*Says SGF Did Not Need to Ask Parents For Money As A Law Student Because We Was Sufficiently Catered For By The Government.
*Adds That SGF And His Contemporaries Owe Children From Poor Backgrounds A Duty To Access Education As Government’s Expense

Renowned Human Rights Activist and Lawyer, Femi Falana SAN has responded to claims by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha that as an undergraduate law student he never asked his parents for money because he acquired business skills which enabled him earn money.

Mr Mustapha who made the comments during the Hong Economic Summit which too place at his alma mater, Government Secondary School (GSS), Hong said “All through my university days, I had no need to ask my parents for money because I had become self-sufficient. By the time I was in Part 2 going to Part 3, I had already started work and earning money.”

However, in a response, Mr Falana made some exceptions to Mr Mustapha’s comment describing it as “incomplete”.

According to him, Boss Mustapha failed to disclose the fact that there were several student welfare packages which he benefitted from during his time as a student.

Falana stressed that these numerous initiatives for students totally catered for their needs as undergraduates. He listed them to include the abolition of tuition in tertiary institutions by the military government from 1976-1979, several scholarships given by State governments, Federal government and Commonwealth nations, as well as Soviet Union and Cuba scholarships to students from poor home. He added that students were paid bursaries by state government to cater for their campus accommodation and feeding while in law school even though they didn’t pay school fees.

Falana also emphasised the availability of student loans through the Students Loan Decree of 1972.

He said, “With profound respect to Mr. Mustapha, his story is incomplete as he did not reveal the fact that the Federal Government and the various State Governments took care of him and all Nigerian undergraduates at the material time. When Mr. Mustapha read law as an undergraduate at the Ahmadu Bello University (1976-1979) the defunct military government had cancelled the payment of tuition in all tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Hence, Mr. Mustapha did not pay tuition as an undergraduate.

Many brilliant undergraduates were given scholarships by State Governments, Federal Government and the Commonwealth of Nations. The Soviet Union, Cuba and other socialist countries gave full scholarships to hundreds of young Nigerians from poor homes. It is on record that at no cost to the Federal Government, the Soviet Union trained over 4,000 Nigerian metallurgists for the Ajaokuta Iron and Steel before the collapse of the project.

Apart from not paying tuition, Mr. Mustapha and other undergraduates were paid bursary by state governments which was sufficient to take care of campus accommodation and feeding. Even though he did not pay school fees he was also paid bursary when he attended the Nigeria Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos (1979-1980).

In addition, undergraduates collected loans from the Federal Government under the Students Loan Decree of 1972. Even though, Mr. Mustapha and other graduates of his generation were fully employed upon their graduation, majority of them did not pay back the student loan. The Federal Government was later compelled to abolish the student loan as graduates joined the unemployment market in the 1980s due to gross mismanagement of the national economy and wanton corruption by the civilian and military wings of the ruling class.”

He blamed the commercialization of education in Nigeria to the regime of Former General Ibrahim Babaginda.

“Education was further commercialised when the Ibrahim Babangida military junta imposed the IMF/World Bank sponsored Structural Adjustment Programme on the nation in the 1986. It is curious to note that the members of the National Assembly who have just passed the Students Loan Bill are not aware of the Nigerian Education Bank Act promulgated in 1993 to make loans available to undergraduate and post graduate students to complete the degree programmes.”

Falana continued, The point that I am struggling to make is that Mr. Boss Mustapha did not ask his parents for money as a law student not because he had acquired business skills that enabled him to earn money. But because he did not pay tuition and was paid bursary by his state government to take care of his accommodation and feeding. ”

He further stated that Mr Mustapha and his contemporaries who benefitted a lot from the Nigerian state in their days have a responsibility of providing access to education to children from poor backgrounds today.

“Therefore, Mr. Mustapha and members of his generation who were given free education and who are currently running the affairs of the county owe it a duty to allow Nigerian citizens, particularly of poor background, to acquire university education at the expense of the Nigerian State.”

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