Yoruba Council defends proposed Bola Tiinubu varsity, sends message to Nigerians, details emerge

• The Yoruba Council Worldwide (YCW) has supported the establishment of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal University of Nigerian Languages
• YCW President Oladotun Hassan explained that Nigerians are opposing the university due to the country's worsening economic conditions
• Hassan urged President Tinubu to prioritize addressing Nigeria's economic challenges, particularly the rising cost of fuel

FCT, Abuja—The Yoruba Council Worldwide has strongly defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and criticized the public backlash against the proposed university named after him.

Legit.ng recalls that the House of Representatives recently took a significant step towards establishing a new university dedicated to promoting and preserving Nigerian languages.

Yoruba Council speaks on why move to establish Tinubu Varsity justified Photo credit: Nurphotos/@OfficialBenKalu/Oladotun Hassan
Source: UGC

The bill to create that university, to be named 'Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal University of Nigerian Languages,' passed its first reading on Thursday, October 9.

However, Nigerians, in their reaction, shaded members of the House of Representatives, with one X user, @keniemoh4real09, saying:

"I have never seen the most useless house of Rep in the entire history of Nigeria since independence."

Another X user, @erickson_egbon, said:

"Nobody is talking about fuel and the bad economy but University 🤣"

Reacting strongly to this, the council, led by Oladotun Hassan, while speaking with Legit.ng on Sunday, October 13, expressed the belief that Nigerians' opposition is due to widespread poverty, which, according to him, is clouding people's judgment.

In his words:

“Due to the heightened poverty in the land, people are seeing good things and calling them bad. "The proposed university is meant to benefit Nigerians by promoting education, especially in indigenous languages. But because of the economic hardship, people are not appreciating it."

YCW gives reason why Tinubu's varsity is good idea

Hassan noted that the university would positively affect local communities and national development.

Additionally, Hassan acknowledged that the proposal's timing, amid worsening economic conditions, contributed to the negative response.

He said:

“Building this university in Osun State will bring about development in that community. "However, the current poverty levels mean that people are more focused on their immediate survival, and they fail to see the long-term benefits."

Calls for economic reform

Addressing other national issues, Hassan urged President Tinubu to quickly address Nigeria's deep-rooted economic problems, particularly the rising cost of fuel, which has soared to ₦1,300 per litre.

He said:

“The president must first tackle poverty. The country is in critical condition, and if poverty is not addressed, even good initiatives will be rejected. "Nigerians are not seeing the good things being done because their immediate concerns, like high fuel prices, are overshadowing everything else."

Peter Obi tackles Tinubu on fuel price hike

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Peter Obi, the Labour Party's 2023 presidential candidate, has condemned the recent fuel price hike by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) as "unfortunate and insensitive".

In a tweet on Saturday, October 12, Obi emphasized the far-reaching negative consequences for Nigeria's economic survival and its citizens' well-being.

He argued that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and President Bola Tinubu are responsible for reversing this price hike.

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Source: Legit.ng