Nigerians Should Tell You Enough Is Enough – ASUU Clapback At Buhari

The Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) has reacted to the ‘enough is enough’ comment of President Muhammadu Buhari on its ongoing strike.

Buhari on Monday had charged lecturers who had been on strike since February 14 to return to their classrooms in the interest of their students.

The president stated this when he received some governors of the All Progressives Congress, lawmakers and other dignitaries in Daura, Katsina State.

The President of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke while reacting to the president’s statements in a chat with The Nation on Tuesday said it is the union and Nigerians who voted for the leaders that should tell them enough is enough.

Osodeke condemned the government for not reaching out to the union leadership a month after concluding negotiations with the Nimi Briggs–led committee.

The ASUU President lamented that the government failed to honour the agreement reached in May 2021.

Osodeke said, “We have given our conditions for returning to the classrooms. They (government) set up a committee to negotiate with us and when they (committee ) came, we asked them: ‘do you have the mandate of the government to negotiate?’ And they said ‘yes’.

“We asked them: ‘does it mean that whatever we agree with will be accepted by the government? and they said ‘yes.’

“We started negotiations and we finished on the 16th of June 2022. They (the committee) said they were going back to show their principal and get permission to sign. We have been waiting till now.

“It is we who should be saying enough is enough. They did that in 2021; it took one year to come back and they are doing it again.

“It is we who should be saying enough is enough. For us, we believe that is not what the President said. We want to confirm it. But if that is exactly what he said then it is so sad.

“We have told the country that any day that they (government) agree to sign and agree on a new salary payment system (UTAS) we will call off the strike immediately.

“Let him (Buhari) do the needful and let the children go back to school not saying enough is enough. He should put our universities right; that should be his legacy.

“He should go back saying that my legacy is to restore the dignity of the Nigerian university system which we have lost.

“It is the Nigerian people who elected them that should be saying enough is enough. They didn’t elect themselves.

“They were put in government by the average Nigerians whose children have been suffering today but their children are abroad enjoying themselves.

“They should listen to those who elected them and Nigerian people are saying enough is enough; the government should respond to ASUU’s demands.”