After tweeting photos of himself at Harvard Kennedy School when universities back home were still closed due to a lecturers’ strike, the Speaker of The House of Representatives issued an apology.
What this means
Since February, institutions in Nigeria have been shut down because lecturers claimed that the government had broken a promise regarding increased financing for public universities and their allowances.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, tweeted images of himself on a leadership course at Harvard on Tuesday. “Back to class. In a leadership course at @Harvard @Kennedy_School. Forget the number of grey hairs one is never too old to learn, broaden or sharpen your skills.”
University students reacted angrily to the pictures. Despite his Wednesday apology, the Speaker’s Twitter account still has the images.
In particular, parents and students, who are currently bearing the brunt of the continuing closure of public colleges, he added, “that post was not sensitive to the present concerns of fellow citizens.”
I’m sorry for the post at this time, and I hope you’ll understand that my purpose was not to alienate anyone, he continued.