The Oyo South Senatorial candidate of Accord, Mr Kolapo Kola-Daisi, has strongly admonished the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to promptly find a lasting solution to all issues causing friction between it and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Kola-Daisi, the special guest at a programme tagged ‘The Podium’ organized by the Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) gave the admonition on Thursday evening.
The economist and banker also revealed why he thinks he is better than the other candidates from the other parties he will contest against for the Oyo South Senatorial District in 2023.
He said that the Federal Government should ensure that the strike action does not recur once it is called off.
His words “I do not wish to apportion blame. All I want is for ASUU to end the incessant strike action. Our society must start prioritizing the interests of our young ones. Governments should redirect resources towards the welfare of our youths, our students.”
Kola-Daisi added “You see, teaching is one of the noblest professions in the world. Our society should do what is right to encourage those involved in this profession.
“Another thing is that Nigeria cannot, as a nation, afford what we are presently witnessing. Between 60 and 70 per cent of our youths are already jobless. We cannot afford now to add our public university students to this growing number.
“We should not keep these university students away from school. This wastefulness is too much. Government should put them into consideration and make their welfare a priority while preparing the budget.”
Kola-Daisi said about his candidature: “I represent the youths, a critical part of the Nigerian voting public. As I submitted earlier, most of them are jobless, and nobody seems interested in addressing their problems. Or what are our leaders doing about the challenges facing the youths?”
The Europe-trained accountant also said that when he eventually emerges victorious in the senatorial election, he will work hard to protect the interests of the youth in his constituency.
He added, “As an economist and finance expert, I have seen a lot and gathered experiences in my sojourn. I intend to deploy my knowledge and experience.
“In addition, I can say that I am fortunate that I came from a well-grounded family. Nothing is supposed to ‘enter my head’. I will remain level-headed. I can also say that I have reliable political leaders in our party, Accord. They are always there to ensure that we do what is right at the right time. I pledge that after emerging victorious, I am not going to forget where I started from.”
‘The Podium’ was organized by the Comrade Ademola Babalola-led exco of Oyo NUJ. The panellists who interviewed Mr Kolapo Kola-Daisi included Femi Atoyebi, the South West bureau chief of The Cable and others.