Buhari’s reign of error

Believe me; President Muhammadu Buhari should face stiff political headwinds, if he goes against his conscience to seek re-election. Look everywhere, but at the truth. In April 2015, days before his inauguration, Buhari penned an op-ed for the New York Times. It was a clever propaganda to present himself to the world as a ready-man. In that op-ed, Buhari quoted former South African President, Nelson Mandela, to make essential his message.

“Boosting education will be a direct counterbalance to Boko Haram’s appeal,” reads the op-ed. “In particular we must educate more young girls, ensuring they will grow up to be empowered through learning to play their full part as citizens of Nigeria and pull themselves up and out of poverty. Indeed, we owe it to the schoolgirls of Chibok to provide as best an education as possible for their fellow young citizens.”

But statistics don’t lie. It is incontestable that Mr. Buhari ditched his words on making education a prime part of his work in Aso Rock. He started by cutting budget to education. We all know that budgets are statements of priority, but Buhari’s budgets for education since he came to power send clear message that education is not his priority.

True, the budgetary allocation to education under Buhari paled in comparison to what his predecessor had given, and in defiance to what the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), recommends.

Here is the figure: In the 2017 government budget, N448.01billion was allocated to education, representing about 6 percent of the N7.30 trillion budget, a far less investment in education per UNESCO recommendation. Of the allocated fund, N398.01billion was allocated to recurrent expenditure (wages and salaries etc) and the balance of N50billion allocated to capital projects (building of schools etc).

In 2016, N367.73 billion was budgeted for education—a decrease from the allocations during the Jonathan years.

The figures for the Jonathan years include N492.34billion in 2015, N493billion in 2014, N426.53billion in 2013, N400.15billion in 2012, N306.3billion in 2011 and N249.086billion in 2010.

Admittedly, it is unfair to compare Goodluck Jonathan regime to Buhari administration, but education tippy-toed under Jonathan—he increased budgets and built new universities. His budgets for education remain the largest contributions to the sector since 1999—something that placed him above Buhari in commitment to education.

Mr. Buhari has neglected the promise he made on the memory of Nelson Mandela, that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” So the headwinds should come from the students who have seen how budget cut to education made it impossible for them to get quality education from elementary to tertiary level. The headwinds should come from the students who continue to face frustration in finding acceptance into colleges, because the facilities are not there to increase the annual quotas the universities can admit. The headwinds should come from the undergraduates who have had their graduation date extended, because the teachers went on strike over unpaid wages and decrepit state of facilities at our ivory towers. The headwinds should come from the university teachers who had their colleagues (Vice Chancellors of 12 new federal universities) sacked in February 2016, by Buhari, before reason prevailed on him to restore them to their positions.

Really, this is an important moment in our history, when politicians seeking to protect nepotism and the beneficiaries of the old order are out to make us feel like dummies. It is impossible to say too often or loudly how we feel about this government. The number of youngsters who couldn’t make it to universities should remind us. The figure of 13.2 million out of school children, the largest in the world should unite us to push for true change.

Why did Buhari choose April 14, 2015, the memorial of the Kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls to write an op-ed for New York Times and not any Nigerian newspaper? It is one of two things: not his idea or he was brainwashed.

If he wanted to genuinely speak to Nigerians about his commitment to education, he will probably use any of Nigeria’s first tier newspapers.

Granted, he wanted to appeal to international community, but the tone of the op-ed suggested he was having conversation more with Nigerians.

This is what I think: well-off consultants in search of rich rewards may have persuaded Buhari as president-elect to have the op-ed under his byline. The hunt for cash rather than genuine concern for Nigeria may have prompted it. As it turns out, it’s not straight from Buhari’s heart.

Rebecca Winthrop, director of the Center for Universal Education and senior fellow at U.S based Brookings Institution followed up on Buhari’s op-ed, telling him “This will take strong political leadership not only from him but all the way down the chain. And, it will take a sustained commitment to ensuring the north’s education system receives its fair share of resources.”

But that has not happened. Individuals, scholars, experts, groups, activists, senators, even his own minister in the education ministry have asked Buhari to declare emergency in education, yet he has been reluctant.

Last November, the minister of education Adamu Adamu, told Buhari of the danger of his poor investment in education and the need to declare immediate emergency, still Mr. President turned-deaf ears.

“Mr. President, to achieve the desired change that education needs, there is the need for improved funding and a measure of political will in national governance,” Adamu said. “Such is the weight of the problems that beset our education and the deleterious effect it has had on our national development efforts that I believe that this retreat should end with a declaration of a state of emergency in education so that we can face the challenges frontally and squarely.”

I doubt, even if Buhari declares state of emergency in education, he may still go to sleep. He has antecedent in doing do.

As a candidate, Buhari gave a “do not lose hope” message to Nigerians on January 1, 2015. In a statement by Dele Alake, the director of communications for Buhari Campaign Organization, Mr Buhari explained what change means this way: “A Nigeria where citizens get the education that is competitive and outcome-oriented in a knowledge-economy.”

Rhetorically he asked, “Are these things truly possible?.” “Of course. That is the essence and outcome of leadership, and that is what my party and I promise you as we get into 2015,” he answered his own query. He even said: “I have faith that 2015 is the year we shall begin to write a new story –a story of genuine investment in our children and students be they in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka or in the Delta State University, Abraka.”

Sadly, Buhari’s leadership is ineffective in education. The lack of political will has made the states to give paltry investment to education since he came to power. The message is simple: the president shillyshallied on education.

And when you look at many data on our students’ mobility, you will agree that another four year term for Buhari will be a waste of time.

The World Education Service, a global nonprofit organization that provides credential evaluations for international students recently alerted colleges in the United States and Canada to the problem with education in Nigeria as their own opportunities.

“The continued outward drive is likely due in no small measure to the lack of options at home: The nation produces some 1.5 million high school graduates each year. Only a quarter to a third can find placement in the country’s own institutions,” the WES report reads.

I will be the first to admit that it is hard to trust politicians, but the trust placed in Buhari to reform education was not a political trust. It was moral trust. That public trust is what Buhari has violated by not fixing the education sector since he came to power.

The promise of “genuine investment in our children and students, be they in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka or in the Delta State University, Abraka…” has been broken.

Truth is hard. Buhari has no passionate personal commitment to education, despite coming from a region where education is a big concern. There’s nothing in his heart to create equal opportunity for kids to receive quality education in order to have chance in their future. He cannot be trusted with another four years. It didn’t take me much effort to come to that conclusion.