Former Minister of Petroleum, Professor Tam David-West, yesterday declared that only a vagabond government would fail to invest in education, adding,“There are more thieves in government than saints in the country.”
David-West said this in Ibadan while speaking at a town hall meeting organised by the University of Ibadan chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
He said: “Any government that fails to invest in education is a vagabond government. The problem with Nigeria is that we have more thieves than saints in government. We drill over two million barrels of crude oil per day. Why should we be poor? ASUU is saying put money in education to improve education quality for our children and those yet unborn.”
He maintained that if the federal government was serious, there was nothing stopping it from adequately funding the nation’s education sector, noting that a government that said it spent N8 trillion illegally must be made by all Nigerians to fund public education.
According to him, no serious government would turn its back on proper funding of education, adding thatany government that “fails to invest in education is a vagabond government.”
He said it was unfortunate that the same government that “does not have money for education budgeted N1 billioneach to feed the president and vice-president for a year.”
David-West asked rhetorically: “Are they eating rock in Aso Rock? If you went to school without shoes, ensure that your children have shoes. Good parents pray that their children must be better than they were.”
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) in Oyo state, Dr Bashir Olarenwaju, in his remarks, lamented that the nation’s leaders “don’t have the interestof the masses at heart.”
“Those who are in government do not have our time. They do not have regards for Nigerians,” he said.
The chairman alleged that it was glaring that the federal government “is insincere with the nation’s education sector.”
He said a Minister of Education ought to have resigned if a ministry under which he or she works is comatose.
Olanrewaju said: “Nothing is working in Nigeria. Nigeria will be doomed if education is not sound enough. How many of them have children in public education? Their stolen money is being used to send their children abroad in order for them to return to rule over our children.
“How will our products be good if we do not have quality infrastructure to work with? We are fighting for the system, future of the country, so that our children will not be turned to slaves.”
Also speaking, chairman of ASUU, University of Ibadan chapter, Dr Segun Ajiboye, said the town hall meeting was part of efforts being made by the union to meet with the masses and enlighten them about the on-going strike.
http://blueprintng.com/new/2013/08/16/only-vagabonds-abandon-education-says-david-west/
David-West said this in Ibadan while speaking at a town hall meeting organised by the University of Ibadan chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
He said: “Any government that fails to invest in education is a vagabond government. The problem with Nigeria is that we have more thieves than saints in government. We drill over two million barrels of crude oil per day. Why should we be poor? ASUU is saying put money in education to improve education quality for our children and those yet unborn.”
He maintained that if the federal government was serious, there was nothing stopping it from adequately funding the nation’s education sector, noting that a government that said it spent N8 trillion illegally must be made by all Nigerians to fund public education.
According to him, no serious government would turn its back on proper funding of education, adding thatany government that “fails to invest in education is a vagabond government.”
He said it was unfortunate that the same government that “does not have money for education budgeted N1 billioneach to feed the president and vice-president for a year.”
David-West asked rhetorically: “Are they eating rock in Aso Rock? If you went to school without shoes, ensure that your children have shoes. Good parents pray that their children must be better than they were.”
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) in Oyo state, Dr Bashir Olarenwaju, in his remarks, lamented that the nation’s leaders “don’t have the interestof the masses at heart.”
“Those who are in government do not have our time. They do not have regards for Nigerians,” he said.
The chairman alleged that it was glaring that the federal government “is insincere with the nation’s education sector.”
He said a Minister of Education ought to have resigned if a ministry under which he or she works is comatose.
Olanrewaju said: “Nothing is working in Nigeria. Nigeria will be doomed if education is not sound enough. How many of them have children in public education? Their stolen money is being used to send their children abroad in order for them to return to rule over our children.
“How will our products be good if we do not have quality infrastructure to work with? We are fighting for the system, future of the country, so that our children will not be turned to slaves.”
Also speaking, chairman of ASUU, University of Ibadan chapter, Dr Segun Ajiboye, said the town hall meeting was part of efforts being made by the union to meet with the masses and enlighten them about the on-going strike.
http://blueprintng.com/new/2013/08/16/only-vagabonds-abandon-education-says-david-west/