The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has promised that lecturers will never embark on strike if he becomes the next President.
He vowed that his administration would resolve the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike and not allow public institutions to be shut down for months.
The former Vice President stated this on Friday at the commemoration of the 2022 International Youth Day in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Atiku said the most important and fundamental right of any youth is the right to education, stressing that he has been investing in education for the past 30 years.
The PDP Presidential flagbearer reiterated his intention to have a youth-inclusive government if elected as President in 2023.
He said: “Therefore, I take very strong exception to the strike by ASUU. The inability of the government to resolve that crisis will never happen under a PDP government or administration that I will oversee.
“I have been investing in education for the past 30 years.
“I believe the PDP provides the best platform for you to actualise your individual, collective aspirations.
“Of course, I have made many public pronouncements of my intention to have a youth-inclusive government. This is because it is our responsibility to provide you with the opportunities to acquire the training and also the experience to take over from us your parents.
“So, I want to congratulate you and I hope this year will usher in an administration of PDP.”
ASUU has been on strike for the past six months over the Federal Government’s failure to honour an agreement on issues bordering on funding of universities, as well as salaries and allowances of lecturers.
