Lawmakers in every state are elected to represent the interest of a particular society, and bring dividend of democracy to them.
Just recently, the Chairman House Committee on Tertiary Education, in his effort to feed his community with dividend of democracy raised a motion in which he suggested that public universities be privatised, and government should only own polytechnics and colleges of education.
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He said this was a way to solve the incessant strikes by lecturers.
I felt extremely bewildered and strained not with his statement but the support and applauding of his hopeless colleagues. I may not be wrong if I say the lawmakers know nothing about the suffering of the masses they are representing.
Actually, the lawmaker that proposed that does not know how majority of students in universities manage to sponsor their education.
As a matter of fact, one can only view this suggestion as a way to lock the education door to the children of the common man.
Largely, government is to be blamed for the long closure of universities following strikes by lecturers as it is not willing to honour agreements it entered with their union.
Nigeria is still among developing nations and it would do well if government strives to improve access to quality education.
As Malcolm X said: “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today”.
Ali Tijjani Hassan
