Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar yesterday said he would proffer permanent solution to the agitations of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) if elected as the nation’s president in February 25, 2023 general election.
Atiku who made the pledge while addressing thousands of PDP supporters when his campaign train birthed in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital also tasked party members to ensure party’s victory at their respective polling units, saying it remains a condition for qualifying them to benefit any appointment under his administration if he eventually becomes the president.
On Atiku’s entourage were: the national chairman of PDP, Iyocha Ayu, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke.
Others were Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel, former governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke, former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, governorship candidate of Ogun State, Hon. Ladi Adebutu and the governorship candidate of Lagos State, Jide Adeniran.
Describing Nigeria’s educational system as a critical important sector of the nation’s life and human development, Atiku attributed the decay in the tertiary education sector to poor funding.
“There is something wrong with our educational system: we don’t fund them and we also don’t make sure that they have equipment in their laboratories.
“I will be very serious about education and I will not allow the standard of our education to fall nor will I allow our teachers to go without salaries,” he said.
Sharing his economic recovery plan with members of the party, Atiku said, “What we propose or plan to implement is to expand the economy so that once we do that, we believe unemployment and also living standard of our workers whether in the public or private will be improved.”
“Those who understand economics know that expanding the economy means growing the economy and removing all obstacles that tend to affect the growth of the economy.
“We have done that before from 1999 to 2015 when we grew this economy and it became the biggest economy in Africa and the biggest growth in the history of this country as far as our GDP growth is concerned,” he said.
Commenting on the benefits awaiting party members in the post-2023 general elections, the former vice president said if members of the party want PDP to return to power in May 29, they must all go back to their constituencies and work for the party to win the election.
