Worried by the ASUU strike, which has been ongoing for over 8 months now, the Senior Pastor of CLAM Global, Wole Oladiyun held a press conference in the church headquarters, to unveil the initiative he has to end the strike.
The conference started at exactly 10:25am, with Pastor Tade Adewagun, the Executive Head of CLAM giving the opening prayer.
The members of the Executive Management of CLAM were introduced and the reporters present were also introduced.
Pastor Wole Oladiyun, the Senior Pastor of CLAM spoke extentively on the issues currently facing the educational sector in Nigeria. He expressed how he is feeling bitter about the fact that Nigerian youths and lecturers have been at home for over 8 months, without going to the classroom. Thus prompted him to pioneer the ‘Back To School Initiative Fund’.
The fund will be used to assist the Federal Government in paying off the financial debts, which is one of the major reasons of the ongoing ASUU strike.
He also used the opportunity to call on well-meaning individuals, reputable organisations, Churches, and Mosques to join hands together with him, in order to make the initiative a success, thereby returning the students and lecturers back to the classroom.
Pastor Wole Oladiyun, promised that reputable financial management firms will be in charge of the flow of funds. He also stated that he will not be a signatory to the account and the church will not preceed over the initiative.
Mr. Demola Akinbola, the Publisher of “The Podium” magazine, concluded the conference and made us know that before the end of the year, the process would have been fine tuned.
Pastor Wole Oladiyun, the Senior Pastor of CLAM said the closing prayer and the conference was brought to an end.
CLAM is a word-based prayer and deliverance ministry with the vision – Apostolic Revival for Global Soul Harvesting. Since April 2, 1998 when the Ministry was inaugurated, its focus has been on crusades, prayer, and deliverance,
Out mission is as follows: (1.) To propagate the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ all over the world. (2.) To promote the revival of apostolic signs, wonders and miracles. (3.) To win souls massively through aggressive crusades and care giving outreaches. (4.) To train believers in the Acts of the Apostles, building and equipping them in the art of spiritual warfare. (5.) To catch the youths for the Lord, encouraging them to be world changers. (6.) To give succour to the less-privileged, widows, orphans, aged through establishment of Maternity, Hospital, Hospices, and care homes.
OUR LOCATIONS
· CLAM Prayer Centre, Lekki ·CLAM Prayer Centre, Abuja ·CLAM Prayer Academy, Houston, Texas, USA ·CLAM Prayer Academy, London, United Kingdom ·CLAM Prayer Academy, Canada (coming up in November 2022).
By a way of introduction, I am a stakeholder in the Education Sector. (1.) Chairman, Board of Trustees, J-Nissi Schools, Lagos (2.) Chairman, Board of Trustees, Kingston Nursery & Primary School (A 100% Tuition-Free School, Pioneered by Dr. Victor Basola), Akute (3.) Board Member, King’s University, Ode-Omu, Osun State (4.) Board Member, Dansol University, Lagos State. (5.) Chairman, M-GIBES College of Business Management, Ghana (6.) Chairman, Board of Trustees, Pastor Wole Oladiyun Foundation (PAWOF) (7.) Convener, Nigeria Arise Prayer Movement, Lagos.
THE EDUCATION
SECTOR CRISIS
There is no doubting the fact that the education sector is in dire straits. Decades of neglect and paying lip service to education have brought us to where we are today, a state of despair and seeming hopelessness; a situation where we no longer produce quality graduates because of the dip in the quality of teaching, which in itself is traceable to the poor welfare package for lecturers, and the absence of a conducive environment for teaching and learning. There is no point boring you with the ills of the education sector as we all have been living witnesses to the progressive rot and decay in our schools.
ASUU-FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IMPASSE
As you are all aware, ASUU has been on strike since February 2022, forcing students to stay at home, idling away, angry, and frustrated. Efforts by both parties to resolve the crisis have been abortive, with the Federal Government, during the week, recognizing and endorsing a splinter University lecturers’ body.
The crisis has also attracted the attention of the National Industrial Court which ordered the lecturers to return to work.
The question is for how long should we allow our youths to rot away at home?
For how long shall we fold our hands and allow the system to oppress the students? For how long shall we, as education stakeholders, play the Ostrich and look away while the future of our youths is being compromised? For how long shall we blame the government for the crisis? For how long shall we blame ASUU and accuse it of being intransigent. Enough is enough!
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, CLAM has decided to spearhead the involvement of the country’s education stakeholders in the protracted crisis between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). That’s why we invited you so that we can unveil our plan before you for you to publicise it and mobilise the acceptance and support of the general public. We are all involved in this.
The time has come for well-meaning Nigerians, at home and abroad, to show concern for the plight of the students whose future is being threatened by the continuous closure of Universities, and the lecturers who have been unable to practice their cherished profession. The youths are hungry and angry. By the time they rise against us, nobody will be able to ride an SUV, or live peaceably in the society!
BACK TO SCHOOL INTERVENTION FUND (BTSIF)
I am pleased to announce the setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle tagged Back to School Intervention Fund (BTSIF), a non-political and non-partisan platform designed to mobilise funds to support the Federal Government and ASUU in resolving the problems bedeviling the education sector. It is pathetic that students can’t go to school for eight months. Why should lecturers and students be oppressed and nobody is coming to their rescue?
We have decided to pioneer the setting up of the BTSIF as a way of complementing the government’s efforts. The funds will not be warehoused in CLAM, and I will not be a signatory. A dedicated account to be agreed upon by the Trustees of the Fund will be opened. Also, modalities for the administration and disbursement of the fund will be collectively agreed upon by the fund managers who will be reputable individuals and organizations in the country. We are still consulting and fine tuning the operational modalities of the Fund. As more details emerge, we will definitely inform you.
Let me reiterate that we are not out to apportion blame to any of the parties involved in the dispute, or to ridicule the Federal Government. This is not the time to blame the Federal Government. We are not confronting the government, either. We are not doing this to score any cheap political point. We just want to work with well-meaning individuals and organizations to ensure that students return to the classrooms as soon as possible.
We just want to play our part as responsible corporate citizens that are committed to restoring the lost glory of the nation’s education sector. The blame game should stop! It’s time for action and sincere intervention by all those who truly love Nigeria.
For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a personal project of CLAM. We are just spearheading it. We will be working with other reputable, people-focused organizations to make this happen. This is just the way we are in CLAM; we are a human development institution committed to the welfare and all-around development of the people.
Details and modalities of how the funds will be administered and disbursed will be jointly agreed upon by the trustees of the Fund whose names will be announced once the current round of consultations and discussions with key stakeholders are concluded. 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 an SOS, an emergency that requires timely, measured, and sustainable remedial strategies.
We are aware that corporate bodies are mandated by law to commit a certain percentage of their Profit after Tax to education development, and we want to commend compliant organizations. The BSITF will further deepen the reservoir of funds available for education development by involving individuals, corporate entities, and Nigerians in the Diaspora.
We are also appealing to Nigerians in the Diaspora to join us in contributing to the fund. We are 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.
Text of an Address by Pastor Wole Oladiyun, Senior Pastor, CLAM Global, at the Media Briefing on the inauguration of the Back to School Intervention Fund held on October 7th, 2022.
