The National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS) has lamented the deplorable standard of education in the country. This is coming as the association is warms up for the conduct of its national election on a yet-to-be-announced date.
One of the aspirants and a student of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Olumide Ajao admitted that the pathetic state of education in the country was rubbing off on the Nigerian economy and literacy level.
Ajao, who is a 500-level Chemical Engineering student at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology(LAUTECH), Ogbomoso said that the state of the youth in the country determines the value of workers needed to build a great economy in the country.
The student unionist said that the drive expected of every human being must be toward emancipating the human race and advancing the cause of human development.
“It is not only the literacy level that has gone down, the pathetic state of education is rubbing off on the level of economy of economic growth and development.
“History has bestowed upon us a great moment that deserves the utmost radical roles that can safeguard the future of education in Nigeria.
“It is on this note that I want to declare that new leadership with vibrancy and robust inter and intra-union
the congressional structure is very needed,” he said.
Ajao emphasised the dire need to have a student movement that can give directions to students at such a critical time.
“The attempt description of our rights to free, compulsory and advanced education as a mere privilege with its loan scheme by the House of Representatives is a great danger.
“This will do nothing but make students indebted while fees are made so high,” he said.
He said that his interest to lead the students was to take action, stop all forms of lamentation and render services toward meeting the aspirations of Nigerian students.
According to him, we now have campuses without students’ union structures spanning years.
“We now have situations whereby freedom of expression is being censored by administrations of higher institutions without a response from NANS, a body aimed at protecting and advancing the rights of students.”
Ajao recalled how NANS leadership in the 2000s championed the ACAREF campaign for independent Students’ unionism and the inclusion of students in decision-making at higher institutions.
He said that it was time to reignite the campaign which is one of the cardinal points of their strategic repositioning.
“There 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.
“We need to reposition NANS in the southwest strategically to further defend the rights of students on campuses,” he said.
Ajao called on all union structures and NANS senators to vote for a new dawn at the next Zone D convention for strategic repositioning of the association.
He said that the association needed a reliable leadership team they can trust to protect their fundamental education rights.
“I promise that this leadership will entirely return the power of students congresses and show examples by
standing unalloyed in defence of members.
“To build a virile education and advocacies for Ivory Towers which would put students and workers first.
“We will also deploy the best democratic and diplomatic instruments in dialogues with school managements and all government structures,” he said.
