Student loan: NANS demands the removal of ASUU removal from board
The National Association of Nigerian Students visited President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday to discuss the student loan bill he signed into law on Monday.
The NANS delegation was led by Umar Barambu, the organization’s national president.
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Speaking to State House Correspondents following meetings with the President, Barambu disclosed that they urged him to include student representatives on the special committee that will oversee the new Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
President of the NANS stated, “We thank the President for the Student Loan Bill.”
“We have outlined the clauses with which we are uncomfortable. And one of them is the issue of the board that we mentioned to the President, in which we stated that at least student representatives should be included, as well as the fact that they’ve included organizations that, in our opinion, do not belong there.
“We gave him an example, the Nigerian Bar Association, ASUU, in particular. ASUU operates its own microfinance bank without student representation on its board. Therefore, I do not believe it would be prudent for us to allow them to sit on our own board, as it consists solely of students.
“We are the most significant stakeholders in that bank. Therefore, I do not believe that allowing them to be there is a good idea. Not only did we suggest that they remove them, but we also suggested that they add more student-focused organisations.”
In response, the President pledged to consider the NANS leaders’ requests, but he urged the students’ organisation to promote unity among its members across the country in order to accomplish more.
“You must foster unity and stability among yourselves. You must use democratic methods in your campaigns and elections. Tinubu stated, “I must say that anyone who cannot accept and celebrate a free and fair election does not deserve the joy of victory.”
The President emphasised that poverty should not prevent any Nigerian from attaining the highest levels of quality education.
In order to ensure that every Nigerian child, regardless of background, has access to a quality education, he pledged that his administration would allocate more resources to the education sector.
Tinubu said this when he met with the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students at the State House in Abuja.
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If we all agree that education is the most effective weapon against poverty, we must invest in it. “You can carry the rest of the burden if you eliminate poverty from one family,” the President said.
He thanked the students for their support of the removal of the petrol subsidy and explained the rationale behind the decision as well as the need to combat smuggling.
“I’m glad you understand why the subsidy was eliminated. We had reached a point where Nigeria was attempting to draw water from a dry well, which is no longer acceptable. Similarly, we cannot continue to support smugglers, who used to transport our tankers and Premium Motor Spirit across the borders. He stated, “We will put our money where our mouth is.”
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