President Bola Tinubu has been implored by the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG) to intervene and prevent the imminent collapse of the education sector in the country. The group reminded him of his commitment to giving adequate attention to the sector.
Expressing concern over the neglect plaguing the educational system in Nigeria, MMWG denounced the non-payment of salaries which led the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) to declare a week-long warning strike in all universities.
In a statement released on Thursday, signed by the MMWG National Coordinator, Ibrahim Abdullahi, the group urged President Tinubu’s administration to handle industrial disputes that could hamper educational progress in a more effective manner.
The group lamented the lack of concern for education and health matters during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, which resulted in numerous damaging strike actions.
MMWG emphasized the need for President Tinubu’s promise of eliminating strikes and ensuring stability in the educational sector to be fulfilled for the advancement of education in Nigeria.
Questioning the actions of the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, and Minister of State, Yusuf Sununu, regarding the SSANU demands, the group urged them to prevent a full-blown strike by promptly addressing all outstanding issues.
Furthermore, MMWG criticized 24 states for failing to collect billions of Naira from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to enhance educational development in schools nationwide. The group condemned the negligence of state governors towards the education sector, highlighting their failure to pay counterpart funding for several years despite advocating for educational progress.
In conclusion, MMWG called for an end to the detrimental attitude of the nation’s leaders towards the education sector.