NANS issues 14-day ultimatum to Dangote Cement Plc to fulfill promise made to families of slain AAUA students

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has issued a 14-day ultimatum to Dangote Cement Plc to fulfill its promise made to the families of slain students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) who died on the 23rd of January, 2021.

On January 23rd, 2021, Dangote Cement truck killed students of the institution involving the former SUG President of the institution, Adesomoju Samuel, known as Sampraise.

NANS in a statement by its Vice-President External Affairs, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez said the victims of the accident must as well be immortalized with immediate effect as promised by Dangote Cement Plc. 

According to NANS, failure to comply with the directive will lead to restriction of movement of all vehicles belonging to Dangote Cement Plc in South-West as well as shutting down their operational headquarter in Lagos State.

NANS added that failure to fulfill the promise made to the victims’ families represents nothing but an unquantifiable sense of irresponsibility, insouciance and a lack of accountability, remorse, empathy and compassion for the families of all the deceased students.

The statement read in part: “We write with great consternation mixed with an absolute shock, having been recently informed of the failure of DANGOTE CEMENT PLC to honour its promise to the families of the victims of the AAUA tragedy– which rocked the citadel of learning on the inauspicious afternoon of the 23rd of January, 2021, that claimed the life of the immediate past SUG PRESIDENT OF THE INSTITUTION (SAMPRAISE).

“You will recall that the monumental tragedy, which claimed the lives of 8 promising students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, included the then President of the Students’ Union Government, Comr. Adesomoju Samuel– popularly known and addressed by the nickname “𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐄”, in what has now been described as the bloodiest day in AAUA history.

“It is on record– both officially and publicly– that subsequent upon this mishap, DANGOTE CEMENT PLC, which is the parent company responsible for the tragedy, pledged to immediately immortalize the victims of the tragic mishap as part of its appeasement to their families.

“However, it has recently come to our attention that the promise –which in ordinary terms cannot equate the lives lost– made by the company has not been taken with a pinch of salt let alone being fulfilled till date. This action, in itself, represents nothing but an unquantifiable sense of irresponsibility, insouciance and a lack of accountability, remorse, empathy and compassion on the families of all the deceased students.

“Sequel to this, we write to issue a 14-day ultimatum to DANGOTE CEMENT PLC to fulfill the promise made to the families and as well immortalize the victims of the accident with immediate effect. Let it be stated in emphatic terms that failure to comply with this will be taken as a challenge to the association and by extension, barefaced affront to the entire populace of Nigerian students, which we shall not hesitate to confront with all sense of aggression by the RESTRICTION OF MOVEMENT OF ALL VEHICLES BELONGING TO DANGOTE CEMENT PLC IN SOUTH WEST, AND ALSO SHUTTING DOWN THEIR OPERATIONAL HEADQUARTER IN LAGOS. while also adopting other measures that the company may not be able to conceive let alone envisage even in their wildest imagination.

“Having said this, we shall take a brief pause for now and watch, with a keen sense of observation, the chain of events that will happen within the next 14 days. A word is enough!”

By: FRIDAY OMOSOLA