Lere Olayinka, an aide to ex-governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, on Saturday, went on his knees to plead with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off the strike action embarked upon since February 14, 2022.
CAMPUS GIST understands that Olayinka’s action is in response to the Friday’s interview involving Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, on television, where the minister had asked parents to plead with the university lecturers to suspend strike.
Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had accused ASUU of “holding the government at the jugular” with what he termed “unrealistic demands”, noting that the university staff union cannot push the federal government into borrowing.
Reacting, Olayinka, a House of Representatives candidate for Ekiti Central Federal Constituency II went on his knees to beg ASUU to call off the strike since Keyamo said the federal government has lost all sense of responsibility to end the strike and that it is now the duty of Nigerians to beg ASUU.
His words, “I am on my bended knees this morning, pleading as a parent that this strike in our universities should end.
“My plea is premised on the confession of the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (I won’t address him as a SAN because a SANship is about having sense), that the Buhari’s APC govt does not have or have lost every sense of responsibility to end the strike.
“Keyamo, on Live TV yesterday, said that on the strike, the FG has become helpless, hopeless, clueless, visionless and directionless.”
“Therefore, it has now become the duty of Nigerians to beg ASUU to end the strike.
“Consequently, In the name of God, I am on my knees begging ASUU to call off the strike so that our children can return to school.
“This is not to say that I do not appreciate the demands of ASUU, but I am sure that when we have a govt in the country, the demands will be addressed.”
“More so that the strike NO even KONSAN those in this Buhari’s APC government because their children are either in universities abroad or private universities in Nigeria.
“Thank you as you consider this my plea and call of the strike.”
