The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) South West zone has urged the administration of President Bola Tinubu to fulfill its promise made in the wake of the petrol subsidy removal to provide students with free buses. The Coordinator of NANS Southwest zone, Comrade Alao John, made the call in a statement released on Thursday.
It is recalled that President Bola Tinubu, in July, approved the provision of buses to the student bodies of all universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across the country. The Tinubu government stated that this development was in furtherance of the president’s desire to ease the burden of the fuel subsidy removal on students of higher institutions of learning.
In the statement, NANS expressed concern that the free buses promised to Nigerian students to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal and the hike in the pump price of petrol are yet to materialize. NANS noted that it is becoming weary of waiting on the government to fulfil its promises, arguing that students are the hardest hit by the current economic situation in the country.
In addition to requesting the buses, NANS Southwest also tasked the Tinubu government to mandate the management of tertiary institutions to fully implement a fee reduction policy. Alao, in the statement, said that Tinubu fulfilling his promises would be in line with his commitment to ensure that no student drops out of school as a result of the subsidy removal policy.
The statement further reads: “The year 2023 has indeed been a challenging year for Nigerian students across the country, with increases in tuition fees and other charges. The removal of fuel subsidy and the dwindling economy have taken a toll on Nigerian students, affecting job opportunities for recent graduates.
“While the Federal Government had promised, and in some quarters implemented palliative measures to cushion the effects of the hardship in the country on citizens, we are alarmed that Nigerian students have been left out of being beneficiaries of such palliative care packages.
“The free buses promised to Nigerian students to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal and the hike in PMS are yet to materialize, and we are still waiting on the government to fulfill the promises made to Nigerian students, who have been hit the hardest by the current economic situation in the country.
“We hereby use this medium to call on the Federal Government to provide palliative packages for Nigerian Students in this festive season to help cushion the hardship experienced at this time.”
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