The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on governors in the South West to declare a state of emergency on education.
South-west Coordinator of NANS, Kowe Abiodun, made the call in a statement, yesterday, in Abeokuta.
Abiodun said education remained the bedrock of any nation’s development, and that a state of emergency in the sector would secure the future of youths in the zone.
He also demanded that governors in the region convoke a meeting to x-ray the state of education.
“NANS frowns at the state of education in the region and calls for immediate declaration of state of emergency by the governors of South West states,’’ he said.
He commended the governors for their recent efforts in fighting crimes and putting an end to the spate of kidnapping in the zone through a well-structured joint security outfit, named ‘AMOTEKUN.’
Abiodun said a similar joint approach should be deployed to resuscitate the education sector in the South West.
He commended efforts by the Federal Government in growing the education sector, urging states to do same.
Meanwhile, NANS has appealed to state governors to pay the N30,000 minimum wage to avert unrest in tertiary institutions.
National Public Relations Officer of the association,Mr. Adeyemi Azeez, in a statement in abuja, yesterdays, said paying the minimum wage on time would avert the disruption of students’ academic calendar by protesting unions.
“The labour union and other sisters’ unions have continued to threaten showdown with the governors who have failed to pay the agreed minimum wage. In the interest of our students, we beg those governors yet to comply with the payment of the new minimum wage to quickly comply. This is because NANS might be left with no other option than to join forces with the Nigerian Labour Congress to fight to a standstill any governor who refuses to comply. To avoid any form of unrest, we beg that the governors comply as soon as possible,” he said.