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From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, has said the failure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to flag off its 2023 presidential campaign, yesterday, would not affect its victory.
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had slated September 28 for the commencement of campaign for the presidential and National Assembly elections that will hold in next February.
Among the three leading political parties in the country, only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flagged off its campaign, yesterday, while the APC and the Labour Party (LP) did not begin their campaigns as well.
Answering reporters’ questions on the sidelines of the official opening of a three-day 58th (7th quadrennial) national delegate conference of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) with the theme: ‘Terrorism and Attack on Schools: Effects on Education and Nigeria’s Economy’, at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Bagudu, said: “The law says parties are free to start campaigning from today (yesterday) for presidential and National Assembly elections. This is what INEC timetable provided and it is not mandatory that we should flag off the campaign today. Even, as from today, it is illegal to start campaigning for governorship.”
On attacks on schools by terrorists, Bagudu said: “The educational sector is the custodian of the nation tomorrow, which can be a tragedy if disrupted. Insecurity has been a worrisome issue, affecting some nations, which Nigeria is not in exception. Anybody, who takes arms and takes law into his hand is on his own. There should be international outreach and network of support to ensure the outreach.”
Meanwhile, NUT National President, Audu Amba, said NUT, in its bid to draw public attention to the precarious issue of insecurity and its toll on the nation’s education sector, chose the theme of the conference to address the issue.
“Insecurity in and around our schools is antithetical to effective delivery of education. The school system in Nigeria has suffered attacks by terrorists and bandits, leading to displacement or death of some teachers and learners. It is pertinent to note that the importance of education as the bedrock of national development will be a mirage if the nation’s education system fails to provide a safe and conducive environment for teaching and learning,” he said.
President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Waba, also noted: “The root of failure of government to prioritise education is not only restricted to primary and secondary schools but also to tertiary education. As we speak, the industrial action embarked on by university workers has prolonged to seven months now. At the heart of the matter is the failure of government to honour its commitment to collective bargaining agreements reached with university unions.
“It is unthinkable that in this age and time when the world economy is rapidly evolving into a knowledge-based economy, our universities can be locked up for long. Bearing the brunt of this criminal abandonment of public education are the children of the poor and workers, especially teachers who ironically teach others, while their children are left untaught. Tragically, the culprit – the Nigerian elite, shamelessly advertise their failure by putting in our faces pictures of their children graduating from foreign universities.”
