A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and owner of a private university in Nigeria, Afe Babalola, has criticized the Federal Government’s decision to shut down universities in the country over the forthcoming elections.
Recalling, the Federal Government, through the National Universities Commission (NUC) had on February 9th ordered for the the closure of universities across the nation to empower students to take part in the February 25 and march 11 general elections.
FG also shut down polytechnics and other various higher institutions across the nation was directed to shutdown.
Babalola, the Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Ado-Ekiti, said the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, does not have the ability to coordinate NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed to shut down tertiary institutions.
Babalola said during the 5th induction ceremony of 123 medical doctors, who just graduated at ABUAD, held at the Alfa Belgore Hall of the institution in Ado-Ekiti.
“Does the NUC have the legal ability to shut down all or any of the universities on the ground of the forthcoming elections? I express completely so that anyone could have that the Education Minister has no ability to give an order to the NUC to shut down any university.”
According to him, Nigeria has a crook code and other legislations have provisions which the government and law enforcement agents could evoke to manage any individual, whatever his class.
Babalola also spoke on the nation’s constitution saying the problem that is causing apprehension among transactional politicians is the 1999 constitution.
