How professors and teachers used their huge allowances to buy cars – Obasanjo

Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president, has acknowledged that his administration made significant investments in the educational sector, enabling professors and instructors to purchase homes and automobiles.

According to Obasanjo, who served as president from 1999 to 2007, the instructors gave the jumbo allowance the name “Gbemu Aremu.”

Aremu is Mr. Obasanjo‘s middle name, while the Yoruba term “Gbemu” signifies windfall.

This was said by the former president on Tuesday during a speech at the House of Representatives-organized conference on education.

Obasanjo stated in response to inquiries about the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that his administration was friendly to professors and even instructors.

“We had that in my day,” he replied.
And if any administration had supported ASUU, it was my government.
They all began making house and automobile purchases.
Even basic school teachers began purchasing automobiles.
They referred to it as “Gbemu Aremu.”

The former president said, “Nigeria must put a stop to the high out-of-school youth before they develop into the next Boko Haram.”

He stated that there are over 20 million youngsters who are not in school, and that their lack of access to education might lead them to extremist organizations.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, cautioned that the problems that sparked the eight-month strike remain unresolved in his speech.
He insisted that the nation must have a frank discussion about how to pay for education.

He said that the 2019 student loan measure he sponsored has not yet been passed by the Senate. He urged the higher house to support the bill.

It should be noted that Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress’s presidential candidate, has included a proposal for student loans in his platform.