‎…says he lacks capacity to handle ministry

‎The Minister of Education, Dr Mauruf Olatunji Alausa is facing a storm that may consume him and affect his position in the Federal Executive Council as a group has pointedly fingered him over incompetence and maladministration.

‎ The group known as Citizens for Good Governance and Accountability in Nigeria (CFGAA ), said the Minister lacked the capacity and experience to manage a sensitive Ministry such as education accusing “the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa of maladministration and incompetence.

‎The group said the continued stay of the Minister in office poses grave danger to the actualisation of President Bola Tinubu’s lofty ideas in the education sector.

‎ In a statement made available to DECENCY GLOBAL NEWS over the weekend in Abuja, CFGGA said the Minister lacks the skills and administrative exposure required to conduct the affairs of the Ministry of Education, which is made up of well-experienced technocrats.

‎The statement, signed by Dr Elvis Oghar,  Executive Director, Policy and Research, noted that the various unions within the ministry, such as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff of Universities, among others were unhappy with developments in the ministry and would soon pose for a showdown with the government.

‎ According to the organisation, the minister’s ineptitude was responsible for the recent industrial action by ASUU.

‎It said that Dr. Alausa’s statement denying the agreement entered into between ASUU and the federal government angered all unions across universities in the country.

‎It also raised an alarm over a sinister plot to cripple public universities, saying that officials of the ministry worked against the release of N150 billion meant for the Universities’ Revitalisation Fund, captured in the 2025 Appropriation Act under the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

‎It described as reckless, the Minister’s denial of having knowledge of the agreements between the federal government and ASUU, adding that such was a clear indication that the Minister is not on top of his job.

‎Dr. Oghar stated that the organisation is deeply worried over the lackadaisical attitude of officials of the ministry towards public university education, warning the government not to toy with the university system.

‎He revealed that the group is aware of a correspondence from the Minister of Education to the National Assembly demanding a change of the budget subhead from the initial one in favour of the 2009 agreements with ASUU, to a strange budget line.

‎He warned of industrial action should the government continue to treat agreements with the unions with kid gloves.

‎He alleged that the Minister is being misguided in taking actions that are detrimental to the industrial harmony enjoyed across the nation’s public universities.

‎It noted that the Minister’s lack of experience has led him to depend on a top official of the ministry, who has in the past, equally misadvised the former Minister, leading to her sack over financial impropriety under the Tinubu-led administration.

‎Oghar, therefore, advised the Minister to trade carefully with ASUU and ensure that the approved N150  billion university revalidation fund is released soon.

‎He explained that some officials in the Ministry of Education are leveraging on the lack of experience by the Minister, who, he said, has been out of the country before his appointment.

‎He warned those working towards diverting the funds to other institutions which they have vested interests to halt the plan immediately, adding that parochial interests must not be promoted above the common good of Nigerians.

‎The CFGAA boss, however, commended  President Bola  Ahmed Tinubu for the introduction of the Students Loan scheme; saying that the program will expand access to quality Education, especially for the children of the poor who could not afford tuition fees.

‎He, however, explained that what Nigerian universities need is the urgent provision of infrastructure including technology tools that will impact positively on the quality of graduates who would compete globally.

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