Nigerians Criticize Nasir El-Rufai for Sending Daughter Abroad to Study

Earlier this week, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, current member of the All Progressives Congress, Nasir El-Rufai posted a picture on his official Facebook page of a young girl dressed in an academic dress, captioning it, “Another daughter graduates with a good honours degree … congratulations Kheria” (sic).

Having studied the picture and taking into consideration El-Rufai’s commentary, many Nigerians assumed that Kheira is his daughter and has graduated from a foreign university. The post has gathered over 10 thousand likes and almost four thousand comments, the majority of which are overwhelmingly negative.

It would seem that El-Rufai has got on the nerves of many Nigerians who were previously disappointed by the news of multiple Nigerian politicians and top officials going abroad for medical treatment.

Recall that in May 2013, El-Rufai delivered a lecture addressing issues of impunity and insecurity, and said, in part:

"Forty-two per cent of Nigerian youths are unemployed.

"I have two daughters with Masters Degrees and they are unemployed. They have been at home for more than a year and I cannot get a job for them.

"We are sitting on a demographic time bomb and unless we have visionary leaders that are able to plan for the future, we will have a huge problem."

For the most part, El-Rufai is being criticized for sending his daughter to study abroad ignoring educational institutions in Nigeria, which some commentators see as acknowledgement of poor state of the education sector in our country – also frowning upon the fact that many Nigerians cannot afford sending their children to local universtites, let alone foreign ones.

Unwana Koffi said: I weep for Nigeria's future, having leaders who do not care about developing our educational institutions. Instead, they find satisfaction in bragging about other countries’ development by arrogantly displaying their children’s academic prowess not knowing indirectly they are putting their home educational institutions to scorn.

Regina Zubair said: I see that a lot of Nigerians cannot express themselves properly in English because of the low educational standard in this country. Yet, they are congratulating a man who sends his daughter abroad to study instead of using his influence gained during the Obasanjo administration to improve the standard of education in this country. Since we, the youths of this country, cannot speak in one voice for what is right and just, we will continue facing different levels of corruption. The rich will keep on getting richer and the poor will remain poor. Stand up and fight for your right because every Nigerian deserves to be well-educated. Ignorance, they say, is a disease.

Bodunde Moses lamented: I weep for Nigeria's future. Having leaders that do not care about developing our educational institutions! They find satisfaction in bragging about other countries’ development by arrogantly displaying their children’s academic prowess not knowing they are putting their home educational institutions to scorn.

Surajudeen Bashir recalled: I remember writing JAMB exam four times before getting admission. Even with the fact that I scored 222, 214, 206 and finally 234 before getting admission into the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Kaduna State. I could have been in service by now if I got admission the year I finished school. But am 21 in 100 level! Because of the poor educational system, I couldn't achieve it in time. But you, elite, send your wards abroad to study and leave our indigenous schools to spoil…

Vivienne Illah said: Congrats, lucky child! With the incessant strikes and other setbacks we have here in Naija, other kids get good honors, too! Wonder if you would have coped in a normal public university back home. Not a killjoy. Just saying.

Ugwu Gabriel Onwuamaeze maintained: Our leaders send their children to school abroad and ask us to congratulate them. They go abroad for medical treatments yet they are our leaders and controle our resourses and security. So what happened to our own schools (Chibok) and hospitals? After they will incite us against each other with religion and ethnicity to distract us from what they are doing.

Tina Ify Okafor Ogu wondered: Nasir El Rufai, how would you feel if after sending your daughter to attain all these qualifications and at the end of the day, she becomes a hopeless job seeker? I ask you this question because you rendered many people jobless using your powers when you were the FCT minister. Even those who were given employment had their jobs terminated using your power then because you wanted those positions taken by your candidates. Not to mention the number of people who you rendered homeless and those who died as a re sult of the conditions you put them through. How would you feel if you had your daughter treated in the same manner?

Osho Omolola Ayomide said: El-Rufai, you shouldn't be posting this on Facebook. Your own daughter graduated from a foreign university while other people’s daughters were kidnapped by the Boko Haram… and you are busy showcasing your own child.

Emmanuel Juga asked: Where is she graduating from? A Nigerian school? And we thought Nasir was a patriot! All the noise you make about loving Nigeria!

Segun Bamgbelu said: How could a lifelong public servant afford the money required to educate a child in either U.K or U.S.A where the average yearly cost of education is $60,000.00 per annum? - Corruption. The sad thing is the fact that people whose futures and kids’ future have been sabotaged to pay for this education are celebrating the success of the perpetrators. No wonder Nigeria is what it is at the moment.

Nansoh Nimyel Binchak said: I weep for the youths of this country. We worship our political leaders who have no plan for us. They incite us to divide along religious background while they continue looting, sending their children outside to study and come back to take over the leadership of the country while we continue in poverty.

Dominica Ikhalea wondered: Why won't she graduate with honours? When she is schooling in a country where there is constant power supply and no strike...