By Joshua ADÉTÚNJÍ, Toyyib Olabamiji.
The Zone D National Association of Nigerian Students, Southwest, under the coordination of Comrade Alao John, has made her demands known to the Federal Government, following the sporadic increment of tuition fees across tertiary institutions in the country.
The demands were spelt out during a press conference, which took place at Sango, Ibadan, where the National Association of Nigerian Students, frowned at increment of tuition fees in tertiary education.
While giving his opening address, Comarde Alao noted that, NANS, as a pressure group, is here to speak for the students, whose voices must be heard and this can only be actualizad through the press.
While addressing the Press, the NANS Zone D coordinator, Comrade John, faulted the timing of the increment, which he identified to have come in ‘an untactful manner and calls for serious questioning’.
“This is a pointer to the death in research in our educational sector”.
He also identified the increment as a plot from the ‘ruling elites’, against the government.
Announcing the decision of the body, Comrade Alao John declared the seven decisions of the body after which he gave the federal government a seven day ultimatum, to see to the demands.
The demands are:
- All plans to increase tuition fees should be halted immediately and those who have done so should revert to the status quo.
- Minimum wage should be increased by over 200%.
- Education should take 26% as recommended by UNESCO.
- Before conceiving the idea of increment in tuition fee, school managements should tackle deficit in infrastructure, research and training of it staffs.
- The Nigerian students will not bear the burnt of the failure of the rulling elite to plan the country well.
- A seven day ultimatum to relax all plans of increment of tuition fee or we ground all the federal roads in the South West.
- Student Loan should be designed to give jobs to participants immediately after school for easy repayment of the loan.
The conference had in attendance South West leaders of NANS, tertiary institution students, and gentle men of the Press.
