Only Gov Yahaya Bello can end incessant ASUU strikes in Nigeria – Don

Dr. Uzah Thomas, the Dean of Student Affairs Kwararafa University Wukari, Taraba State, has said only the Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello can put a stop to the incessant strike actions by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The university don stated this in a paper he presented at the Civil Society Think Tank Round Table on a Glance into Nigeria’s Future and Governor Yahaya Bello’s Developmental Politics; 2023 in Perspective.

In his presentation, Dr. Thomas hammered on Governor Bello’s giant strides in the education sector in Kogi to press home his point.

Bello who is being tipped by many Nigerians to run for the office of the President in 2023, upon assuming office as Kogi State Governor in 2015, ended the strike pandemic that has delayed academic activities at the state-owned university at Anyigba for years by pulling the university out of ASUU. He also established a new specialized university – Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara.

Dr. Thomas in his paper titled “Looking into the Future of Nigeria through Governor Yahaya Bello’s leadership Strides in Kogi State”, declared that “there has been a massive investment in the educational sector in the state, with a large chunk of the state budget allocated to education. This has consequently reflected in the revamping of schools across the state. The quality of human resources in the state has improved tremendously by implementing a policy on training and retraining for teachers.”

He argued that “in looking at Nigeria from the Kogi State perspective before the assumption of office Governor Yahaya Bello, it must be stated that leadership competence is what is required to take the country out of the doldrums. The agitations for zoning based on ethnicity do not stand a chance. This paper concludes that competence should be emphasized.”

In similar vein, Prof Ahmed Danfulani, the former Director General of National Institute for Peace and Strategy Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, said Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has set examples that should be amplified and used as a yardstick in assessing candidates that have signified interest in leading Nigeria.

Prof Danfulani stated this while delivering a speech as a guest speaker at the Civil Society Think Tank Round Table on “A Glance into Nigeria’s Future and Governor Yahaya Bello’s Developmental Politics; 2023 in Perspective.”

He said Governor Yahaya Bello example in leadership is “noteworthy”, adding that his approach to governance in the state is top-notch.

“At the back of our minds, let us have that we must be clear about the qualities the next President of Nigeria should possess. This is on the heels that stepping into the shoes of President Muhammadu Buhari is a tedious task,” Danfulani said.