Thugs’ Mace snatching, national disgrace ―NAPS

The leadership of National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has condemned in strong terms, the show of shame at the National Assembly where unknown men invaded the Senate and made away with the Mace.

The students’ body described the act as a national disgrace, stating that they (Senate) has “successfully depressed, disappointed and discouraged millions of Nigeria students.”

NAPS queried the presence of a suspended senator, Ovie Omo-Agege at the plenary just before the Mace snatching incident, they charged the government to revisit the entire security personnel deployed to the Senate Chamber.

While speaking with Tribune Online, the President, Comrade Mohammed Eneji and the Public Relations Officer of the association, Comrade Ijaduoye Olasukanmi said: “As Nigerians, we are shocked to hear the incident at the Senate on Wednesday that some thugs invaded the Senate chamber during plenary at 11.30am and made away with the mace.

“How could that happen? It’s is with great shock that just 3 men could invade the Senate Chamber, disrupt the plenary and take away the sign of authority which is called the mace.

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“Professor Wole Soyinka once described his generation as a frustrated and wasted one, the set of senators in the Nigerian Senate fall under the same generation with him. We are having more reason to believe that the Legislative arm of the government is a waste of time, money and resources.

“NAPS as a body refuse to regard the 109 senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as leaders, mentors or personality to look up to if they continue like this. We watched the video carefully; we analysed it and came to a conclusion that we do not have leaders in the Senate but cabals.

The students’ leaders added that “We once again call on the Federal Government to revisit its security architecture across the country. Well, thugs’ invasion is our gain from a government who couldn’t invest in education and budgeted less than 10 per cent on education. Yesterday’s incident was evidence that whatever module the government is using has only brought negative change to the country.

“It is unfortunate that the entire security personnel deployed to Senate Chamber have become spectators who allow thugs to operate with so much confidence and efficiency. This is the lowest we can ever go as a country,” they said.