The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) has called on the administration of President Bola Tinubu to make as one of its priorities, a determination never to allow Academic Union of Universities (ASUU) and other education unions to embark on strike again.
Miftaudeen Thanni, immediate past Amir of MSSN, Lagos State Area Unit, made the call on Sunday during its Annual Conference, which was held on Sunday at the Main Auditorium of the University of Lagos.
According to him, investing in the education sector is not a luxury but a necessity.
“As we move into a new dispensation of ‘Renewed Hope’ in our national polity, we are urging the Federal Government to pay more attention and improve on the education investment.
“We don’t want strikes again and this can be achieved by investing more in education.
“It’s a way to invest in peace, as educated individuals are more likely to embrace dialogue, reject extremism, and work towards resolving conflicts through peaceful means.
“The government should realise that paying the utmost attention to education is as important as the economy, a well-educated population forms the backbone of a thriving economy.
“We are reminding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritise education, youth empowerment, security of lives and property, economic and infrastructural development.
”Effective synergy and fostering of unity across ethnoreligious lines, while we commend him on the students’ loan bill signed into law and await the fruits of other economic policies of the government.
“These measures will go a long way in fueling innovation, fosters entrepreneurship, and drives sustainable development,” he added.
Speaking, during the programme with the theme, “Renaissance“, Niyi Yusuf, Chairman, Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), explained Renaissance’ as revival, renewal or an attempt to bring something back that was very good in the past and make it active again.
Yusuf, who was the keynote speaker at the event, represented by Raji Abdulganiy, charged young Muslims to exploit their youthful age and make meaningful contributions in the society and seek to restore glorious days of Islam.
“As youths the time has come for us to stop taking the back sit in leadership positions because are still very young, some of our prophets were still very young when they stated contributing to Islam,” he added.
The chairman advised the MSS members to be united, pay serious attention to education as part of efforts to revive the good old days of Islam, referred them to read the ‘Golden Age of Islam’, which according to him, talked about when Muslims were the leaders of the world.
Earlier, Dr Zafaran Adeniyi, Director of Vanguard Academy, said there was the need for the youths to implement technology, to meet increasing challenges and maintain a balance to achieve spiritual, moral and academic progression.
According to him, the reasons for the call to renaissance is as a result of the decline in morals and to effectively calibrate.
“We need to have a sense of our history to get a headway.
“A major way to make changes is the massive enlightenment of Muslim youths on every aspect across the board.
“However, MSSN has the background to thrive everywhere as a result of the intensive training and exposure given to the members from the very beginning,” he added.
Senator Shuaib Salisu, a former President of MSSN and Senator, representing Ogun Senatorial District, commended the Lagos Area Unit for the successful conduct of its annual conference, described the programme as a laudable event.
“When students organisation like this come together, they are renewing the hope of our country as well as the renewing the role they need to play in realising the real nation of our dream,” he added.
Salisu advised the members to have a good sense of history as a guide to where they were going.
He charged the Lagos State Area Unit to develop a database of members in the State,said it has over 800 schools, over 40 Area Councils and 45 Central branches to knowledge purposes.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event, which recorded no fewer than 300 members of MSSN across the country, featured the swearing-in of the newly elected members of executive headed by Mallam Kamaldeen Abiona.