Tinubu’s Education-Friendly Policy Has Won Students’ Votes, Says NANS Leader

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

Students under the banner of Tinubu/Shettima Students Vanguard (TSSV), has described the manifesto of the Presidential Candidate of the  All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Ahmed  Bola Tinubu, as the most “education-friendly” policy that would reform and rebrand the sector if elected.

The students, who endorsed Tinubu for 2023 presidential poll, predicated their support for the former governor of Lagos State on the premise that he had the required qualities to lead the country in a manner that will be beneficial to their members.

The group’s coordinator and immediate past President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Mr. Sunday Asefon, announced the endorsement of Tinubu at a press conference in Ado-Ekiti yesterday.

Asefon said:  “There is no doubt that the outcome of the 2023 election will have great impacts in the lives of young population whether positive or negative.

“So, it is on this note that we the Nigerian students under the aegis of the Tinubu/Shettima Students Vanguard cutting across all campuses of the 36 states have reviewed political developments of the country and concluded to mobilise our members and indeed the millions of progressive Nigerian students to support Tinubu and Shettima.”

He said that there are strong indications that the APC candidate would run a student-friendly government, saying his exploits in all sectors of governance, particularly, the education sector when he was at the helm of affairs in Lagos State remained verifiable testimonies of his leadership capacity.

He said that Tinubu’s presidency would be a great blessing to the entirety of Nigeria as he possesses the leadership qualities needed to transform Nigeria, looking at how he changes the fortunes of Lagos State for the better.

“As a youth group whose interest is the total wellbeing of our members, we cannot seek for nothing short of a rosy future for the younger generation, which Asiwaju have championed in the time past. While he was governor of Lagos, he initiated numerous policies and programmes for both students and youths.

“He introduced numerous policies in the education sector, payment of WAEC fee for students from all walks of life so far you live in Lagos, several tuition and indigent scholarship, disbursement of students’ bursary and many schools were built. The one-day governor program started with the spelling bee competition which was first of its kind.

“Asiwaju also increases the states’s IGR from N600 million to over N7 billion after eight years through the enactment of different initiatives, the sustainability of which has brought the monthly IGR to N57 billion in 2022.

“He equally decentralised health sector, which led to the creation of LASAMBUS, the ambulance management scheme, Hospital Services Commission and the Lagos State Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency.

“In addition, the closest thing to state policing in Nigeria started under Tinubu with RRS. The prison reformation to curb activities of criminals, led to conversion of Ita Oko Prisoners Camp to Youth Skill Acquisition Centre. He also created the Lagos Security Trust Fund where private sector come together to invest in Lagos security in conjunction with the state government.

“Equally worthy of note is his leadership style, the involvement of many young Nigerians in government business via several appointments into positions of authority to enable them showcase their potential not looking at where they came from.

“It’s under him that people from the East and North became commissioners, this was first of its kind.”