A popular legal practitioner, Afe Babalola had reacted to the the government’s closure of universities in the country ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), frowned at the decision of the government directing universities to shut down over the elections.
The Informant247 earlier reported that the federal government had directed tertiary institutions to shut down for 3 weeks pending the conclusion of the general elections, so that students would be able to take part in the elections.
The legal luminary described the decision of the federal government as “illegal, needless, and inappropriate”.
The founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, (ABUAD), made this revelation at the 5th induction of 123 medical doctors, who recently graduated from his university.
Babalola added that the minister of education, Adamu Adamu, lacks the statutory power to order the National Universities Commission (NUC) to close down universities without prior consultations with concerned stakeholders.
“Under the NUC Act of 1974 and the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act of 1985, the Minister has no statutory power to issue a directive to NUC to close down universities. I refer in particular to section 4(2) of the 1974 (NUC) Act,” he said.
“The problems have been worsened by the scarcity of money by banks and automated teller machines, ATM, all of which ordinarily make transportation back home, more dangerous than ever before.
“If you want to destroy a nation, you don’t need bayonet, bombs, or nuclear warheads. All you need is to destroy the education of the nation.
“The illegal closure has adversely affected the curriculum, particularly in respect of private universities which are reputed for their predictable academic calendar and absence of strike actions.”