• Says national asset must not be reduced to birthday project
• Education Minister hails gesture as noble, visionary
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has faulted the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, over her pledge to support the completion of the National Library as part of her 65th birthday celebrations.
The party argued that while her gesture was commendable, the project remained a national monument and should not be treated as a matter of charity or reduced to a personal pet project.
ADC urged the Federal Government to assume full responsibility for the library’s completion, describing it as the custodian of Nigeria’s intellectual heritage and collective memory. The project, initiated in 1964, has been abandoned for years despite its strategic importance.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, said: “Now that Mrs Tinubu has drawn attention to the National Library, what is required is not personal charity but presidential attention. She should use her influence to prevail on the President to ensure the project is captured in the national budget and completed through sustainable funding.”
However, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, welcomed the First Lady’s intervention, praising her for asking friends and associates to donate to the library fund rather than present her with personal gifts.
A statement by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, described her move as a “remarkable act of generosity and vision,” stressing that reviving the National Library Fund aligns with the government’s goal of transforming Nigeria from a resource-based to a knowledge-driven economy.
