The APC Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO) has described as empty and inconsequential the claims by President Goodluck Jonathan of outstanding achievement in the education sector.
Rather, the organisation said the administration is responsible for serious shortcomings in the sector and blames the President for presiding over the greatest decline ever known in the education sector so far in the country’s history.
In a statement by Mallam Garba Shehu, Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, the APC blamed the administration of President Jonathan for the present confusion in the sector characterised by long strikes caused by the poor management of the sector by his appointees. A second characteristics of the sector are the ill-equipped and poorly-staffed Universities set up by President Jonathan in 2011 for the purpose of winning votes. The Jonathan Universities are more like glorified Secondary Schools. Third, is the continuous mass failure of young Nigerians in international examinations like the West African School Certificate (WASC).
In the statement, the APC Presidential Campaign spokesperson said, “we have taken note of President Jonathan’s sing-song in his recent campaigns around the country about the number of new Universities and tertiary institutions he has set up in the past six years and how he hopes that these would train our youths to take the country to the moon.’’ We dare say that none of the new Universities set up by President Jonathan, meets the standard of good institutions in terms of infrastructure, adequate and well-trained academic staff and proper planning about the future growth and development of these Universities. Therefore, it amounts to self-deceit to say and believe that his ‘’political universities’’ can take Nigeria to the moon.
As a result of the lack of foresight and policy somersault of the Jonathan government in the area of education at all levels, the nation has continued to grapple with the problem of low standard of many young graduates and high rate of failure of the nation’s youths in international and national examinations like WASC and NECO.
Therefore the claim of President Jonathan of having performed wonderfully in the education sector is a bogus claim which cannot stand rigorous examination and analysis. We say unequivocally that the future of our education is now precarious because President Jonathan has only carried out cosmetic improvements for the purpose of winning votes and retaining power rather than well thought out and fundamental changes that genuinely transforms the sector. Since Jonathan came to power, the percentage of Nigerian youths who pass in both WASC and NECO has fallen from 75 per cent to 30 per cent. Well-meaning Nigerians are now worried that if the current administration is not voted out of office, the nation may record zero percent performance in the above mentioned examinations.
Based on the above, the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation hereby warns President Jonathan to desist from deceiving Nigerians on his alleged sterling performance in the education sector. The claims are at best hollow and at worst an affront on the sensibility of well-grounded educationists the world over.