The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) yesterday said there was no justification for the Federal Government to subsidize imported petroleum products.
Addressing reporters at Abuja, National President Comrade Tijani Usman Shehu noted that “NANS does not see any justification for the Federal Government to subsidize imported petroleum products, what it ought to provide, since we are blessed with crude oil”.
The association said it was worried that instead of completely deregulating the importation of petrol, the Federal Government was still controlling the business through issuance of licenses, stressing that total deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector would improve the economy and generate employment.
The association said: “Let it be on record that NANS in time past had always supported the removal of subsidy and the total deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector, as witnessed in 2012, with a demand for palliative measures.
“Fellow Nigerians and particularly Nigerian students, we believe that the present government of President Muhammadu Buhari enjoys the trust and respect of Nigerians, therefore, we call on our unions on campuses to shun any form of protest in the interim while we continue to negotiate.
“We understand that the economy is already battered and that any disruption of economic activities will do the country no good.”
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has organised a retreat in Gombe State to fight examination malpractices.
University teachers attended the meeting which held at the Gombe State University (GSU).
It was the first meeting of its kind in the history of NANS existence meant to expose the ills and dangers of examination malpractices, which to a great extent, accounts for the dwindling quality of school leavers, especially at the secondary and tertiary levels.
Presenting the paper he titled ‘The Effects of Examination Malpractices on National Development’, Dr. Abubakar Musa, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics from Kano State University of Science and Technology, Wudil said: “The frequency of occurrence of examination malpractice indicates a state of hopelessness and helplessness for the nation because of the huge increasing number of people and institutions involved in the social malaise; and the penalty hitherto meted out to perpetrators does not seem to deter others from committing the same act any more”.
His main worry here is not only the resultant loss of confidence in the certificates awarded by some institutions and some examination bodies in Nigeria, but the crisis situation that is bound to develop in the educational sector if the trend is not prevented.
More so, is some of consequences of examination malpractices on national development like loss of international credibility; failure in the fight against corruption; low work productivity and poor job performance; bribery and corruption; vast supply of non-credible human resource and embarrassing dismal termination and loss of position.
He further identified decreased validity and reliability of measurement process (examination); production of half-baked graduates; lowering of academic standard; and lack of confidence the country’s educational system as some of the adverse negative effects of the anomaly.
Professor Musa said other adverse effects include breeding of a generation of fraudsters and other social vices; discouragement of students from hard work; certificate racketeering; and high dropout rates from our institutions of learning, urging the authorities and relevant stakeholders to be resolute in the efforts to stem the tide.
Vice Chancellor of Gombe State University and Chief host of the discourse, Professor Ibrahim Musa Umar corroborated his guest’s view on high rate of prevalence said it is common phenomenon the country’s academia faces always as any examination hardly goes by without incidence(s) of malpractice or misconduct.
He admonished students to always toe the path of hard work and excellence because the malpractice process slows defaulters down if caught; that is if at all they ever get out of the university.
He warned that: “No university manager wants to have his students expelled but unfortunately we have to in order to sanitise to the system. Also, if caught, you could go to jail because there is a law guiding it.”
On ‘The Role of Students in Security’, a paper presented in proxy by Gombe state Commissioner of police, Mr Austin Iwar, security and safety is said to begins with our ability to contribute meaningfully, hence students should strive to be disciplined at all times by way of meriting and being able to defend the results they graduate with.
He told students to as much as possible concentrate more on acquiring education which is described as the greatest and most efficient instrument to improving moral values, discipline and responsibility.
He also advised on the need for students to be mindful of the type of friends they make and keep given the countless cases of people with good and sincere mindset that have end up becoming cheats under the influence of friends.
Therefore students insist the Police Commissioner must endeavour to abide by school rules at all times; just as it behoves them to be careful and patriotic in applying the knowledge they acquire pointing at preparation of improvised explosive devices for insurgents use and growing into fraudsters as examples of perverted use of knowledge.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has given the Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu a 14-day ultimatum to recall the 13 vice chancellors, who were sacked by the Federal Government in February.
NANS National President Comrade Tijani Usman Shehu, in a letter to the minister, dated April 27, explained that the ultimatum became necessary following failure of the minister to take advantage of the window of opportunities provided by students to resolve the issue amicably.
In the letter, entitled: “NANS Demands Immediate Reinstatement of the Vice Chancellors of 13 Federal Universities Within 14 Days,” the students described the alleged refusal of the minister to reinstate the sacked vice chancellors as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari as nothing but “a bald-faced attempt to politicise our universities and arrest academic progression by the jugular and we have vowed to resist this.”
The students stated that having appealed to the minster’s conscience and reasoning, “you (minister) will heed our call for the reinstatement of the sacked 13 vice chancellors within 14 days of this notice or face the full wrath of Nigerian students.”
Failure to heed their demands, NANS warned that this would be interpreted as an “invitation for the students to occupy your office and demand your resignation.”
The students said they are perplexed and deeply perturbed by the minister for defying the voice of stakeholders in the sector as well as the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari by vehemently refusing to do the needful, noting that, “Your actions at this juncture in sticking to your guns on the sack of the Vice Chancellors make the perception clearer that you took all these actions to favour your personal interests.”
NANS reminded the minster that most developed countries of the world were able to achieve that feat because they did not mix politics with the issue of education.
Describing the sack of the 13 Vice Chancellors as unilateral and unconstitutional, the students noted that the action is unhealthy for the Nigerian educational system.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) yesterday paralysed activities in the University of Ibadan (UI) to protest what it described as an “unjust rustication” of a 500 level student of Petroleum Engineering, Tunji Ekpeti Michael.
The protest led to the closure of some roads within the institution. Lectures were disrupted as the protesters demanded for Michael’s unconditional reinstatement.
The protesters called on the Students Disciplinary Committee to apologise to Michael for the psychological trauma caused to him.
Tunji was served a one-semester rustication by the Committee for allegedly leading a protest carried out by residents of Independence Hall last semester.
In the protest tagged: “FREEMOTE”, the students resolved to lock down the campus and continue the protest daily, until their demands were met.
But the management, through its radio station, Diamond FM, mandated all students to be present for lectures today.
The school’s Director of Public Communications, Olatunji Oladejo, said: “Michael broke the rules and regulations governing the conduct of the university. He was found guilty and was queried for leading a protest at the Independence Hall for lack of water and electricity.
“The Student Affairs queried him and he appeared before a panel. He had 21 days to appeal against the order and explain himself but did not appeal. Rather than appeal, he began to disrupt school activities. This behaviour is not acceptable in a civilised society.
“He was rusticated for a semester as recommended by the Central Disciplinary Committee (CDC) for the gravity of the offence.”
National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has disassociated itself from a petition written by a group, Students Against Neo-Liberal Attack (ANSANLA) calling for the probe of the Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Prof. Bamitale Omole.
The student body said ANSANLA, which claimed to be a students group in OAU, is unknown to it. ANSANLA, last Thursday staged a protest against Omole over alleged mismanagement of fund. The protesters said many petitions had been written against the vice chancellor, saying they had enough evidence to back their allegations against him.
But in a swift reaction, through a statement issued and signed by its Vice-President (Affairs) Comrade Timileyin Ayenuro, and made available to The Nation in Akure, the Ondo State capital, NANS faulted the group for staging a protest against the VC. It also deny having any knowledge of the petitions.
The students body noted that the ongoing discussion among NANS, OAU management, ASUU-OAU and one Prof. Y.K. Yusuf on the crisis rocking the institution have been positive and productive. It cautioned students of the university against any action that can truncate the ongoing negotiation.
It assured the OAU Students that union activities would soon return to the campus as effort to get the current ban revoked are ongoing.
“NANS unequivocally disassociated itself from the activities of this unknown group calling for the probe of the Vice–Chancellor and the management team. We strongly condemn the activities of this unknown group trying to hide under the intervention on the suspended student leaders and disassociate ourselves from any of their release,” the statement said.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has restated its support for the anti-corruption war of President Muhammadu Buhari. The group also dissociated itself from a report condemning the honorary doctorate degree conferred on the president by Kaduna State University (KADSU).
NANS said mischief makers were responsible for the report condemning the president’s honorary degree.
Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, NANS President, Tijani Usman Shehu, a student of Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria (ABU), said the body did not release any statement condemning the KADSU’s judgment to confer honour on President Buhari.
Tijani said: “NANS wishes to discredit a publication condemning the recent doctorate degree bestowed on President Buhari by the Kaduna State University during its last convocation. One Oluwaseun Oke who allegedly signed the press statement is an unknown person in NANS and a mischief maker. We don’t know anything about it. The mischief makers should desist from using the name of NANS to perpetrate their parochial interests.”
On the anti-corruption war of the Federal Government,Tijani said NANS supports the move to recover stolen funds. He said the massive attendance of a recent conference organised by the Independent Corrupt Practice Commission (ICPC) by students showed that NANS remained the government’s partner in ridding the country of corruption.
He added: “NANS is interested in making the Federal Government anti-corruption war succeeds. We are supporting the government and we are also going to do our best to help President Buhari realise his vision for education, which is our own constituency. NANS is committed to moving education forward.”
The National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) has honoured the Provost of the Federal College of Education (FCE) in Eha-Amufu, Enugu State, Prof Benjamin Mbah, with an award of excellence.
Presenting the award, NANS General Secretary, Ola Kolawale, who led other members of the body to the college, said the award was in recognition of the provost’s outstanding performance since his assumption of office.
Kolawale, a Political Science student of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, Kaduna State, was accompanied by National Treasurer, Isah Usman, Director of Gender Affairs, Mary Isaac, and Chief of Staff to NANS president, Victor Chizozie.
Kolawale said Prof Mbah’s activities in the college distinguished him as a leader with good mission and vision. The NANS Secretary said the college had witnessed rapid infrastructural development and high-level peace.
“NANS considers Prof Mbah for this award because of his leadership qualities and his contribution to nation building. He has changed the face of the college through provision of key facilities to aid learning and cultural developments in the school.”
Kolawale noted NANS would not give award to any person because of money and other material, stressing that recipient of NANS honour deserved the award based on their contributions to education development and nation building. He said the award given to the provost was purely on merit and in appreciation of Prof Mbah’s positive contributions to the growth of the college.
He said: “NANS is impressed by the level of peace, infrastructural development and academic performance of students of the college. We believe Prof Mbah deserves to be honoured with this award.”
Responding, the provost said his achievement was encouraged by the students’ zeal to learn, saying he was happy that his efforts were recognised by the association. He assured that he would not relent in discharging his responsibilities to the college, noting that he had dedicated his life to enrich students in knowledge.
Prof Mbah observed that it was always difficult for people to notice achievements of public officers, pointing out that the NANS leaders must have been struck by the improved rating of the college in academics and facility development.
He said: “In this part of the world, we don’t normally see achievements of our leaders. It is only what the leader did not do well that people will point out. But, I think NANS must have seen something exceptional here and said let us encourage the provost. Even though they may bear my name, all achievements on the campus is for all staff and students.”
The Registrar of the college, Mrs C.N. Nebedum, on behalf of the management, congratulated the provost for the honour. Nebedum said the NANS made right choice by spotting the provost’s developmental policy and recognise his efforts.
The Deputy Provost, Mr John Nebo, said the award showed that college was on course. He hailed the NANS leaders for the honour.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) will elect new leaders at the end of this month when the tenure of the outgoing executive led by Tijani Usman expires. TEMITOPE YAKUBU (Business Administration, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti) looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the presidential candidates.
SOON, there will be a change of guard in the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). Those interested in leading the association have started campaigning across campuses nationwide to sell themselves to fellow students.
CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the position of NANS president has been reserved for students in Zone B, comprising higher institutions in Southeast and Southsouth.
The outgoing NANS President, Tijani Usman, a student of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), emerged from Zone A.
Tijani was elected when NANS was battling to save its integrity. The students’ body was seen as a disorderly and partisan organisation. But, a year after he was sworn-in, many students believe Tijani has taken steps to address the association’s problems.
Some students praised the outgoing NANS leadership for the resolution of Students’ Union Government (SUG) crises in many institutions. More than 74 expelled student-leaders were reinstated to complete their programmes at Tijani’s instance.
But others believe the NANS leadership should have focused on changing people’s perception about the association.
As another election draws nearer, candidates are concerned with NANS battered image and how to restore its glory. Whoever emerges president is expected to bring the body and students closer.
However, the electioneering may have started on a faulty step as candidates engage in mudslinging, name-calling, blackmail and social media wars.
The eight candidates, believed to be the strongest among those vying for the NANS top office, have unveiled their programmes.
Sheriff Emeka Eboh
•Sheriff
Sheriff, a student of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, the Anambra State capital, is popular within Zone B. A former local coordinator of NANS in the zone, Sheriff is said to be the only student, who has cordial relations with authorities of schools in the Southeast and Southsouth. Without holding any position, he is said to be using his connections to resolve disagreements between student-leaders and their Vice-Chancellors.
He said he had used his connection to help some graduates get jobs at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu- Ojukwu University (COOU) in Anambra State, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and UNIZIK. He claimed to have helped over 284 applicants get admission free.
He said his objective is to return NANS to campuses and insulate the body from the influence of moneybags who are using it for their political gains.
But, one of the challenges Sheriff may likely encounter is the disagreement between him and some NANS stakeholders. He does not have a large number of student-leaders supporting his ambition, because he is believed to be too radical.
Ukachukwu Okpaloka
•Okpaloka
Ukachukwu is a UNN student and the Special Adviser on Special Duties and Campus Affairs to Tijani. He is also a former Deputy Senate President of the association. Because of his closeness to the NANS president, Ukachukwu is believed to be Tijani’s preferred candidate.
Ukachukwu claims that he had the backing of NANS stakeholders in Zones A and B. As an indigene of Anambra State studying in Enugu, he believes stakeholders from Zone B would support his aspiration.
However, students believe Ukachukwu would be a pawn in the hand of Tijani if elected. Ukachukwu promised to consolidate on the gains of the outgoing president but said he would not be anyone’s poodle.
Chika Isaiah
•Chika
Chika is a Political Science Education student of UNIZIK and former NANS Assistant General Secretary. He is the Public Relations Officer of Cross River chapter of Igbo Consultative Assembly. He led a struggle against exorbitant fee for post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Zone B.
He believes his years of participation in NANS politics make him the most experienced. He promised not to depend on politicians to manage the affairs.
Chika’s critics believe he does not have good managerial skills. But, Chika said his involvement in election is to restore the body’s glory.
Ezekiel Nwankwo
•Ezekiel
Ezekiel, an Agricultural Engineering Student of Imo State Polytechnic, is the NANS Public Relations Officer (PRO). He believes he can lead the association, having been the Zone B NANS Coordinator and image maker of the body.
Stakeholders believe Ezekiel failed to improve the association’s image. To them, his impact has not been felt in the dissemination of information from NANS to students. Ezekiel said he had always engaged journalists to propagate NANS activities.
Kadir Arun Haruna
•Arun Kadir
Haruna is a student of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and the oldest among the contenders. He was a NANS zonal factional coordinator and contested for president against Comrade Tony Nwoye, a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart in the area.
Critics believe Haruna is too old to lead and should step aside for the youngsters.
Haruna may likely face issue of zonal arrangement. The South-south, it was said, has produced president from Zone B. Many stakeholders believe it is time for the Southeast to produce the NANS president.
Anya Anya
•Anya
Anya, a former Vice-President for Special Duties of the association, is a student of Agricultural Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) in Imo State. He is said to be articulate and friendly. But, stakeholders believe Anya ought to play an advisory role.
Anya said student-leaders in the North and South pleaded with him to contest again. He said he is on a redemption mission, vowing to reposition NANS if elected.
His critics believe some of his contemporaries are already National Assembly members and Special Advisers to governors. They advised Anya to leave the scene for the youngsters.
Igwe Ude-Umanta
•Igwe
Igwe was the chairman of the convention that conducted NANS election last year. A former SUG president of University of the Abuja (UNIABUJA), some see him as an experienced in unionist.
His critics believe he is not popular in Zone B, saying he enrolled at Abia State University because of NANS election.
Chuks Favour Obelle
•Obele
Chuks is a Postgraduate student of UNIZIK. He was, for several stimes, an officer in the association and SUG Welfare Director. He is also former NANS Treasurer.
He is said to be a radical, as well as outspoken and intelligent. Stakeholders said he may not be supported because he does not believe in godfatherism.
While the contenders have been moving from campus to campus, the question many students are asking is: who will rescue NANS among them?
My modest resolve to operate at the background in students’ movement was to evolve a new model that would conform with modern realities, and a better understanding of the nexus between leadership and followership.
Since my exit from Adekunle Ajasin University, (AAUA), Akungba Akoko in 2012, I’ve decided to operate in students’ union activities with utmost caution. This was not out of intimidation or inability to withstand the powers-that-be. It was purely borne out of high-scale betrayal during my tenure as President of AAUA Students Union Government by some students whose interests I have always protected. Again, that raises the question: how has students’ politics gone so awry?
We must set the record straight that the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has long been compromised. This could be traced to the infiltration of the money-bags and the political class who in their desperate bid to sustain relevance in power have made the mess possible.
As a result of these menace, I consider it imperative to return to this platform. Not as a saint or as an infallible being, but as a radical devout and crusader who has been in the students struggle for a decade.
History has taught us what NANS use to be, what NANS is and what NANS can become. The NANS of Late Chief Okeowo and Moses Osakede is no more. Where is the NANS of Oluwole Babalola Moneyin, Obe Razaq, Lanre Arogundade, et al? These folks projected NANS in good light. It was an era when ideology and intellectual dexterity were hallmarks of NANS leadership.
But I must salute the effort and courage of my friend, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, in his bid to ensure the revival of this movement. But the reactionary forces who have always dominated the leadership scene couldn’t let his dream of NANS revival a reality. That courage inspired the formation of Education Rights Campaign where a few of us once found solace as undergraduates. Even in the face of harassment, ERC under Soweto, has demonstrated that nothing is impossible if only we can pursue our struggle with utmost sincerity and strong will. Till date, it remains the only students’ body calling for proper funding of education and the implementation of UNESCO 26per cent educational budgetary recommendation.
The SaveLASU struggle wouldn’t have seen the light of day if not for the visionary leadership of ERC at that time.
Now that NANS has degenerated this far, should we totally dissociate ourselves in the belief that nothing could be done to salvage it? Two schools of thoughts have emerged in this wise: the pessimists and the optimist ideologies. The pessimists have opined that the ruling elites have hijacked this body, making it a student wing of the oppressive ruling class whose essence is to weaken the sense of solidarity of the mass of students. This school of thought went further to challenge the authenticity of NANS with outright disbelief that nothing fruitful can come out of it. With the unbearable posture of the body over the years, are the pessimists not vindicated?
The optimists, on the other hand, also acknowledge the pessimists’ view, but differ in terms of approach. The optimists believes that to allow the reactionary elements reign forever as long as NANS remains under their watch is disastrous to the image of the association. This school of thought further argued that the ideological elements must do everything humanly possible to penetrate and weaken the strength of the reactionary elements so as to rescue the platform from ruins. I belong to this school of thought.
We must rescue NANS from its rot and bring it back to Nigerian campuses. Not a NANS picketed by moneybags. An example is the case of Usman Tijani-led group that took to the streets to support Dr Bukola Saraki, following the latter’s assets declaration saga. It is not a NANS of empty, selfish threats motivated by the power of money.
As a genuine pressure group, threat can only come in when the interest of the students suffers neglect in the hand of the ruling class and government. Even before that, negotiation must have been fully exhausted. There must be demands that would open the table for deliberation, where superior argument reigns in the interest of the students. It is not a platform for dancing to the dictates of power brokers just to get financial gratification in return. One wonders: is NANS providing this kind of leadership? If yes, to what extent?
Painfully, where, when and how to issue threat is fundamentally lacking in the kind of leadership NANS had provided over the years. Today, the lackeys have taken the stage and the lame threats of NANS amount to nothing in the eyes of every Nigerian. NANS lacks the potency to issue such threats until it is purged of its fakers, beggars and misfits. The time to sincerely act is now.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Zone D (Southwest) has honoured the Provost of the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, Ondo State, Dr Samson Adeola Odedina, with the ‘Outstanding Leadership’ award.
He was awarded at the NANS zonal convention held on the college premises in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The convention drew participants from higher institutions across the six Southwest states. It was attended by Joint Campus Committee (JCC) chairmen of the states, and over 55 Students’ Union presidents, past leaders of the organisation and a representative of the host institution.
The event kicked off with NANS Zone D Coordinator, Comrade Asefon Sunday, who welcomed all to the ceremony.
Odedina expressed happiness with NANS’ decision to host the conference in the institution. He highlighted various transformation the college has experienced since the inception of his administration, especially on students’welfare.
These, Odedina said, include measures such as reduction in school fees, abolition of excursion fees, provision of good student learning environment, and excellent management-students relationship, among other things. He further admonished delegates to explore the leadership opportunities NANS would afford them.
The highpoint of the event was the presentation of the award to Dr Odedina by Comrade Asefon.
Odedina dedicated the award to the students of FCE Akure. He informed the audience of ongoing agricultural value chain projects (in collaboration with four international partners and the Federal Government of Nigeria) aimed at providing employment opportunities for students.
