Press Statement on the Visit of National Association of Nigerian Students to the Hon. Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu.

The Leadership of the National Youth Council of Nigeria South East Zone under the Leadership of Amb. Sir Smart Uwakwe KSJI, watched with dismay as shown on Channels Television the conversation between the Leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the Hon. Minister for Education Malam Adamu, during the Visit by the first to the later and the brazen Mannar at which the Hon. Minister walked out without addressing the key issues raised by the delegation.

We must state equivocally, that in as much as we may not have found it completely interesting the Mannar at which the National Leader of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) made some of his Submissions, we want to condemn in its entirety the attitude of the Hon. Minister of Education Malam Adamu.

We are Nigerian Youths and issues bordering on us must at all times be given the utmost attention, one of such issues is the Education of Our Younger Ones which is the Bedrock for the Development of Our Dear Nation.

We observed that the Hon. Minister walked away angrily probably because his Private life was mentioned as been argued in some Quarters, and wish to make it clear that the very day Mr. Adamu accepted to occupy a Public Office was the day he subjected his private life to public scrutiny and should not see it as an affront when such questioning comes up. However, listening to the conversation and the statement which involves his private life as raised by the NANS Leadership and I quote

“We saw you Celebrate Your Child’s Graduation from a University Outside Nigeria, we don’t have a problem with that, Our Parents do not have Money to send us abroad to study, and as such we deserve to get the best here in this Country”.

One will begin to question if it was a wrong statement. Further More, as an elder statesman and one occupying a very exalted Public Office like that of the Minister of Education in a Country like Ours that is acclaimed to be the Giant of Africa, we feel that Malam Adamu should have been tutored on how to control his emotions when issues of National Importance are raised.

On the subject Matter Raised by the NANS Leadership, the National Youth Council of Nigeria South East Zone frowns at the incessant Strike in Our Nations Higher Institutions of Learning, which is occasioned by the unending agreement between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

We want to make it clear that what we have witnessed in Our higher Institution of Learning is likened to be a situation where our so-called leaders don’t care about the welfare and educational development of the younger generation, worthy of note is that most of these leaders who are seen to be in the forefront of these actions are leaders who enjoyed free education in this same county many years back.

Today we no longer ask for free education, but only clamoring for the Federal Government to put a lasting solution to the issue which has always brought about the incessant Strike actions and ensure that Our Young People enter the Classrooms and leave same within the planned number of years as against what is witnessed today. In a scenario, a student will gain admission for a Four (4) Year Course and end up studying for 6-9Years.

We further employ the Federal Government of Nigeria Led by President Mohammed Buhari to bring the Student Leadership to the Negotiating table if need be to prove her sincerity in this whole discussion onion.

It is very pathetic that Our Primary and Secondary Schools as raised by the NANS Leadership in that same visit has become a place only for the Poorest of the Poor Children to attend, because of the level of Decay and the inability of such class of people to pay for private schools, what is left for us today is the higher institution and we won’t sit back and allow the Federal Government and ASUU clamp down on it due to unending agreements.

Finally, we call on the Federal Government and ASUU as they return to the table to ensure that a lasting solution is preferred so that Our Young People get will Value for the money they pay to get educated.

It is also our wish that this is done within the shortest possible time.

Build the Youth! Build the Nation!