The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed pessimism about the ability of Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu to transform education in the country, noting that he’s not different from President Muhammadu buhari, his employer.
Chairman, ASUU University of Ibadan chapter, Professor Deji Omole, made disclosed this at the weekend while speaking with journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
He stated further that Adamu made several political statements in his first which he never acted upon.
Omole recall that Mallam Adamu Adamu had promised to declare State of Emergency in the Education sector but refused to act on his words. He lamented that Nigerian will not develop beyond the quality of education offered by the government to her citizens.
“He is back to a familiar terrain. We are also in that same terrain. He spent more than three years in his first term and made so many political statements, which were never implemented. One of such statements was the fact that they were going to declare state of emergency in the education sector and till he left office in his first term that was not done.
He also took a swipe at President Buhari, describing the statement credited to the President citing education as a way to end poverty as a political statement.
Omole maintained that beyond uttering such statement, President Buhari and his team through their education policies have shown hatred to fund and offer Nigerians qualitative education.
He said the reduction of the budgetary allocation has made it impossible for universities in the country to recruit more staff despite the fact that many are dying as a result of excess work.
“The administration has demonstrated its hatred for education by constantly reducing the budgetary allocation to education. Most of their policies are anti-university. For example, in UI today, it’s almost impossible to recruit new staff meanwhile people are dying as a result of excess work and people are retiring and you are not employing new people.
“So, I don’t expect sharp departure from what it used to be. He does not need to tell us. We all know. All the developed world have been able to solve their problems through education and that is why we have always been engaging different governments that the only antidote to poverty is putting adequate attention to educating the masses. No nation can ever grow beyond the quality of education given to its citizens.”