Tuition Hike: New NANS Leadership Pledges to Stop Implementation

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The new leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has pledged to stop the implementation of wave of increase in tuition in Nigerian public tertiary institutions.

It is on record that the NANS’ national convention was held in Abuja between November 28 and December 2, 2023, where a new president was elected amidst permutations, intrigues, and physical confrontations were evident and undeniable.

President of NANS, Mr. Lucky Emonefe, in a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, cited example with the University of Calabar and has declared that the Association will not tolerate such.

Emonefe described the education loan bill that was signed into law by the President Bola Tinubu’s administration as the grace that students have been waiting for, adding that students are really suffering.

He said: “A typical example is the University of Calabar. We are not going to tolerate such and we will wade into the matter immediately. We are going to have a mandatory national monitoring committee in all institutions to look into the issue first.

“Our students are suffering. If not for the students’ loan bill that Mr. President has signed, it had become a norm. So we are sending a warning to all tertiary institutions to obey Mr. President’s directive of no further increment in fees and if they fail, we will take drastic measures and we are not joking.”  

Emonefe said that ideological environment where activism flourishes would be brought back to the campuses to the impact of the association.   

Amongst other areas of interest, he added that educational policies which would benefit the entirety of the students would be well explored, adding that his administration would ensure that Nigerian students are well respected as maltreatment would be a thing of the past.

In the same vein, the association has called on the opposition group led by Mr. Pedro Chibizor Obi to sheath his sword and embrace peace.

“Let us at this juncture appeal to our comrade and brother, Pedro Obi and his co agitators to call off whatever agitations they are presently carrying out in the interest of the organisation. Maybe, they have reasons to be angry or it could just be about their ego; but whatever it is, it will be better sorted on the table of comradeship,” NANS said while congratulating Emonefe, ho is currently the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Aluta Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.