..Says He Should Be Sacked
By Gbenga Sodeinde
A member of the National Executive Council of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), representing Ado-Ekiti branch and rights activist, Olakami Samuel Falade, has lambasted the Minister of State for Education, Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba over his presidential ambition despite the on-going ASUU strike which has reached three months now.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had, on February 14, this year again embarked on a four-week warming strike to press home their demands for the government to honour agreement it reached with them since 2009.
ASUU had extended their strike eight weeks when on March 14, the FG failed to accede to their demands.
Nwajiuba had on Wednesday accepted the All Progressive Congress (APC) expression of interest form bought for a sum of N100 million to authenticate his aspiration to become the President of the country in 2023.
Nwajiuba, who accepted the nomination form at a reception hosted by the Project Nigeria Group (PNG) in Abuja on Wednesday, called on the party to place their trust in him as their new symbol of unity, growth and regeneration.
But the NBA EXCO member has said the Minister’s latest action is irresponsible and unpatriotic. He described it further as: “not only insulting but also an act of insensitivity and irresponsibility on Nwajiuba’s part for obviously being unconcerned about the plight of Nigeria students.”
Falade also flayed Nwajiuba for alleged careless attitude towards the sufferings of Nigerian students who now idle away and are having their future being jeopardized under his care.
He said it is very mean on the part of the education minister (state) to accept a N100million APC presidential nomination form, while ASUU is still on strike and millions of students idle away in their various homes, having their future appearing seemingly bleak.
Expressing his anger at the Minister’s action, Falade said further: “How can you call yourself an education minister where your department is seriously suffering a retrogressive pace and you still have the audacity to go ahead and obtain a N100million form, telling people that you will perform better in higher position, even when you have failed woefully in a smaller capacity?
“This is shameful! Imagine, It is now three months since millions of Nigerian students have been home, and you aren’t bothered about that sad development. You are not concerned about the plight of these poor students, this very bad, and condemnable
“In fact, you don’t even have the moral right to take such action with the current development of the ministry which you are overseeing, you are supposed to have been sacked immediately. This is clearly an evidence that you are incompetent and lacks the capability to lead aright.
“It is also an obvious evidence now that you don’t have any of your children in any of the Nigerian universities. ASUU in one of the publications had revealed that Nigerian citizens spend about N1.6 trillion yearly in paying tuition fees abroad, all because of the degrading and substandard state of tertiary education in Nigeria, definitely those Nigerians being talked about would be people like you.
“Painfully! the education system in the country is fast deteriorating and falling short of global standards and it is very pathetic that this is happening and we all keep quiet while the people in authority, who are supposed to be concerned about such ugly situation, they are rather irresponsible and selfish.
“My appeal is that the Federal Government should urgently dialogue with the ASUU and resolve the lingering crisis that are affecting our educational system so that our students can go back to school because even many of the currently increasing crime rates in the country may have been as a result of the ASUU strike”. Falade added.