Obi noted that in the Nigerian university system as it stands today “so many things are not adding up but I will sit down with ASUU and we will discuss.”
By Jeffrey Agbo
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has again vowed to run an administration that would be driven by youths and women mostly.
Speaking on Thursday at a Town Hall meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, Obi noted that the aged would play advisory roles which will be respected by the youths.
“This government is going to be youth and women government. The old people will be there as advisers, they will guide us, we will respect them but the youth will spearhead it,” he said.
Obi told a crowded Town Hall meeting made up of largely youths and students that he would increase education funding and grant autonomy to universities, also grant loans to students and ensure that strikes in the education sector are nipped in the bud finally.
“A government that refused to recognise the impact of education to developement is doomed,” he said.
The former governor of Anambra State reiterated what is contained in his manifesto that education will be well-funded. “I said we will fund education, we will increase the funding. We will invest in education because the greatest investment any society can do is education. The more educated a society is the more developed they are,” he said.
The LP flag bearer lamented that Nigerians continue to talk about physical infrastructure without building human infrastructure which is through education.
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“So we will fund education at tertiary level through collaborations, government will bring the money and we can also get some corporations to support and we will give students loan. Universities should be able to manage their resources, so they don’t have to shut down,” he said.
Obi noted that in the Nigerian university system as it stands today “so many things are not adding up but I will sit down with ASUU and we will discuss.”
He assured the cheering crowd of mostly students, “I will not allow them to make you to stay 8 years for a 5-year course. 5 years will be 5 years. If I have a problem with ASUU it is between me and them. You shouldn’t suffer for our disagreement.”
He said that as president he would participate in the running of the universities.
“I assure you that when I become president I will visit at least 10 universities in a year. I visited over 500 secondary schools when I was a governor in Anambra. And all their school prefects had my phone number and I dealt with them directly,” he said.
Obi also met with Rivers State’s traditional rulers in their chamber where he was warmly received by their chairman, King Dsndedon Douglas Jaja, the Amanyanbo of Opobo.
He was accompanied by the party’s leadership and the campaign council.
