The president of the National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS), Comrade Sunday Asefon has been at the receiving end of criticism and praises after taking to his Facebook page to urge Nigerian students to join the protest planned by the National Labour Congress (NLC) geared towards ending the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which has kept government-owned universities closed since February 14.
Reacting to the NLC solidarity protest slated for Tuesday, 26th and Wednesday, 27th of July, the NANS President release an official statement on Facebook which reads in part:
“On behalf of members of NANS, I wish to commend the National Leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress for their steadfastness and commitment to join forces with well meaning Nigerians to advocate for the end of the protracted ASUU Strike.
“While NANS has organised various protests in the past with no substantial results, also our advocacy and consultation has not yielded any desirable result. We have activated political solution and we are very hopeful that an end is in the purview.
“However, we are in total support of the planned protest by NLC as we believe this will stem up the advocacy and assist in no mean measure to put adequate pressure on the Federal Government to do all that is required to stop the strike.
“I therefore direct all NANS structures across the country to mobilize and join the NLC protest. NANS will only be involved in the mobilization of students to the protest sites and will act based on the direction provided by the NLC. NANS structures across the country shall submit to the leadership of NLC all through the protest.”
However, the statement by the students’ leader has been generating reactions from Nigerian students who took to his comment section to air their different opinions.
While most of the students criticized the NANS president and described him as a failure who does not have the interest of the Nigerian students at heart, others commended him for his doggedness and relentless efforts toward making sure the students return to classes.
A Facebook user, Vitus Nwenyi said, “You are a disappointment to the mandate bestowed on you. I was there in Abuja when major decisions were made to bring you into power but you sold the reputation of your good office for a plate of porridge. The justified fight you ought to have led has been merchandised. It’s on record that when it matters most, you betrayed the millions of students whose mantle you hold.
Tomorrow you will come out for elections when your sins will catch up with you. The political psyche of this nation is currently being configured. We are resulting to issue-based politics.”
Another user, Oluwafemi Adegbeyeni said, ” Asefon turn NANS into comedy, after endorsing oppressors, be wanna mobilize the oppressed to get another cashout.
“You are a definition of total failure” Emmanuel Sunday opined.
In his words, Comrade A. A. Sunday said, “So, after being a partisan student leader, you are calling on students to protest. Never again. Organize your family members to do, not Nigerian students. I rather work with NAUS invitation than NANS. After full endorsement of Tinubu. So, NANS, they find who will organize the protest before they join?”
In what can be described as sharp contrasts to the previous comments, some other students rally their support for the NANS president.
A Facebook user with the name, Comr.Abubakar Shuaibu Sheka said, “The only president of NANS, we’re loyal.
“Thank you for putting the interest of the students above your personal interest, that is great of you and highly commendable,” Comr Zakari Hashim commented.
Another user, Michael Onyete Ella said,”I’m with you capacity NANS president sir.
It will be recalled that Nigerian Tribune had earlier reported that the National Association of University Students, through a press statement, has equally urged the university students in the 36 States of the federation and FCT to join the NLC solidarity protest slated for next week.
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