Outrage As Gbajabiamila Takes Harvard Course Amid ASUU Strike

The speaker of the federal house of representative, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has been a subject of criticism on social media for returning to the classroom to take a leadership course at Harvard University amid the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which has kept government-owned universities down for more than five months.

The lawmaker had on Tuesday taken to his Facebook and Twitter accounts to post pictures of himself in the classroom.

It was captioned: “The Speaker of Nigeria’s lower legislative chamber, the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has returned back to class at Harvard for a leadership course.

“Back to class. In a leadership course at #Harvard #Kennedy_School. Forget the number of grey hairs one is never too old to learn, broaden or sharpen your skills.”

The lawmaker’s post which seems not to have gone down well with some social media users has however generated much criticism.

A Twitter user @chineduanaz said “Universities in Nigeria are on strike. Your government has failed to resolve the issues but you have chosen to fly off to Harvard to “broaden and sharpen your skills”. Would you be studying there if these Universities proceed on strike? Fix our land.”

Another user @Abdulbk13 wondered, saying, ”Sir with all your gray hairs you are not old to learn but we with black hairs we are still at home because of strike, we spent 5 months out of our schools.”

“And ASUU is still on strike, 5 months going to 6 months. Leadership course?? When you left your assignment undone in Nigeria. Yes sir, what is the meaning of leadership?? ASUU strike is still on for months now. Misplaced priority,” @AyoAkande07 commented.

@olorunwababs “If universities in the USA were to be on strike, how will you be able to experience a working system? Walk around and see how basic things work in a normal university? Let’s hope you’ll return and use your influence to make our educational institutions work. #EndAsuuStrikeNow

@Oluwa_bukola229 said, “These politicians don’t even have the fear of God and ASUU is currently on strike. They can proudly show off in an international school and the ones we are managing here they refuse to let it go on.”

Another user, @johneke997, asked why the speaker decided to post pictures of him studying abroad on the same day the Nigeria Labour Congress is protesting the closure of universities.

“Back to class!! The same day NLC is staging a protest, and ASUU is striking like thunder! You people don see us finish ” he tweeted.

The Lawyer had earlier reported today that the Nigeria Labour Congress and other stakeholders commenced solidarity protest with ASUU across the nation which is geared toward ensuring the government does the needful to enable government-owned university students to return to classes after over five months of being at home