The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Friday, May 6, 2016 took President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to the cleaners, describing it as a failed administration in the midst of mouth-watering promises to the Nigerian people.
The union, at its 19th national delegates’ conference in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, said Nigerians are yet to feel the promises after almost one year of being in office.
ASUU president, Nasir Isa, described Buhari’s war against corruption as half-hearted, just as he said the poor are getting poorer while the powerful, treasury looters, phantom contractors and subsidy scammers are flowing in scandalous opulence.
He said after one year in office, Buhari’s government seems to have no direction in policy formulation, saying rather than bringing hope to Nigerians, it is bringing disillusion and despair to the poor masses of the Nigerian people.
“One year after, there has been no positive change in the major indices of growth and development, be it poverty reduction, safety and security, disease control or access to basic amenities and public good,” he said.
“The disappointment of Nigerians stems from the fact that we have a government whose leadership promised change but which is not practising transformation (deep, fundamental change).
“Democracy in Nigeria is still seen superficially as what leaders do for the people rather than government by the people,” ASUU said.
Isa, whose tenure expired at the conference, scored President Buhari low in all aspects of the national economy, saying rather than run a welfarist economy for all Nigerians, Buhari is running an economy tied to the IMF and World Bank.
“As intellectuals, we know the Nigerian condition is a reflection of the conspiracy between African rulers and agents of Bretton Wood Institutions particularly the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB),” Mr. Isa said.
Isa called on ASU not to relent in working with other progressives to fight for the common good of Nigerians.
He announced that ASUU has donated an initial sum of N20 million to help ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians displaced from their homes and communities in the North East, due to the insurgency in the region.
He said the amount was in addition to the N5 million earlier donated by the union to the National Hospital, Abuja, for medical assistance to the victims of the Nyanya Motor Park bomb blast.
