Nigerian Government: “Education is Our Priority” – What an Irony!

Six years mean annual budget for education of Benin Republic, Botswana and Kenya stood at 26.0%, 25.0%, and 24.0% respectively, while that of our dear country stood at 8.4%. Yet, our country is called the giant of Africa. What an irritable mockery!

Our Minister of finance sought approval to mop up 500 billion naira as a Special Intervention Fund to fight Coronavirus under the cover of ‘Emergency’, while the educational system has been in a state of coma for the past 20 years, yet, education is not an emergency. What a dreadful cowardice!

Our president budgeted only 6.7% of the 2020 national fiscal budget for education as against the UNESCO recommended minimum allocation of 26.0%. Yet, he consistently claims education to be his priority. What an irony!

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ASUU has been wholeheartedly struggling to force our government to improve the budgetary allocation to meet the UNESCO benchmark. Yet, my countrymen say ASUU is a self-serving union. What a pervasive injustice!

Our government representative (Babalakin) proposed commercialization of public Universities; so that your children are made to take 2 – 4 million naira loan to have their first degree and ASUU said NO; it’s UNACCEPTABLE. Yet, Babalakin was celebrated as a hero, while ASUU president; Biodun Ogunyemi was scolded as a wicked. What a mortification!

Overnight, the Federal Government secured approval to borrow 6.9 billion dollars to fight the novel Corona Virus, while laboratories and workshops in our public Universities are better-called hatchery units for rodents and anthropods. Yet, you echo change mantra loudly. What great balderdash!

Sons and daughters of our president and his vice graduated from UK Universities. Yet, they boast, that, Nigerian Universities are standard and well funded. What an extraordinary pretense!

ASUU unilaterally agitates for improved conditions of service; so as to retain the services of excellent ‘brainboxes’ that you shout “Guru”, “Kwaro”, “Wisdom” when receiving lectures. Yet, ASUU is your foe. What insanity!

ASUU toiled to actualize TetFund and Needs Assessment Project so that our students could have upgraded learning facilities and recognized certificates. Yet,  they bullshit us and call ASUU a Monster. What a catastrophic immorality!

Our senators recently got a budgetary approval of 37 billion naira for the renovation of the National Assembly and our president said “it is long overdue”, while our students live in a shambolic dormitory, packed like sardines. Yet, you extol them on social media platforms and call them mentors. What a misrepresentation!

Just recalled that, this government sought for approval of 22.8 billion dollars to fund rail lines, roads, NTA, and others, while education begs helplessly and hopelessly. ASUU took a standalone fight and ask why not education? Yet, Nigerian citizens view ASUU as a nuisance. What a naughty bewilderment!

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Our government introduced a foreign software (IPPIS) that attracts subscription charges just to cripple academic collaborations, transfer of knowledge, reaching out and universality of public Universities but ASUU said, use UTAS instead. Proudly, it’s homegrown and FREE of charge. Yet, my countrymen aligned with the government to accuse ASUU of condoning corruption. What a cheap blackmail!

Leaders of students’ unions/associations are busy searching for accomplished personalities to dash them awards for their personal aggrandizement while abandoning their primary responsibility of defending the interest of Nigerian students. Yet, they called themselves COMRADES. What an incredible impersonation!

Our government overzealously stop three months’ salaries of her intellectuals in the Ivory Tower, thinking that, academics will succumb to the persecution. What a laughable comedy!

By stopping my three months salaries I am already a one-star Comrade, as it reaches six months, I will be due for two stars upgrade and so it goes. What an amazing promotion! Long Live ASUU. Struggle Continua Victoria…

Sani Idris, Department of Soil Science, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria – Nigeria could be reached through sanidris2000@gmail.com