Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has been dragged on Twitter for circulating photos of himself receiving lectures at Harvard University in the United States, amidst the lingering strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Daily Trust reports that academic activities in public universities have been suspended since February 14, 2022, leaving hundreds of thousands of students at home.
The union said successive Nigerian administrations failed to implement the agreements reached in 2009.
ASUU has demanded President Muhammadu Buhari adopt the Universities Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) for paying universities’ staff salaries instead of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System and the payment of academic earned allowance (EAA), among others.
On Tuesday, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) mobilised unions across the country protested in solidarity with ASUU, demanding that Buhari meet ASUU’s demands so students could return to school.
Gbajabiamila in a tweet on Tuesday said he had gone back to the Harvard Kennedy School.
“Back to class. In a leadership course @havard @Kennedy_school. Forget the number of grey hairs, one is never too old to learn.”
His post has however elicited anger from Twitter users.
Tweeting via @__raid, one Ridwan Ajibade said, “We are in strike Hon., young people want to learn. Please, do something.”
@aayanate wrote, “While our students are at home helpless, and our lecturers are under the bridge protesting. Posterity will judge.”
@johneke997 said, “Back to class!! Same day NLC is staging a protest, ASUU striking like a thunder! You people don see us finish 💔”
@SheikhAnalo wrote, “It is not by attending class, baba what did you learn and how does that affect the average Nigerian because I am very certain that their tax and resources paid for the course.”
@FS_Yusuf said, “Oga, ASUU dey strike o. 15 million kids are out of school. Thousands of young people in Surulere are home not going to school. Wedone”
@olorunwababs said, “If universities in the USA were to be on strike, how will you be able to experience a working system? Walk around and see how basic things works in a normal university? Let’s hope you’ll return and use your influence to make our educational institutions work. #EndAsuuStrikeNow”
