At a dinner organized by the All Progressive Congress, APC, yesterday, its national leader, Bola Tinubu, has called on Nigerian students to take to the streets in support of ASUU. However, pundits are wondering why he is making this call at a time when the dispute is almost being resolved after a 13 hour meeting between President Jonathan and ASUU this past Monday.
It is suspected that Tinubu does not want the strike to end. This is even as Fulani Cattle Rearers under the umbrella of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Rearers Association have threatened to stop the sale of beef to markets nationwide if ASUU strike continues. It is instructive to note that former head of state, Muhammadu Buhari, who is a member of the APC, is a former chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Rearers Association.
These calls have heightened suspicion that there is a political dimension to these strikes.
He urged students to take to the streets if the matter was not resolved by Friday (tomorrow)
"It is time Nigeria moves away from the spirit of lamentations to the spirit of vibration, it is time we do not allow all these inadequacies to continue, insincerity, lack of honesty and accountability in office.
"I am sorry if if ASUU do not resume tomorrow, I will ask students to be out on the streets, if our vehicles have no way to pass and if they can move to the Presidential Villa, Abuja it is their future, they should challenge. You cannot make omelet without breaking the egg. Freedom is free but it is not served free. " he said.
Onu, who chaired the special dinner lamented the problems of the country, especially continued closure of the nation's higher institutions of learning due to the lingering strike by the ASUU.
He expressed sadness that insecurity and massive unemployment have taken over the country and that our people are almost sharply divided along ethnic and religious lines.
"Our schools are no longer what they used to be, a s most of the university students only know when they matriculate , but can no longer accurately predict when to graduate, " he said.
Earlier while welcoming guests at the dinner, Lagos state Governor, Mr. Raji Fashola restated his believe in true federalism, insisting that despite all threats to her survival, Nigeria will remain one united entity.
"I stand here to proclaim that the agenda facing Nigeria is not adequately captured by the faces like ethnic cleansing or terrorism but rather by our inability to improve on our founding father's effort to build more perfect union. By this I mean that we should be ferreting something that has already begun, namely our federal republic.
"Those who speak about the break-up of the republic, speak without due knowledge of the historical precedence and repercussions of such an act. Indeed it is easier said than done. The APC family believes that this federal house will stand if we accept that real and present danger is our neglect to improve on what we already had by insisting on a federation governed by rule of law physically and politically, he said.
No comments: