Students don’t want ASUU, NBA; demand student representatives
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Students say they do not want university lecturers and the body of lawyers on the student loan panel to be constituted sequel to the signing of the bill into law by President Bola Tinubu.
National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) National President Umar Barambu disclosed this after he led a delegation of students to thank Tinubu in the Villa in Abuja.
Barambu narrated they asked him to review the constitution of the special committee that will oversee the Nigerian Education Loan Fund to include student representatives.
“We thank the President for the Students Loan Bill. We have outlined the clauses that we are not too comfortable with,” he said.
“And part of them is the issue of that board that we mentioned to the President, which we said at least students’ representatives should be captured and there are some organisations that they put there, which to us, they don’t need to be there.
“We gave him an example, most especially the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and ASUU [Academic Union of Universities].
“ASUU has its own microfinance bank running their own affairs without students on their board. So, I don’t think it’s wise for us to allow them to be inside our own board because it is purely students.
“We are the major stakeholders of that bank. So I don’t think allowing them to be there is good. Not only them, we mentioned a lot of people that they should remove and put more of student-oriented organisation.”
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Tinubu promises to invest in education
Barambu recountedTinubu promised to consider the requests but urged NANS to ensure unity among its members across the country to achieve more, according to reporting by The PUNCH.
“You have to promote unity and stability among [yourselves]. You have to employ democratic means in your programmes and elections. I have to say anyone who is unable to accept and celebrate a free and fair election does not deserve the joy of victory,” Tinubu said.
He insisted poverty should not prevent any Nigerian from obtaining quality education at the highest levels, and pledged his administration will commit more resources to education to ensure every Nigerian child, regardless of background, has access to quality education.
“Poverty should not prevent anybody, any child, including the daughter or son of a wood seller, ‘boli’ [roasted plantain] seller or yam seller from attaining their highest standard of education, to eliminate poverty.
“If we all believe that education is the greatest weapon against poverty, then we have to invest in it. If you eliminate poverty from one family, you can carry the rest of the weight.”
Tinubu thanked NANs for supporting the removal of fuel subsidy.
“I’m glad you understand the reason for the subsidy removal. We were at a point where Nigeria tried to draw water from a dry well and that is no longer acceptable and we equally must not continue to service the smugglers because they used to take our tankers and Premium Motor Spirit across the borders.
“We will put our money where our mouth is.”