By Saheed Ibrahim

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Following the no-response of the Federal Government over the lingering strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Bishop, Anglican Communion, Owo Diocese, Rt. Rev. Stephen Ayodeji Fagbemi has condemned the lackadaisical attitude of President Muhammadu Buhari to the suffering of Nigerian public university students.

While delivering his  Charge during the 14th Synod of the Diocese of Owo, Rev. Fagbemi described the inability of the government to honour the agreement it had with ASUU as “a failure” and lack of integrity.

“For more than five months, our public universities have been shut to academic learning due to the industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). 

“In spite of this, the government seems not to be bothered at all; it has been business as usual when our children are  staying at home doing nothing whereas they ought to be at their desks learning.

“Unfortunately, our President has been somewhat indifferent to the plight of these people. It took over three months before our President could offer any response at all.

“And his response was to appeal to the teachers to go back to work in the interest of their students.

The PhD holder from Kent University said the demands by ASUU are legitimate requests intended to strengthen the nation’s educational sector.

He appealed to the FG to handle the situation with utmost seriousness and resolve every issue on the table with ASUU.

“We cannot afford to underpay our lecturers and professors when our politicians are going home with huge sums of money,” Fagbemi added.