Universities, Almajiri schools established by Jonathan now abandoned by Buhari— Yakasai

Tanko Yakasai, Northern elder, has revealed that the Almajiri schools and universities established by former President Goodluck Jonathan had been abandoned.

He lamented the lack of attention to these centres of learning by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, arguing that the problems they were meant to solve in the North had continued as a result of the failure to show commitment to the schools.

“There are some universities established by the Goodluck Jonathan administration. There are nine in the north and three in the south. Till today, they are not being maintained and funded,” he said.

“The same thing is happening in the case of the Almajiri schools which Jonathan started in the north where the children can combine Islamic education with Western education. They are not being maintained now. That is why we have more problems in the north. Government is not doing anything to address the problems.

“I challenge anyone to tell me what the situation is in the Almajiri schools and new universities in 2015 and what the situation is today. How much money has been spent on them?”

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He said the improvement in the country’s foreign exchange is because of the rise of oil price, and not due to any government policy.

“What have they achieved in the sector (petroleum)? In the case of Malaysia, Indonesia, they were able to achieve so much in the agriculture and petroleum sectors,” Yakasai said.

“The Buhari government is laying claim to the improvement in foreign exchange. But we know that the improvement in foreign exchange in Nigeria is as a result of the increase in oil prices internationally. It is not as a result of any internal policy of the government.”

Yakasai made these comments in an interview with PUNCH.

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