Election: Why thuggery is on the increase – Educationist
By Taiye Agbaje
Nwakacha, who is the founder Greenfield University Kaduna, disclosed this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.
NAN reports that supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had, on Feb. 9, clashed at Dei-Dei Market, Abuja, where several vehicles were badly damaged.
According to him, thuggery is fueled by lack of education.
“Most of the youth who are involved in thuggery, if you watch them, many of them are illiterate.
“If a young man is educated, he will always think about his future.
“He will not want somebody to kill him or his dream, and above all, he will be able to discern between the good and bad.
“He will be able to know when somebody is telling him lies and not telling him lies. He sees himself as future material and wouldn’t want his life to be ruined by desperate politicians.
“So education is the determinant of most of these things that are happening in Nigeria,” he said.
Nwakacha, who is also the founder of Imperial School in Kaduna, urged the Federal Government to ensure that more schools are established across the country to increase access to education.
“The problem can be solved by establishing more universities, secondary schools and primary schools, which is what I am doing already.
“And that is why the National Universities Commission (NUC) is determined in its commitment to licensing more and more universities.
“If more and more universities are licensed, more and more people will have access to education.
“Therefore, there will be increased access and once there is increased access, there will be increased awareness in the country,” he said.
He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not be non-partisan in the Saturday’s election, urging it to ensure free and fair poll.
“The votes of Nigerians should count and there should be no vote buying. Young men and women should not engage in electoral violence.
“The politicians too should play the game according to the rules. Election should not be a do-or-die affair. If they don’t win today, they will win tomorrow,” he remarked