As Nigerians welcomes the outcome of the presidential election held last Saturday, stakeholders in the education sector is insisting that there is need to put the president-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) to task concerning education in the country.
According to the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the Osun State University, Dr. Seye Abiona, the task ahead for the president-elect is enormous for not only the education sector but also other spheres of the economy. He said different sectors in the country were sick and so required serious attention to ensure a massive turn around.
Abiona said, “The whole system is sick. Whoever wins the race should ensure he works hard to turn things around in the country. Electricity supply is zero in many areas, insecurity is there and many Nigerians are jobless. There is also a huge problem in the education sector.
“I pray that the wish of Nigerians will be respected. Nigerians trooped out to vote the person they want to lead the nation for the next four years. They should allow the wish of the majority to prevail.”
For the Vice-Chancellor, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin in Kwara State, Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem, the president-elect needs to seek a fresh road-map to stopping the frequent closure of public universities.
According to him, education is an essential development component of the society, which requires priority.
Canvassing the need for adequate funding, he stated that public universities should be the pacesetters for the private and faith-based tertiary institutions to follow.
For the Deputy Dean, Student Affairs, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Dr. Debo Ishola, getting it right in the education sector will enable the country to solve its other myriad of problems.
Ishola, a Physics lecturer, noted that Nigeria, which prides itself as the giant of Africa still depends on importation of goods from important products to worthless ones, including toothpicks.
Also, the VC, University of Ilorin, Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali, urged the would-be president to pay a greater attention to strengthening research in tertiary institutions. For him, there was the need to establish more research funding agencies, designate laboratories/institutions that would drive government research agenda and provide stable electricity supply in order to put such equipment into effective use.
Students are also not shying away from demanding an improved education sector in the next dispensation. For instance, the South West Coordinator, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Mr. Sunday Ashefon, called on whoever emerges between Jonathan and Buhari to give priority to the interest of Nigerians.
The Lagos State University Student Union Public Relations Officer, Adebanjo Adekoya, advised the president-elect to increase the budget allocation to education in the next dispensation.
In his thinking, to make an impressive impact in the sector, there was the need to increase the education budget to 23 per cent.
For the Director of Media, NANS in Oyo State, Fawole Israel, the president-elect should concentrate on reforming the country’s’ education in line with international standard.
He stressed, “I look forward to seeing a reformed sector in the next dispensation where non-Nigerians will once more start seeking admissions to our universities.”
But the Coordinator, Council of Higher Institutions, Tajudeen Akolade, said the agenda for the president-elect should border on increasing the welfare of students.
Culled from Punch NG
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