Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Immediate past President of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Chinonso Obasi, has accused the current leadership of the students body of commercialising its activities.
He told our correspondent in Abuja, on Monday, that NANS has, obviously, lost its voice and respect, because its current leadership prioritise selfish gains instead of championing the cause of welfare and well-being of students.
He said: “I handled a lot of issues when I was NANS President. I had expected that my successor would have continued from where I stopped but that didn’t happen. Rather, areas they ought to seriously engage the authorities, something else would happen.
“The calls, mails, messages we receive everyday from students is becoming alarming. When I was President, I engaged school management on several issues including school fees increment and other unfair treatment to students.
“In some of the meeting with the school management, someone would first present envelopes containing money, to perhaps, silence us. But we always reject the monetary offers and insist on discussing issues that would help the students.”
The ex students leader said he was disappointed that the current NANS executives could not remind the President, Muhammadu Buhari, about the Students Union Amendment Bill when they visited him some times ago.
“Rather, they engaged in frivolous things and making political promises. That was the biggest error of the current executives of NANS,” he said.
He, thus advised the NANS leadership to adopt a new approach to the issues that concern welfare of students, and ensure that the students body regain its lost glory and voice for the good of Nigerian students.
Meanwhile, the current President of NANS, Danielson Akpan Bamidele, in a reaction,
described the allegations against him as false, and a deliberate attempt by the ex NANS President to run down his administration.
He maintained that he has piloted the affairs of NANS with utmost transparency and accountability, with due consideration to the welfare of students.
He recalled how several interventions of NANS under his leadership had averted industrial crisis in the university system and heralded peace, unity and academic excellence in Nigeria university system.