NAUS warns against fuel price hike, increment of varsity fees
THE new leader of the National Association of University Students, NAUS, has warned against any fuel price hike in the country.
The student body also said it would not welcome any increment in student fees in any of the nation’s public universities.
But it called on the federal government to as a matter of urgent national importance, declare a state of emergency in Nigeria’s education sector, saying the present state of education in the country was unacceptable.
NAUS national president, Obaji Uchenna Marshall, said these while addressing a press conference in Abuja, to unveil his leadership which he explained,was brought during the 2022 NAUS National Convention in Abuja.
“We call on the Federal Government of Nigeria not to increase any the petrol pump price, as it will be met with stiff reaction from NAUS.
“We are also saying no to any form of increase in school fees in universities. The federal government should provide more security around our campuses and we call on all militant groups in Nigeria to lay down their arms and support the Federal Government of Nigeria,
FGN of Nigeria to succeed,”Comrade Marshall said.
He vowed that his administration, through effective consultation, will end strike in the nation’s public universities.
Comrade Marshall,who decried the ongoing ASUU and the federal government’s disagreement which had led to the grounding of public universities for almost eight months,said “the ASUU matter shall be jealously followed up to ensure full resumption of academic activities on our university campuses from January 2023.”
He noted that “appropriate funding and aggressive deployment of attention is much more important now if our nations economy must be reshaped.”
He thanked the Department of State Service DSS, the outgoing leadership of the union, the council of stakeholders and presidents of various university unions who stood firmly to protect the sanctity of the association.
A prepared text issued to newsmen at the event that drew students across the various universities across the country,read in part:
As new leadership,we will hit the ground runing, we shall commence our administration with consultative meetings with critical stakeholders in the university education sector-the NUC, the Comiittee of Vice Chancellors, ASUU the various student union government presidents.
“Our utmost target is to work out posiblity of no strike action throughout our administration. This will be followed up with preventive action that will guarantee proactive leadership approach to all lingering issues between our lecturers and the federal government of Nigeria.“The state of our university education is worrisome, every nation in dare need of advancment and development must invest in education. University is where every profession that runs the nation is trained and mentored, investing in origin of every profession should never be a problem for any nation interested in developing.On this note, we call for declaration of state of emergency in our educational system in Nigeria.
“Appropriate funding and aggressive deployment of attention is much more important now if our nations economy must be reshaped.
“The ASUU matter shall be jealously followed up to ensure full resumption of academic activities on our university campuses from January 2023.”
