Adebayo Criticizes FG’s Policy on Under-18 Tertiary Admission, Calls for Thoughtful Governance

Adebayo Criticizes FG’s Policy on Under-18 Tertiary Admission, Calls for Thoughtful Governance

Abuja, Nigeria – Prince Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has sharply criticized the recent policy announced by Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, requiring Nigerian students to be at least 18 years old before gaining admission to tertiary institutions.

Adebayo condemned the policy, calling it ill-considered and lacking in thorough analysis. Reflecting on his own experience, he noted,

“How can you come out and say that a kid who is brilliant cannot go to the university because he is not 18 years old? When I got admission to study law at the University of Ife, I was 17 years old.

“So, many of these new policies that they are bringing out now don’t make sense and these are all the things that make people think that this government is not thinking through many of their processes and the life experiences that people have.

It is not a political slur to say you don’t have credibility; what it means is that people are not following you. You are on your own even though you are supposed to lead all of us into prosperity.”

He further criticized the government’s approach to leadership, particularly in the face of economic challenges.

Adebayo pointed out the disparity between the call for Nigerians to tighten their belts and the lavish lifestyles of government officials, including President Bola Tinubu.

Instead, they are living large. People are annoyed that you are living a very large life.

“If you are tightening the belt around the waist, that could be a waist trainer, and they can tell you how to consume less. But you cannot tighten the belt around the neck of the people, in which case they will not be able to breathe. The things that are going up for the poor are the things that are not discretionary.

Adebayo expressed his concern about the government’s apparent disconnection from the daily struggles of Nigerians.

He emphasised that his criticism is not aimed at unseating the government but at urging them to take responsible actions to avoid self-inflicted failure.

” There are a lot of crises that are facing this country that we monitor on a daily basis, that the government doesn’t even seem to be aware of, and that is what is worrisome. They need to wake up,” he remarked.

The policy has sparked widespread debate, with many questioning its practicality and impact on young, gifted students. Adebayo’s comments add to the growing chorus of voices urging the government to reconsider its stance.