Ajao Olumide Emmanuel, has declared interest in the position of National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) Coordinator of Zone D.
This is as the aspirant, said there is a danger of the House of Representatives attempting to make the rights of Nigerian students to free, compulsory, and advanced education a mere privilege with its Loan Scheme.
Emmanuel said this while declaring his interest in the NANS position in a statement signed by him on Monday.
According to him, “It is pertinent to note that there is a dire need to have a Students’ movement that can give directions to students at this critical time. History has bestowed upon us a great moment that deserves the utmost radical roles that can safeguard the future of education in Nigeria. Not only that the literacy level has gone down; the pathetic state of education is rubbing off on the level of the collective economy of the people. The state of the youths determines the values of workers needed to build a great economy.
“As humans, it is quite correct for us to be ambitious but the drive for our individual ambition is what matters. And, such drive must be towards emancipating the human race and advancing the cause of human development.
“It is no gainsaying that this noble association has had a vertical shift from what it used to be which is why there is a need for strategic repositioning in order to reposition NANS in the Southwest strategically to further defend the rights of students on campuses.
“All what our noble association has witnessed in recent years, most especially in the South West which is tagged the most ideological zone of NANS, is short of what the association is known for. Unfortunately, we now have campuses without Students’ Union structures spanning into years, we now have situations whereby freedom of expression is being censored by administrations of higher institutions without a radical response from NANS as a Students’ body which has a historical duty to be protecting and advancing the rights of students
“It is still fresh in our memories how the leadership of this noble association in the 2000s championed the ACAREF campaign for independent Students’ unionism and the inclusion of students in decision-making as far as higher institutions are concerned. This is the time to reignite that campaign which is one of the cardinal points of our strategic repositioning.
“As it has been rightly opined, ours is not to lament but to take action. And, this is why we have decided to take the bull by the horns by taking up the task of service towards meeting the hopes and aspirations of Nigerian students as far as the Students’ body is concerned
“There is a present and clear danger of the House of Representatives attempting to make the rights of Nigerian students to free, compulsory, and advanced education a mere privilege with its Loan Scheme. This will do nothing but make students all indebted while fees are made so high.
“I promise that this leadership will entirely return the power of students congresses and show examples by standing unalloyed and stout in defence of true radical politics that would truly build a virile education and advocacies for Ivory Towers which would put students and workers first, while also deploying the best democratic and diplomatic instruments in dialogues with school managements and all government structures.”
and then