A former Senate President, Ken Nnamani says basic education is a right and not a privilege.
Senator Nnamani made the disclosure in Abuja on Friday while fielding questions from our correspondent after declaring his intention to run for president in 2023 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Asked how he will address the incessant strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) if elected president, Nnamani said no nation can be said to be developed if the citizens are not properly enlightened enough.
“Education is a right, not a privilege,” he said.
“If we cannot get sufficiently educated citizens, our democracy may not succeed.
“The incessant strike when it takes six or seven years for a person to graduate instead of three or four years does not help the country at all. That is why most people, the slightest chance they have left the country. Some perish on the high seas in trying to go for greener pastures on education abroad.
“I will emphasize priority on human development if elected president. Because most of our problems at times revolve around ignorance. Ignorance breeds suspicion. I am not too sure we have laid more emphasis on education in Nigeria going by what our professors earn.”
NNH reports that ASUU had embarked on strike on February 14 to press home their demands. On March 14, the union announced a continuation of the industrial action for another eight weeks to enable the Federal Government meet its demands in concrete terms.
Some of the demands include funding for the Revitalisation of Public Universities, Earned Academic Allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) and promotion arrears.
