FLASHBACK: In 2014, Buhari Knocked Then-President Jonathan, Said A Serious Government Would Negotiate With Striking University Lecturers, ASUU

In 2014, Muhammadu Buhari, as a member of the opposition criticised the then President, Goodluck Jonathan ‪over a strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
 
ASUU is currently on strike after embarking on industrial action on February 14, 2022, over President Buhari’s government’s failure to honour an agreement on issues relating to funding of universities, and lecturers’ salaries and allowances.

The ongoing strike action by the university lecturers’ union is in its fifth month. In 2020, also under Buhari’s government, the union was on strike for 9 months.
The industrial action has crippled academic activities in government universities across the country.
 
On Tuesday, Adamu Adamu, Minister of Education, was granted approval by President Buhari to resolve issues of contention regarding the ASUU strike.
 
In an old video trending online, Buhari was heard castigating then-President Jonathan’s administration for failing to reach an agreement with the lecturers’ union.
 
Speaking about the 2014 National Conference convened by the ex-President, Buhari picked holes with the timing of the event which came at a time ASUU, Polytechnic lecturers and other arms of tertiary institutions unions were on strike.
 
He faulted the government for earmarking the sum on N7 billion for the confab, saying a serious government would not spend so much money on frivolity while the tertiary institutions workers were on strike.
 
“If you could recall, at the time the government said it was voting N7 billion for the conference, ASUU was on strike. And teachers of other tertiary institutions, like the polytechnics, were on strike,” Buhari had said.
 
“This strike was on for almost an academic year and a serious government, if they had N7 billion to throw about, would go and negotiate with ASUU and the teachers’ organisations and the teachers’ unions of the tertiary institutions of the polytechnics downwards so that our children will remain in schools.
 
“The National Assembly is there, if you want to amend the constitution so why go and take N7 billion that we could not afford when our children are on the streets? I think this government has the capacity for wrong priorities that are hurting us as a nation.”