Nigerian Independence Day: Students protest against funding in Lagos

Today marks the 56th year after Nigeria gained her independence. You may think that should be a great milestone for a developed country but it is not. Nigeria still languishes in underdevelopment, poverty, chaotic power supply, bad infrastructure, medieval transport system and bad education.

On a day when the country should be celebrating peaceful, students in the commercial capital of Nigeria are staging a protest. Why?

The students have had enough of the lack of funding across national departments especially in the education sector. Education in Nigeria cannot even be rated internationally. The government places more emphasis on changing peoples attitudes without a solid educational structure. How do you change the minds of 180 million people if not through education?

I was in Nigeria a few weeks ago and I visited some schools in Ajah, Lagos. What I saw was beyond belief. A brand new school building yet to be opened had be used as a toilet!!! Five classes had been vandalised and fouled. You can just image the sight and smell. The pictures are too disgusting to be posted.

According to reports, the leader of the Alliance of Nigerian Students Against Neo-Liberal Attacks, ANSA Wole Olubanji would lead a protest by Nigerian students against the attacks waged on Nigerian students and parents. 

WHAT THE STUDENTS ARE DEMANDING:

1. Education is underfunded in Nigeria so the federal government should give 26 % of its budget to education as requested by The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation UNESCO.
2. The government should reduce the salaries of political office holders immediately and slash them to the average wage and allowances of skilled workers.
3. The difference should be diverted to funding education in order to increase the creativity and productivity of the country. 

Students across the country, under the aegis of Alliance of Nigerian Students Against Neo-Liberal Attacks, ANSA, will today, stage a mass protest in Lagos in commemoration of the 56th Independence Day in Nigeria.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/independence-day-nigerian-students-set-protest-attacks-lagos/

Students across the country, under the aegis of Alliance of Nigerian Students Against Neo-Liberal Attacks, ANSA, will today, stage a mass protest in Lagos in commemoration of the 56th Independence Day in Nigeria. At a press briefing which took place Thursday, at the International Press Centre, Lagos, the students said they are protesting against the myriads of attacks waged on Nigerian students and parents. The convener, Comrade Wole Olubanji said the protest would take off by 8am, at Ikeja Under-bridge where students from various institutions of learning are expected to converge. PROTEST—University of Lagos students protesting the re-naming of the institution after late MKO Abiola yesterday in Lagos. According to him, the attacks on Nigerian students are induced by failed successive governments that obstinately refused to depart from the neo-liberal, pro-rich and elitist policies of previous regimes. The convener who said education was underfunded in Nigeria called on the federal government, to give 26 % of its budget to education as requested by The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation UNESCO, Also, he said it was time the government reduced the salaries of political office holders and stand against extravagant life styles of politicians. He said, “ the government continues to condone the extravagant lifestyles of political office holders with a bulk of the national budget. Change must start with cutting the jumbo salaries of these politicians. We demand this must be immediately slashed to the average wage and allowances of skilled workers. The difference, we demand, should be diverted to funding education in order to increase the creativity and productivity of this country during this period of government-induced recession.” In attendance was Secretary, Joint Action Front JAF, Comrade Abiodun Aremu who also called on government to look into the plight of Nigerian students.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/independence-day-nigerian-students-set-protest-attacks-lagos/