Ngozi Okpala
The President, Major Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has appealed to the leadership and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities and other unions within and outside the university system to always give peace a chance and embrace dialogue in resolving all complaints they have with the government.
Buhari spoke at the 36th convocation of the University of Ilorin Kwara State on Saturday against the backdrop of a strike threat earlier given by various unions in academic institutions.
The president who is also the Visitor to the university said the unions should realise that dialogue was always better than conflict.
ASUU had given the Federal Government a November 1st ultimatum to accede to its demands.
Represented by Professor Ignatius Onimawu of the National University Commission, the President said, “No one gains from crisis. While government alone cannot solve all challenges facing society, this administration is willing to listen to complaints and alternative points of view to managing a situation.
“The university system cannot withstand any crisis now considering the time it had lost to coronavirus pandemic.
“As I appeal to the leadership and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, I also call on the leadership and members of other Unions within and outside the university system to always give peace a chance.”
Buhari also challenged the nation’s universities to conduct researches targeted at discovering an antidote to the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic in the interest of the nation.
Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem, challenged the graduates to dare the odds by venturing into noble projects that could catapult them into prominence.
A total number of 180 out of 10,922 students graduated with first class degrees from the school in the 2019/2020 academic session.
Physical attendance at the main convocation was restricted to only graduates with first class degrees, prize winners and doctoral awardees.
Chidiogo asuke
