Nigerian lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi implores Otedola, Dangote, others to meet ASSU demands

Pelumi Olajengbesi, an attorney based in Abuja, has pleaded with wealthy businesspeople like Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, Abdul Samad Rabiu, and Mike Adenuga as well as chief executive officers of banks to meet the N1.1 trillion requests made by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

The attorney claimed that since February 14, 2022, the Federal Government has acted irresponsibly and casually in trying to end the ongoing strike by ASUU.

Olajengbesi urged the leaders of business to step up to the plate in the same way that they did during the COVID-19 epidemic, when their financial support made a significant contribution to Nigeria's fight against the feared disease and its economic effects.

Following the words of Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, who said that the Federal Government cannot borrow N1.1 trillion to meet ASUU's demands, the attorney made a plea to the wealthy donors.

Olajengbesi made the following comment in response: "The comment by Governor Dave Umahi of the All Progressives Congress is uncharitable and insensitive to millions of students at public universities who have been at home for seven months as a result of the industrial action that ASUU began this year on February 14, 2022.

The governor's assertion that the current government cannot borrow N1.1 trillion to pay for the Revitalization Fund and the Earned Academic Allowance payable to ASUU is careless.

The Nigerian debt to China increased from $3.26 billion as of September 30, 2020, to $3.59 billion as of September 30, 2021, a $330 million rise in a single year, as a result of the APC government's borrowing binge since 2015. The number has unquestionably increased during the past year.

"The APC government must understand that the foundation of any progress is education. Without developing the mind, spending loans on train and White Elephant projects is pointless. Without the growth of human capital, infrastructure development is useless.

"After demonstrating its unwillingness to end the ASUU strike despite the enormous sums of money that Umahi's APC received in the most recent primary elections, good-hearted Nigerians can only appeal to business leaders like Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, Abdul Samad Rabiu, Mike Adenuga, as well as bank chiefs, to come to the aid of the common Nigerians whose children have been out of school for seven months this year and nine months The nation is pleading with the philanthropists to get kids back in the classroom because being idle could tempt some of them into committing crimes.

Nigeria's lively youth bulge is one of the country's greatest resources, and this population should be used productively rather than allowed to waste away.

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