The National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS), on Wednesday, issued a stern warning to tertiary institutions in the South-West, threatening to disrupt academic activities if student unions are not reinstated.
Addressing newsmen in Osogbo, NANS Southwest Coordinator Owolewa Taiwo condemned the ban on student union activities in institutions like Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State Polytechnic Iree and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso.
“The absence of functional Students’ Unions is a glaring affront to the rights and aspirations of Nigerian students,” Taiwo said. “We will not stand idle as students’ voices are silenced and their interests are neglected.”
NANS has given a 14-day ultimatum to the University of Lagos, Osun State Polytechnic and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology to reinstate their student unions. Failure to comply will result in mass protests aimed at disrupting academic activities and bringing national attention to the issue.
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“Having exhausted the first two C’s of Aluta in advocating for the reinstatement of the Students’ Union at these campuses, we are left with the final C: Confrontation,” Taiwo warned.
Taiwo also addressed the exclusion of private tertiary institutions from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
“NANS umbrella covers students that are Nigerians irrespective of where they are schooled. NELFUND is designed to benefit Nigerian students; hence, if students of private tertiary institutions want to apply, they should be free to do so.”
Taiwo emphasized, “We urge the Federal Government to reconsider its stance and expand NELFUND’s scope to include private tertiary institutions.” He reiterated NANS’ commitment to protecting students’ rights, saying, “We will continue to advocate for policies promoting equal opportunities and academic excellence.”