APC,” he said.
On tackling corruption, he noted that he will adopt a Turkish template to forgive looters that are willing to return their loots through investment in Nigeria.
He accused the APC government of failing to protect lives and properties as well as manage farmer-herder conflicts that is bedevilling the country.
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