A former Petroleum Minister, Prof Tam David-
West, yesterday criticised President Goodluck
Jonathan for refusing to accede to the
demands of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU).
The former minister also berated the Finance
Minister and the Coordinating Minister of the
Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, senators
and government appointees for draining the
nation’s purse through what he called reckless
spending.
Prof David-West spoke at a Town Hall meeting,
organised by University of Ibadan (UI) chapter
of the ASUU at the Mapo Hall, Ibadan.
He lashed out at Dr Okonjo-Iweala for her
comments on the Federal Government’s 2009
agreement with ASUU.
The academic noted that there are more
thieves in government than there are saints in
Nigeria.
According to him, a government which said it
spent N8 trillion illegally must be made by
Nigerians to fund public education.
Prof David-West stressed that any government,
which fails to invest in education is a vagabond
government.
He said: “Any government that fails to invest in
education is a vagabond government. The
problem with Nigeria is that we have more
thieves than saints in government. We drill
over two million barrels of crude oil per day.
Why should we be poor?
“ASUU is saying that the government should
spend the money to improve the quality of
education for our children and those yet
unborn. The same government that does not
have money for education budgeted N1 billion
each to feed the President and the Vice
President for just a year. Are they eating rock
in Aso Rock? If you went to school without
shoes, ensure that your children have shoes.
Good parents pray that their children must be
better than them.”
Other speakers at the event included the
National Treasurer of ASUU, Dr Ademola
Aremu; Oyo State Chairman of the Nigeria
Labour Congress (NLC), Dr Olanrewaju Bashir;
UI chapter of ASUU Chairman, Dr Segun
Ajiboye; Dr Biodun Badmus of the University
of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB); Comrade
Mashood Erubami, Comrade Abiodun Aremu,
Mr Femi Aborishade, among other activists.
Prof David-West said Dr Okonjo-Iweala lacked
the morality to budget N2 billion annually for
Jonathan’s and Namadi Sambo’s food and still
claim that the same government cannot meet
the education needs of the masses.
The former minister said the Finance Minister
was being paid $2 million a month under the
Olusegun Obasanjo administration, without her
rejecting it or insisting that she should be paid
in naira to improve the economy.
He wondered what President Jonathan is doing
with 10 presidential jets while President of the
United States, Barack Obama, has only one.
Prof David-West noted that the possession of a
university degree does not make one a good
administrator.
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