The National Association of Nigerian Students on Tuesday met with President Bola Tinubu, urging him to review the constitution of the special committee that will oversee the new Nigerian Education Loan Fund to include student representatives.
The President of NANS Usman Baranbu; led the delegation comprising National Association of University Students (NAUS) President, Obaji Marshal, National Association of Colleges of Education Students (NACES) President, Aminu Habibu, alongside Dotun Omoleye of the National Youth council of Nigeria, to declare total support for the Student Loan Act signed by the President yesterday and also Subsidy Removal.
According to the Act, the committee consists of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria as the Chairman; the Secretary of the Fund who shall be appointed by the Chairman; the Minister responsible for education; the Chairman, National Universities Commission; a representative of Vice-Chancellors forum of all Nigeria Universities; a representative of the Rectors’ forums of all Nigerian Polytechnics and Provosts’ forums of all Colleges of Education in Nigeria; the Minister responsible for finance or his representative and the Auditor-General for the Federation.
Others are a representative of the Nigerian Labour Congress; a representative of the Nigerian Bar Association; and a representative of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Tinubu assented to the law, which he said is part of his administration’s efforts to develop the education sector and also build the youth capacity.
The President said the step was in fufilling one of his campaign promises by signing the Access to Higher Education Act otherwise known as the student laon bill into law
The piece of legislation seeks to provide interest-free loans to indigent Nigerian students, and is expected to see the establishment of a Nigerian Education Loan Fund to be domiciled with the cenbank
Speaking to State House Correspondents, Baranbu, said they want inclusion of past national leaders of the association and exclusion of lecturers and lawyers.
He said the new Act will alleviate the plight of Nigerian students and afford them the opportunity to study with fewer difficulties.
Speaking on the clause of the Act they are not comfortable with, the NANS President said: “We have outlined the clauses that we are not too comfortable with. 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, ASUU. ASUU have their 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 organisations.”
On the purpose of the visit, he said: “We are here to congratulate you and to thank you for what you have been doing to the country since you assumed responsibility as the President of this country. We want to equally thank you for the students loan Bill.
“It takes a great person to take that bold step of removing the subsidy on petrol and even when some people contacted us that we need to protest against that decision, we said no! The well is dry and ‘Baba’ cannot give what we don’t have now.
“We have to accept reality and face that challenge squarely so that together we can rescue the country. Today we are saying ‘yes’ to fuel subsidy removal and we will stand with that decision,” Baranbu stressed.
President Tinubu in his remarks stated that poverty should not prevent any Nigerian child from accessing education.
He stressed that more investments must be done in the educational sector, to alleviate poverty.
According to him: “If we all believe that education is the greatest weapon against poverty then we have to invest in it. That poverty should not prevent anybody, any child, including the daughter or son of a wood seller, ‘Bole’ seller or yam seller from attaining their highest standard of education, to eliminate poverty. If you eliminate poverty from one family, you can carry the rest of the weight. ”
Responding to the requests of the NANS leaders on the need to address some of their concerns, he promised to look into their requests.
He urged the students’ body to ensure there is unity among its members across the country, in order to achieve more.
“You have to promote unity and stability among each other. 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,” he admonished.
President Tinubu expressed delight that students expressed their support for the removal of subsidy on petrol.
“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 (PMS) across the borders. We will put our money where our mouth is,” he said.
