The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has accused the President Bola Tinubu-led administration of failing to invest proceeds from fuel subsidy removal in the education sector.
Atiku made the allegation in a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, amid renewed threats by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to embark on a nationwide strike.
He said Nigerians had endured rising transport fares, food prices, energy costs and school fees following the removal of the subsidy, while public universities remained underfunded.
Atiku questioned what had happened to the money generated from the policy, recalling that the government had promised to channel subsidy savings into education, healthcare, infrastructure and social welfare.
“The government promised to invest subsidy savings in education, healthcare, infrastructure and social welfare, but those promises have not been fulfilled,” he said.
The former Vice President argued that the continued threat of ASUU strikes demonstrated the government’s failure to address longstanding challenges in the university system, including unpaid entitlements and unimplemented agreements.
He also questioned whether increased allocations to state governments had translated into improved public education, citing inadequate classrooms, laboratories, hostels and other teaching facilities.
Atiku further criticised the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), arguing that student loans were not a lasting solution after government policies had increased the cost of education and worsened the economic burden on families.
He maintained that Nigerians had borne the full cost of subsidy removal but had yet to see corresponding improvements in the education sector.
