Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) said the Dangote Group has agreed to pay compensations to the relatives of students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, killed during a road mishap.
This was contained in a statement by the National President of NANS, Sunday Asefon, revealing that an agreement had been reached at a meeting with Dangote Group that families of the deceased would be compensated.
Six students of the university and nine others were killed on January 23, when a truck belonging to Dangote Group, rammed into a shopping complex in Akungba Akoko.
Shortly after the accident occurred, Asefon had promised to seek justice for the victims, assuring that their deaths would not be in vain.
In his statement yesterday Asefon said the compensation pact was reached with Dangote group after a meeting with the management of the conglomerate, on Thursday .
He said the meeting was attended by himself, NANS’ Senate President, Com. Chuks Okafor, Vice President National Affairs, Yasiz Tanko, NANS Zone D Coordinator, Samuel Kappo and other elected Executive of NANS, as well as the leadership of NANS JCC in Ondo State.
With the tragic way with which the autocrash occurred and the attendant pains it had inflicted on the victims’ families, Asefon said it was imperative for the company to compensate the families of the deceased students.
NANS’ president explained that aside from financial compensation, Dangote Group was mandated to give employment to qualified members of each of the bereaved families.
“We made it clear that where there are no qualified family members for employment, Dangote should award scholarships up to the university level to a member of the family. We requested that Dangote through tax arrangements with the federal government should fix the Isua-Akungba Akoko road where the carnage happened.
“That in the company’s Corporate Social Responsibilities, that a project should be executed for AAUA or Akungba metropolis and should be named after the victims of the January 23 , 2021 truck crash to immortalize all, including our fallen students.”
He said an all -inclusive committee “has been set up to ensure the agreements reached at the meeting are executed within the stipulated time. NANS under my leadership will do everything possible to ensure improved welfare and adequate protection of the interest of Nigerian students local and global.”
Prior to the meeting, Asefon said NANS had threatened that students across the country would be directed to boycott Dangote Group’s products and declare all its trucks persona- non- grata 10 kilometres away from all tertiary institutions, in protest for the gruesome killings of their members.
He said NANS told the company to take the safety of all Nigerians seriously on roads.
