The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Nigeria, has expressed deep condolences to the government and people of Nigeria, as well as the immediate family of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing his passing as a monumental loss to the country.
In a statement signed by the National President of ASUSS, Comrade Sola Adigun and the Secretary General, Comrade Kenneth Okoh, the union commiserated with the bereaved family. It hailed the contributions of the late President to national development, particularly in the education sector.
ASUSS highlighted one of President Buhari’s remarkable legacies—the signing of the *Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act, 2022, which changed the retirement age of Nigerian teachers to 65 years or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever comes first.
Section 1 of the Act stipulates that teachers in Nigeria shall compulsorily retire at 65 years of age or after 40 years of service. More importantly, Section 3 nullifies the application of the general public service retirement rule of 60 years or 35 years of service in relation to teachers.
“This singular act of legislative foresight, which late President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law in April 2022 without attaching conditions or exemptions, stands as a testament to his commitment to repositioning the teaching profession in Nigeria,” the statement read.
However, ASUSS lamented that many states of the federation are yet to implement the law more than two years after its enactment, thereby shortchanging teachers and undermining the intent of the federal legislation.
“It is our belief that one of the ways to truly celebrate the memory of President Muhammadu Buhari is to ensure full and unconditional implementation of this law in every state of the federation. Anything short of this is a disservice to both the departed leader and the teaching profession,” the statement said.
The union, therefore, appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take deliberate steps by engaging state governors and relevant government agencies to enforce the law across all states, in the spirit of continuity, justice, and national development.
“President Buhari may be gone, but his legacies live on. Let us not only mourn him but also honour him by giving life to the progressive policies he championed for teachers and for Nigeria at large,” the ASUSS President concluded.
