The President, Muhammadu Buhari has on Monday said that he is eager to leave office, describing his seven years in office as a difficult one.
This he said to the visiting Governors and political leaders, while lamenting to the the toll of his official duties had taken on him in the last seven years.
The President told his visitors that he had not been to his house in Daura for close to a year due to the demands of office.
He said, “The observation that I abandoned my base was made by the Emir of Daura, Dr Faruk Umar Faruk, at the eid prayer ground. He held the microphone and told everyone that the last time I was in Daura was during the Eid-el-Kabir of 2021.
“In 10 to 11 months’ time, I will come here. I have a better house in Kaduna, but it is too close to Abuja.”
The President also expressed that the schedule of work was much, saying he recently had to sympathise with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, who had to be away most of the time from his family.
He also said that relative to the resources available, and compared to the last administration, the government had done well in many areas, particularly in infrastructure.
“I am eager to go. I can tell you it has been tough. I am grateful to God that people appreciate the personal sacrifices we have been making. I wish the person who is coming after me the very best,” he said.
Also, while addressing the issue of ASUU strike that had crippled academic activities in public universities nationwide, the President appealed to lecturers to consider the effect of the strike on the future generations.
According to him, the strike had already taken a toll on the psychology of parents, students and other stakeholders, throwing up many moral issues that were already begging for attention. He said enough is enough.
While saying that the government understood ASUU’s position, the President remarked, “We hope that ASUU will sympathise with the people on the prolonged strike. Truly, enough is enough for keeping students at home. Don’t hurt the next generation for goodness sake.”
He pleaded with Nigerians, particularly those close to the leaders and members of the association, to intervene in persuading the lecturers to reconsider their position, and the ripple effect on an entire generation and the nation.
