•demands 26% budgetary allocation to education
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened to mobilize its members and Nigerians to embark on civil disobedience and ground the Nigeria’s economy to a halt if the Federal Government goes ahead to remove the fuel subsidy.
NANS also called on the Federal and State Governments to immediately order reversal of hike in school fees by some of their instititutions or be prepared to face the wrath of the over 40 million students.
In setting agenda for the incoming administration, the students demanded 26 per cent budgetary allocation to the education sector in line with the recommendation of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Vice President, National affairs of NANS, Comrade Victor Ezenagu, who addressed newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja, on the state of the nation entitled, ‘The Paradox of a Collapsing Nation’, noted that the recent increment in school fees by some state and Federal Universities has led to more than 30 per cent of students dropping out and contributing only negatively to the society.
Ezenagu, warned that removal of fuel subsidy would be disastrous and a calamity too unimaginable for Nigerians to comprehend.
“NANS wants to warn that any attempt to remove the subsidy now boomerang and promote an eclipse of civil disobedience and public disorder. A stitch in time saves nine,” he said.
He noted that currently the price of premium motor spirit popularly called petrol sells from N250 to N400 per litre against the official price of N195 per litre depending on location, with Government taking no action, adding that if the subsidy is removed as planned by the government, “without all paraphernalia put in place that means the product will go as much higher as 600 to 750 naira a litre.”
He maintained that education must be subsidized for the children of the common man to be able to afford it before subsidy removal, adding that there must be a thorough sensitization of students on the meaning of subsidy and the consequences of its removal immediately by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPCL) and Ministry of petroleum.
The students also urged the Federal Government to reject the World Bank offer of 800million dollar grant to Nigeria to reduce the sufferings of the people when government removes the subsidy, calling on the Government to look forward towards building new refineries as oil is being discovered in Kogi, Bauchi and Borno.
The NANS Vice-President alleged that a statement credited to the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu during the recent strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), making it explicitly clear that government alone could no longer fund education, has further encouraged some instititutions to hike their tuition fees over 100 per cent.
He said: “This awful scenario has led to the gumption of our school authorities to result to self-help in generating funding for our schools and the only help is to increase school fees with 100% and above increment as we have seen in recent school fees list of some institutions.
‘NANS will not fold its arms and allow the government destroy our future, already the toll on our educational backwardness is telling on the youths with many of them losing their lives in a bid to survive the terrible economic hardship prostitution, internet theft, cultism and all kinds of negativities have eating deep into our youths.
“We have almost lost it all, our youths who are supposed to be leaders of tomorrow are now beggars of today’ but this government of NANS will not allow that to continue and in the light of this we demand immediate reduction of all increased school fees.
“If education cannot be free at least it must be affordable to all Nigerians
“We also demand increased budget allocation of education to 26%, increased funding for Tetfund, UBEC, and other associated educational funding agencies
“Increase welfare package including salaries for the school workforce both academic and non-academic staff. 5. Generate human capital resources to expand teachers and lecturers across board.
“A roundtable discussion by the ministry of education and educational stakeholders in order to formulate a lasting educational policies is also pertinent and crucial.
“The effects of the school fees increment has led many of our students to go astray and made many parents undergo undue hardship, embarrassment and lost of honesty in other to meet up with the challenges, over 30% of our students have become drop-outs contributing only negatively to the society,” he said.
On subsidy removal he said, “It will be disastrous and a calamity too unimaginable for us to comprehend. Nobody will be safe anymore because the frustration and hunger that will persist and befall many homes will make our people do the unthinkable in other to survive, please note “a hungry man is the devil’s tool.
“The government must be patient and not in a hurry to remove subsidy. Adequate measures should be put in place before the removal, we are very particular about the functionality of our refineries, it’s most unfortunate that up till now according to reliable source only one refinery is working even far less than its capacity about 30% optimum production.”
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