Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has criticized Nigerian political leaders whose children graduate from universities in the United Kingdom, arguing that many of them have failed to build an education system they would trust with their own families.
Sowore made the remarks in a post on his social media page while reacting to recent reports of the children of prominent Nigerian politicians graduating from UK universities.
According to the activist, many of the political officeholders who celebrate such graduations had previously served as governors, ministers, senators and other top public officials but did not invest sufficiently in Nigeria's tertiary education sector.
"These are the same people who have served as governors, ministers of education, senators, and other top public officials, yet they never built or strengthened a single university they were proud or comfortable enough to send their own children to," Sowore wrote.
He also criticized the promotion of the Federal Government's student loan programme, arguing that many Nigerian families are already grappling with severe economic hardship.
"Instead, they ask ordinary Nigerians to celebrate student loans while millions of families are already overburdened by economic hardship."
Sowore questioned whether President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, and other political leaders relied on student loans to educate their children abroad.
"Ask yourself: did Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nyesom Wike, Charles Soludo, David Umahi, and others take out student loans to send their children to universities in the United Kingdom? The answer is no."
The AAC presidential candidate alleged that while the children of political elites attended prestigious foreign institutions, Nigeria's public universities were left underfunded and neglected.
He further argued that resources that could have been used to improve the country's education system instead benefited a privileged political class.
"Their children attended some of the best universities abroad, while public universities at home were neglected.
"The public resources that should have transformed education for millions of Nigerians instead financed the lifestyles and privileges of a political elite."
Sowore called for a change in leadership, insisting that Nigeria needs leaders who are committed to investing in quality education and creating equal opportunities for all citizens.
"If our country is to have a fresh lease of life, these wicked men must be urgently replaced with leadership committed to investing in the education and future of all Nigerians, not just the privileged few," he stated
Post a Comment