Ban of unionism: NANS threatens to disrupt academic activities in Southwest

The National Association of Nigeria Students, NANS, has threatened to disrupt academic activities in tertiary institutions in the South-West without proper student unions in place.

The Coordinator, NANS Southwest (Zone D), Owolewa Taiwo, while addressing newsmen warned that banning student union activities on campus is inimical to the welfare of students on such campuses.

According to him, some schools, including Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State Polytechnic Iree and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso were among the schools where the management banned student union activities, saying that NANS would not hesitate to embark on mass protests in such schools.

He explained that it has come to their attention that institutions such as Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso and notably the University of Lagos, UNILAG, still lack a functional Students’ Union.

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Zone D, under his leadership, believed that the absence of functional Students’ Unions is a glaring affront to the rights and aspirations of Nigerian students and will not stand idle as students’ voices are silenced and their interests are neglected in the institution.

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According to him, “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.

“We, hereby, issue a 14-day ultimatum to UNILAG, OSPOLY and LAUTECH to reinstate its students’ union. If this demand is not met, the association will mobilize a massive protest to disrupt academic activities and bring the issue to national attention. This absence undermines students’ rights and limits their ability to voice and safeguard their interests.”

The NANS leader urged the Federal Government to allow them to benefit from the scheme, while speaking on excluding private tertiary institutions from NELFUND.

He said that NANS umbrella covers students that are Nigerians irrespective of where they are school. NELFUND is designed to benefit Nigerian students; hence, if students of private tertiary institutions want to apply, they should be free to do so as they are also Nigerians and have the right to seek government assistance.