NANS slams Fed Poly Ado-Ekiti over alleged threat to withdraw member’s certificate

The National Association of Nigerian Students Joint Campus Committee, Ekiti State Axis, has condemned the alleged intimidation and threat to withdraw the school certificate of NANS Public Relations Officer, JCC, Ekiti, Abiodun Olubodun.

In a statement signed by NANS Ekiti JCC Chairman, Femi Asaolu, NANS condemned the petition against the association’s PRO, describing it as a “blatant attempt to intimidate and threaten the school certificate issued to Abiodun, who was a former student of the institution.”

NANS stated that the petition by the management was in response to a memo written to NANS against the institution’s management, clarifying that the said memo was issued from the office of NANS and not by Olubodun, who previously served as the Students’ Union President of the institution.

The student body has demanded an apology and retraction within 48 hours, insisting that the management should direct its grievances to the NANS executives rather than its PRO.

“The management of Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, is hereby put on notice regarding the petition received by the National Association of Nigerian Students Chairman against Comrade Olubodun Abiodun Johnson, the PRO of NANS Ekiti. We strongly condemn this attack on our PRO simply for performing his constitutional duties. As the PRO of NANS Ekiti, Comrade Olubodun Abiodun is merely carrying out his responsibilities to Nigerian students.

“The memo in question was written by NANS, not the PRO, and it is unacceptable for the school management to target him individually. We urge the management to direct its grievances to the appropriate body—NANS.

“Furthermore, we take exception to the fact that Comrade Olubodun Abiodun’s past position as Students’ Union President is being used against him. His commitment to Nigerian students remains unwavering, and he should not be penalised for his dedication. We will not tolerate any form of victimisation or harassment of our members, and we demand that the management respects the rights and privileges of Comrade Olubodun Abiodun.

“We demand that the school management withdraws the petition against our PRO within 48 hours and issues a formal apology for threatening his school certificate. Failure to comply will be met with swift action, as we will not stand idly by while our members are intimidated and harassed. The management should take note that their grievances lie with NANS, not our PRO. It is imperative that the management understands that NANS will not tolerate any form of intimidation or harassment of its members.

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“We will continue to stand up for the rights of Nigerian students and defend our members against any form of victimisation. We expect a prompt response and resolution to this matter and will be monitoring the situation closely.

“We hereby demand that the school management readdresses the letter, reframing its content to direct any grievances to the NANS Ekiti Executive Body as a whole rather than targeting our Public Relations Officer, Comrade Olubodun Abiodun.

“Failure to comply with this directive will be met with swift and decisive action, as we will have no choice but to embark on mass action to protect the interests and rights of our members. We also remind the management that Comrade Olubodun Abiodun is not just a former Students’ Union President but also a representative of NANS Ekiti. Any attempt to intimidate or harass him is an attack on the entire NANS body, and we will not take it lightly.

“We urge the management to tread with caution and respect the rights and privileges of our members,” the statement read.