NANS Issues Orders UNILAG, OSPOLY, LAUTECH to Reinstate SUG
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Zone D has issued a 14-day ultimatum to UNILAG, OSPOLY, and LAUTECH to reinstate their Students’ Unions or face massive student protests.
The absence of unions, NANS argues, undermines students’ rights and abilities.
Should this ultimatum pass without action, NANS is prepared to take decisive steps to protect the rights of Zone D students and will not hesitate to use all available means, including mass protests, to ensure their demands are met.
Addressing a world press conference at the Nigerian Union of Journalists Correspondents’ Chapel in Osogbo, NANS Coordinator for Zone D, Mr Owolewa Taiwo Sunday, representing Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Lagos States, stated that student unionism is essential in defending the rights of Nigerian students.
He added that if the demand is not met, the association will mobilise a massive protest to disrupt academic activities and bring the issue to national attention. This absence, he said, undermines students’ rights and limits their ability.
According to the NANS Coordinator, who was flanked by other executives, the leadership of NANS is deeply concerned about the welfare of students and aims to foster a mutual relationship between students and institutional management.
Comrade Sunday used the forum to call on all institutions that disbanded Students’ Unions to immediately reinstate them.
The NANS Coordinator urged all higher institutions in Nigeria to, as a matter of urgency, reverse all hikes in tuition fees across Nigerian higher institutions.
According to him, many families with children in institutions of higher learning are struggling with the current economic realities and thus, he condemned the recent tuition fee hikes in these institutions.
While we applaud institutions and school managements who support students’ unionism, we issue a strong warning to those that oppose our efforts through oppressive and manipulative decisions to scrap students’ unions to desist from such actions.”
The NANS Coordinator said, “Our attention has been drawn to institutions such as Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, and notably the University of Lagos (UNILAG), which still lack functional Students’ Unions.
“The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Zone D, under my leadership, believes that the absence of functional Students’ Unions is a glaring affront to the rights and aspirations of Nigerian students. We will not stand idle as students’ voices are silenced and their interests neglected in these institutions.
“Having exhausted the first two C’s of Aluta in advocating for the reinstatement of Students’ Unions at these campuses, we are left with the final C: Confrontation. Therefore, we hereby issue this ultimatum.”
“I, Comr. Taiwo Owolewa, on behalf of the leadership of NANS Zone D, reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian student has representation within their academic institutions.
“We want to address the inhumane issue of rising tuition fees in some institutions.
“The continued escalation of fees imposes an undue financial burden on students and their families, creating barriers to accessing quality education.
Education is a fundamental right, and we will not tolerate actions that limit this right through exorbitant tuition increases. We strongly urge institutions considering or implementing such increases to immediately reconsider.
“Any further rise in fees will be met with firm resistance from the Southwest Zone of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), as we are determined to protect the interests of the student body against disadvantageous policies.
“Our commitment remains steadfast as we continue to prioritise the welfare, rights, and futures of Nigerian students. We are dedicated to ensuring that students have access to affordable education, adequate representation, and the freedom to express themselves within their academic environments.
The leadership of NANS Southwest also uses this medium to call for calm in Oyo State regarding the NANS JCC election, which is already causing discord in the state. We promise to find a long-lasting solution to the issue within the shortest possible time.”
Source: thehopenewspaper
