Mallam Adamu Adamu, yesterday, admitted that he has failed in his assignment as Minister of Education.
This is as he regretted his inability to resolve several challenges in the sector despite serving as longest minister in the sector.
However, various stakeholders have reacted differently to the statement. While some said he should resign “honourably”, others suggested that he should remain in office bring “more competent” people around him and try the little he can within the limited available time to fix the system, at least, above where he met it in 2015 when he took charge.
Adamu spoke at the 66th National Council on Education (NCE) in Abuja.
“Most of our policies at the federal level pulled children out of the street back to the school, but evidently, the actions of the states’ governments are pushing the children back to the streets. Few days ago, someone called my attention to the fact that I am the longest serving Minister of Education in Nigeria. Sincerely speaking, it never occurred to me and I never cared whether I was the longest or shortest serving minister.
“My worry was that I came to office as Minister of Education seven years ago to tackle the myriad of issues confronting the education system, particularly the issue of out-of-school children. But unfortunately, I failed to achieve all these expectations. For seven years, I was unable to tackle the issue of out-of-school children and several other challenges in the education sector. However, there are so many factors that contributed to that failure, but the key one, probably, has to do with education commissioners in the states.”
Meanwhile, Adamu has ordered that any sexual education content in the curriculum taught in Nigerian schools be expunged. He disagreed with proponents of sexual education, saying it was needless and should not be encouraged.
He said all available evidences indicated that sex education in schools does more harm than good to students and that he has directed the Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to quickly review the curriculum and expunge any sexual education content in the curriculum taught in Nigerian schools.
“While I accompanied the President to his recent trip to the New York, one highly placed government official called my attention to certain materials on sex education being used in schools, and I almost collapsed because I never expected that. I am one of those persons who believe that sex education should not be taught in our schools. Rather, such knowledge and experience should be shared through other means that are known to man.
“…From all indications, the increasing advocacy for sex education in schools is targeted at undermining and destroying the moral and religious fibre of our society. Regrettably, it’s being promoted through the social media and other forms of westernisation…NERDC Executive Secretary, had in response told me that they would debate on the matter and expunge harmful parts, but I told him outrightly that everything there is harmful and should be discarded.”
The minister said Nigeria is a nation with religious and cultural values, suggesting that such should be maintained and promoted among school children.
Reacting, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said the statement attributed to the minister confirmed that he is a misfit to handle such sensitive position.
ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, described the minister as a honest man to had publicly admitted that he has failed as Minister of education in the past seven years.
He said: “Not only the Minister of Education has failed. The entire education system has failed, ranging from the primary to tertiary system. However, the decision as regards next step is purely for him to make. I can’t suggest that he resign or stay put. He should search his conscience and know what to do next.”
Former national treasurer of the union, Prof. Ademola Aremu, said the people ruling the country were misfit hence cannot find solutions to ordinary problems confronting the country.
“The people ruling us are misfit. It is a shame that the education minister would admit he failed. I am weeping for this country.”
Prof. Aremu, who a lecturer at the University of Ibadan, said the honorable thing for the minister of education to do, is to resign his appointment immediately.
He added: “What is he waiting for. He should resign and afterward Mr. President should also sack him. He admitted failure as the education minister. He should resign and be sacked too.
“His admittance that ASUU’s prolonged strike is a major part of his failure indicate the union was right in its struggle to better public universities.”
ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, described him as an honest man to had publicly admitted he had failed as minister in the past seven years.
“Not only the minister of education has failed. The entire education system has failed, ranging from the primary to tertiary system. However, the decision as regards next step is purely for him to make. I can’t suggest he resign or stay. He should search his conscience and know what to do next.”
In his reaction, the National President, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Anderson Ezeibe, said Adamu’s statement was based on his assessment. “He knows the target he set for himself.The choice is left for him to resign. There can be improvement within the shortest time left of him in the office. He still has the chance to redeem the situation before the end of this administration.His admittance of failure is purely based on his self assessment.”
Former chairman, Senior Stuff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Prince Oriwaye Adefolalu, said the education minister admittance of failure is a self condemnation hence, he should be sacked.
“I doubt if the minister knew the gravity of his statement. His failure in doing the needful as a Minister of Education has sent hundreds of innocent souls to their early graves. Sad to write that his offence is more than the offense of coup d’etat.
“Those that are calling on him to resign his appointment as a minister are just unnecessarily lenient to his course, sacking is much appropriate.”
A parent Segun Ogunsola, whose said his son is a 200-level student of one of the public universities suggested that the entire cabinet beginning from President Muhammadu Buhari should resign and give way to new set of political leaders because they have failed Nigerians woefully when it comes to the promises they made to Nigerians that earned their trust and confidence in 2015.
“I was surprised that a serving minister in this government could openly admit that he failed. This is strange in our governance system and I commend him for that. It was this same minister, few months ago that admitted that they failed as regards issues concerning resolution of ASUU dispute.
“However, there is no doubt that the minister has failed woefully as regard the management of our education system. If you check the indices, you will agree with he has failed. There are several other failed ministers in the cabinet, just that he publicly admitted his failure. Nevertheless, there could be several factors that might had contributed to the failure some of which he highlighted during his speech.”