Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the last general election, has raised serious concerns about Nigeria’s high cost of governance. He pointed out that it would take an average PhD holder 85 years of savings to afford the N160 million SUVs lawmakers use.
Obi, in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), criticized the government’s reckless spending, which he believes has led to a decline in the quality of university education in the country. He highlighted the disparity in earnings, noting that while a Grade 2 lecturer earns about N150,000 monthly, an average lawmaker takes home around N21 million each month, revealing the government’s skewed priorities.
A recent news story attributed to the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) regarding the decline in the standards of our university education has highlighted the significant challenges facing our education system.
According to the Executive Secretary, the situation requires the production of more PhD holders to address these issues. However, the Executive Secretary’s solution overlooks several obstacles, such as the unnecessarily prolonged time it takes to obtain a PhD in Nigeria and the frustrating disparity between wages and the level of academic attainment in the country.
If fortunate, one might be employed as a Lecturer Grade 2 with a monthly salary of around N150,000, often paid irregularly, totaling N1.8 million annually.
In stark contrast, our legislators, whose required educational qualification is merely a secondary school certificate receive a monthly salary of 21 million, which is more than 10 years salary of a PhD holder.
This disparity is the root of the problem. Additionally, legislators are provided with SUVs worth N160 million from the public purse. For a PhD holder to afford such a vehicle, it would take over 85 years of saving every kobo earned, he said.
Obi pointed out the stark contrast in earnings, where a PhD holder earning N1.8 million annually would need to save every penny for 85 years to afford an SUV that legislators receive from public funds. He called for the government to prioritize investment in education rather than its extravagant spending, suggesting that such investment would promote knowledge and expertise over political power and influence.
He added that shifting Nigeria’s focus from consumption to production, where hard work, innovation, and talent are rewarded, is crucial for restoring the country’s reputation in global education rankings.
Public dissatisfaction with the high cost of governance has been growing, particularly concerning President Tinubu’s significant spending on foreign trips amid rising inflation and living costs. Although the President has approved the Oronsaye Report, which is aimed at reducing the number of government agencies and cutting costs, implementing these measures remains uncertain.
