Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Federal Government over the renewed threat by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to embark on a nationwide strike.
Atiku also called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to account for the funds saved from the removal of fuel subsidy, arguing that the development contradicts the government’s promise to channel the savings into critical sectors such as education.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku asked the president to explain how the money freed by the subsidy removal had been spent.
“If the subsidy is gone and Nigerians have paid for that decision through unprecedented hardship, then President Tinubu owes the country a simple answer: where is the money?” he asked.
ASUU had on Friday threatened to commence a nationwide strike “within the shortest time possible” unless the government takes urgent steps to address issues affecting university lecturers.
The union’s president, Chris Piwuna, said the decision followed an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council at the University of Abuja.
Piwuna accused both the Federal and state governments of failing to fully implement the agreement reached with the union in December 2025.
The union also raised concerns about deductions for pension contributions, staff cooperative societies and check-off dues, which it alleged had not been remitted for several months.
‘HOUSE OF CARDS OF FALSEHOODS IS COLLAPSING’
Reacting to the development, Atiku said the renewed ASUU crisis exposed what he described as contradictions in the government’s justification for subsidy removal.
He noted that Nigerians had endured increases in petrol prices, transport fares, food costs, energy bills and school fees based on assurances that subsidy savings would be redirected to education, healthcare, infrastructure and other essential services.
“The house of cards of falsehoods erected by the Tinubu administration to justify the suffering of Nigerians is collapsing before our eyes,” he said.
“A government that strips citizens of relief, denies them meaningful social protection and fails to deliver the basic improvements it promised has forfeited the moral credibility to continue preaching sacrifice.”
Atiku also questioned the government’s claim that subsidy savings had resulted in increased allocations to state governments, asking why public education had not significantly improved if more funds were reaching the states.
“Government officials repeatedly tell Nigerians that subsidy savings have translated into larger allocations to states. But if substantially more money is supposedly flowing to the states, why has the condition of public education not improved accordingly?” he asked.
“You cannot boast about record allocations while students sit at home because lecturers are on strike.
“You cannot celebrate higher revenues when classrooms, laboratories, hostels and teaching facilities remain inadequate.”
The former vice-president further criticised the government’s student loan initiative, arguing that the administration had increased the cost of living and education before introducing loans to help students cope with the resulting financial pressure.
“This government removed subsidy, increased the cost of transportation, food and virtually every other necessity, and watched the cost of university education rise beyond the reach of many families,” he said.
“After helping to make education more expensive, the same government created NELFUND and now celebrates giving young Nigerians loans to pay fees that many of their parents can no longer comfortably afford.”
Atiku described the situation as “government-manufactured poverty”.
He also accused the administration of prioritising concessions, waivers and other benefits for influential interests instead of providing relief for ordinary Nigerians.
According to him, the latest ASUU crisis showed that the removal of fuel subsidy had neither ended industrial disputes in the university system nor delivered the improvements in public services that Nigerians were promised.
“Tinubu removed subsidy from the people, but he has not removed the threat of ASUU strikes,” Atiku said.
“He has not resolved the crisis of unpaid obligations. He has not sufficiently expanded our universities. He has not made education more affordable. And he certainly has not removed the hardship confronting Nigerian families.”