This was revealed by CLAM’s Senior Pastor, Wole Oladiyun, during a press conference on Friday, October 7, 2022.
According to The Punch, Oladiyun stated that the time had come for well-meaning Nigerians at home and abroad to show concern for the plight of students whose future was jeopardized by the frequent interruptions in university education.
He stated that neither he nor the church would supervise the proposed intervention fund; rather, it would be contracted to reputable financial consulting firms such as KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Akintola Williams Firms, among others, to assist in the project’s implementation.
Oladiyun also stated that other trusted individuals would be drafted into the panel formed to interact with the government.
Oladiyun’s word: “We will run a very transparent process and ensure that there is accountability. That is why we are not doing it alone. Let me use this opportunity to humbly invite churches, mosques, financial institutions, Oil and Gas Industry operators, manufacturing companies, and all members of the Organised Private Sector to join us on this rescue mission. This is a ‘Save Our Soul’ mission, an emergency that requires timely, measured, and sustainable remedial strategies.
“We are also appealing to Nigerians in the Diaspora to join us in contributing to the fund.
“We will also be calling on members of the National Assembly, governors, and all categories of political office holders to be ready to make sacrifices in terms of contributing a part of their salaries and allowances to this fund. We are all in this together.”
Commenting on the current state of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, Oladiyun stated that continuing to blame either the government or the union for the impasse is counterproductive.
Oladiyun’s word: “ASUU has been on strike for eight months and students have been forced to stay at home and efforts to resolve the strike actions have been abortive.
“We cannot continue to blame any of the parties involved, rather, CLAM has decided to spearhead the involvement of the country’s education stakeholders to show concern for the plight of Nigerian students whose future is being threatened as a result of the continuous strike action and closure of universities.”