Former Minister
of Petroleum, Professor
Tam David-West,
yesterday, in Ibadan, said
it was unfair for a
government that
budgeted N1 billion each,
for feeding the President
and the Vice President, to
say there was no money
to fund education.
David-West said it showed
that there were more
thieves in government
than saints, claiming that
the same government
that spent N8 trillion
illegally must be made by
all Nigerians to fund public
education.
The former minister, who
spoke at a town hall
meeting organised by the
Academic Staff Union of
Universities, ASUU, Ibadan
Chapter, also condemned
the Coordinating Minister
of the Economy and
Minister of Finance, Dr.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, over
her comments on the
funding of education.
He said: “Any government
that fails to invest in
education is a vagabond
government. The problem
with Nigeria is that we
have more thieves than
saints in government. We
drill over two million
barrels of crude oil per
day. Why should we be
poor? ASUU is saying put
money in education to
improve education quality
for our children and those
yet unborn. The same
government that does not
have money for education
budgeted N1 billion each
to feed the president and
vice president for a year.
Are they eating rock in Aso
Rock? If you went to
school without shoes
ensure that your children
have shoes. Good parents
pray that their children
must be better than
them.”
He argued that good
academic qualification did
not qualify one to be a
good leader, saying, “It is
not having university
degree that makes you a
good leader. Late Yar’Adua
and Jonathan are the first
set with university
degrees but that has not
translated to significant
changes. Winston Churchill
was not the best in his
class but one of the best
leaders the world has ever
produced.”