OAU Students In National Assembly, Demand Improved Funding For Education

Delegates of Great Ife Students Union Parliament visited the National Assembly, Abuja on Tuesday, asking Nigerian lawmakers to use their lawmaking powers to improve education in the country.

During the Plenary session, Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of the Representatives, Yakubu Dogara recognised and welcomed Parliamentarians from OAU with the Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Sulaiman Lasun giving a special recognition to all delegates being an alumnus of the institution and thanked them all for the short visitation.

The delegates led by the Speaker, Temitope Falayi, observed proceedings at the upper and lower chambers of the National Assembly.

The Speaker of the Great Ife Parliament, Rt. Hon. Falayi Temitope said the visitation was to address major issues affecting the general masses of Nigerian students.

He stressing that the educational sector had lost its course over the years and further urged the Joint Session of the National Assembly, most importantly , the senate and House of Representative committees on Appropriation to see to the increase in the allocation to the educational sector to a minimum of 26% as recommended by UNESCO.

He said that would bring an end to social and economic unrest among Staff Unions such as ASUU, NASU and Students’ Union.

He added that a new trend had become the order of the day in campuses over the country as Vice Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts of Higher Institutions had become “dictatorial and tyrannical” marked by “suspension and expulsion of students who are on peaceful demonstration over poor welfare condition and underfunding of the education sector.”

He then demanded unconditional reinstatement of all suspended and expelled students in all campuses with immediate effect.

The Delegates later visited OAU alumnus and senator representing Osun East, Babajide Omoworare, who expressed displeasure at the trend of suspending students.

To end the trip, the delegates are to have an inter-parliamentary sitting with the Students Representative Council at the University of Abuja.