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The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has pleaded with the management of Dangote Cement factory to fulfil their promise regarding some students of the Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba Akoko, AAUA, who were crushed to death by a truck belonging to the company.
The students, eight in number, died on January 23, 2021, when a truck belonging to the company crushed them near the university gate.
In a statement on Sunday by the NANS Vice President, External Affairs, Comrade Akinteye Afeez, the body reminded the company of the promise made to immortalise the students as parts of efforts to appease their families.
Among the dead student was the then President of the Students Union Government, SUG, Comrade Samuel Adesomoju, popularly called Sam Praise.
The body said it would not want to be pushed to restricting the movement of vehicles belonging to the company or having to picket its operational base in Lagos before the needful is done.
The statement read, “We write with great consternation mixed with an absolute shock, having been recently informed of the failure of DANGOTE CEMENT PLC to honour its promise to the families of the victims of the AAUA tragedy– which rocked the citadel of learning on the inauspicious afternoon of the 23rd of January, 2021, that claimed the life of the immediate past SUG PRESIDENT OF THE INSTITUTION ( SAMPRAISE).
“You will recall that the monumental tragedy, which claimed the lives of 8 promising students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, included the then President of the Students’ Union Government, Comr. Adesomoju Samuel– popularly known and addressed by the nickname “”, in what has now been described as the bloodiest day in AAUA history.
“It is on record– both officially and publicly– that subsequent upon this mishap, DANGOTE CEMENT PLC, which is the parent company responsible for the tragedy, pledged to immediately immortalize the victims of the tragic mishap as part of its appeasement to their families.
“However, it has recently come to our attention that the promise –which in ordinary terms cannot equate the lives lost– made by the company has not been taken with a pinch of salt let alone being fulfilled till date. This action, in itself, represents nothing but an unquantifiable sense of irresponsibility, insouciance and a lack of accountability, remorse, empathy and compassion on the families of all the deceased students.
“Sequel to this, we write to issue a 14-day ultimatum to DANGOTE CEMENT PLC to fulfill the promise made to the families and as well immortalize the victims of the accident with immediate effect. Let it be stated in emphatic terms that failure to comply with this will be taken as a challenge to the association and by extension, barefaced affront to the entire populace of Nigerian students, which we shall not hesitate to confront.
“Having said this, we shall take a brief pause for now and watch, with a keen sense of observation, the chain of events that will happen within the next 14 days. A word is enough!”
