Laleye Dipo in Minna
The National Association of Nigerian Students has opposed the plan by the federal government to establish cattle colonies in all states of the country, saying the policy will be counter-productive.
Addressing newsmen in Minna on Saturday ahead of the pre-convention meeting of the association slated for the Niger State College of Education, the National President of the Association, Comrade Chinoso Obasi said government had no “business in business” and as such should leave business to the business people.
According to Obasi the federal government should not give unnecessary priority to any farmer, adding that “the farmer should seek for approval to do business anywhere in the country.”
Obasi said the solution to the farmers-herders’ clashes in some communities in parts of the country had been addressed in the 2014 National Confab report and therefore asked president Muhammadu Buhari to use the report to solve the problems.
He decried the insecurity situation in parts of the country and charged President Muhammadu Buhari “to step up a bit” and listen to the voice of the people.
“If our president does not wake up and address these security problems, he will wake up one day to find out that there is nobody to vote for him in 2019”.
NANS, he said, was also in support of state police which he said would bring an end to insecurity, pointing out that “a situation where you need federal approval before police can move to quell uprising is not the solution”.
On the ongoing strike by the non academic staff of universities Obasi said NANS was not concerned because NASU did not carry along the association before embarking on the strike.
“We are not in solidarity with any university union that does not carry us along before embarking on any strike.”
Obasi said if the strike was not called off in one week “we will ask all students still at home to return to the universities and if there is no one to open the hostels we will force them open and maintain them”.
The President said the meeting was to fix date time for the national convention of the association.