Leninism: ‘Lack of Ideologies Increasing Poverty’

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

Country Representative of Action Aid and former Student Union Government (SUG) President, University of Jos, Ene Obi, has said lack of ideologies in the curriculum of students of tertiary institutions has continued to be the bane of the Nigerian society.

Obi, who stated this yesterday during a two-day lecture on the International Centenary Conference in memory of the passage of Vladimir Ilich Lenin, and with the theme: ‘Lenin, Leninism, Africa and the World’, said lack of ideologies in the Nigerian students has led to poverty for students.

Vladimir Lenin was known to be a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist, who was born on April 22, 1870, and died on January 21, 1924. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1924 and of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1924.

Under his administration, Russia and later the Soviet Union became a one-party socialist state governed by the Communist Party Ideological Marxist, and his developments to the ideology are called Leninism

Recalling the days of scholarship from the federal government to students of public institutions in the country and overseas, she lamented that such has become history, couple with poverty walking hand in hand with studentship.

Obi said: “There are no ideologies these days, and even our students in tertiary institutions are bereft of the importance of being taught ideologies before graduation.

“Poverty and studentship are working hand in hand now. Many of the poor who have gained admission in tertiary institutions have been unable to register as students due to high school fees.

“Then the Nigerian Government gave scholarships to students of public universities and even to go overseas, but that is history today. What happens to the children of the 140 poor Nigerians? How do we move forward from wherever are?

The parliament is led by governors who have looked their states and they hold government in a way that they can’t be challenged. The largest country in Africa is going down, and we need to salvage it.”

Taking a swipe on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), she said the unions have failed Nigerians with their sleeping mode and have allowed anti-people policies in the country.

Making comparison in the price of petrol in less than a year from N165 to N617, all in 2023, and nothing has happened, she said studentship in the country’s tertiary institutions have been reduced with the inability to invest in human capital.

Obi said: “The NLC and TUC have to wake up. In this country, just when we went to bed with the knowledge that petrol is N165, today it is N617 and nothing has happened. Studentship has reduced, and we are not investing in human capital.