There is deliberate plan to make education inaccessible to the poor - ASUU cries out

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised an alarm over what the body termed as a deliberate attempt to strangulate public education in Nigeria.

Speaking during a Town and Gown meeting at the African Hall in the University of Ilorin, Kwara state, ASUU president Professor Biodun Ogunyemi said the lecturers' body is being neglected by the federal government because "there were plans to make education inaccessible to the poor."

Ogunyemi lamented that the apathy of the government towards public education is the reason for the sudden increase in social vices such as banditry and "yahoo-yahoo."

He further stated that the body has made plead to the federal government but all proved abortive because kids of the officeholders do not attend Nigerian schools.

"We were neglected because there were plans to make education inaccessible to children of the poor which today is creating social vices such as yahoo-yahoo, yahoo-plus, banditry and other criminal activities in the society.

“Check the social media; you will see them celebrating their children graduating from foreign universities. This is why they are not willing to fund public universities.

“Nigeria can fund free education if the government shows the right attitude to education, block all leakages, and curb corruption. If the government can give N80 billion to banks as a bailout, why not to the education sector,” the ASUU president said.