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Commends governor’s efforts in youth devt
The National Association of Nigerian Students, Joint Campus Council (NANS JCC), Ondo State Axis has commended Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s commitment to youth development, as reflected in the recently concluded Our Ease Students Festival.
The festival, which held from November 13-17, brought together thousands of students from tertiary institutions across the state in celebration of International Students’ Day.
In a statement issued on Friday, Ondo JCC Chairman, Comr. Adekanye Mayomi Adeboye noted that the festival created a vibrant atmosphere filled with creativity, competition, culture, and intellectual engagement.
He described the event as colourful and impactful, embodying the spirit of unity and the energy that characterised the Ondo State student community.
However, the JCC Chairman lamented that many of the students who gleefully contributed to the event’s success were “left stranded, unattended to, and neglected”.
Adeboye said, “From the outset, we recognise and commend the Governor for providing the enabling environment that allowed such a large, student-oriented celebration to take place. We also acknowledge the efforts of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Student Affairs, whose office played a central role in coordinating the event. The festival was colourful and impactful, embodying the spirit of unity and the energy that characterises the Ondo State student community.
“More than 2,200 students from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and specialised institutions participated enthusiastically in various activities. Their presence brought life to the event; their voices provided the rhythm; and their talents and expressions formed the true heart of the festival. As the umbrella body coordinating student affairs across the state, NANS JCC Ondo is proud that our students showed such passion and commitment, making the festival a memorable gathering.
“However, as much as we celebrate the success of the event, it is necessary to also present the concerns of the students we represent. It is deeply troubling that many of the same students who contributed immensely to the success of the festival were left stranded, unattended to, and neglected. While leaders and government functionaries were accorded proper recognition and compensation for merely attending, the students who formed the backbone of the festival were not given the same level of consideration.”
The JCC Chairman explained that many of these students travelled long distances, with some attending in groups and delegations, and others participated actively in contests and performances that contributed to the festival’s overall excellence.
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“Yet, they were left without adequate support or appreciation. This imbalance sends the wrong message and diminishes the spirit of inclusion that student programmes are expected to uphold,” he stated.
He said the leadership of NANS JCC Ondo State Axis felt compelled to speak honestly and firmly about the ill-treatment of the affected students.
Adeboye stressed that student-oriented programmes must place students at the centre, and not at the margins.
“It is unfair for the people who made the festival successful to be treated as an afterthought.
“We therefore call on the Ondo State Government to address this concern sincerely, ensure that students who were left stranded receive attention, and establish better coordination for future events,” he stated.
Adeboye also urged the governor’s SSA on Student Affairs to reassess the engagement approach used in this festival and adopt more inclusive, transparent, and student-focused strategies going forward.
He said, “NANS JCC, under the leadership of Comr. INEC, will continue to advocate strongly for fairness, inclusion, and better treatment of every student, regardless of institution or background.
“Students are the backbone of society. When they are respected, appreciated, and supported, communities thrive.
“We therefore hope that moving forward, student welfare will be given the seriousness it deserves, and no student will be left behind at events designed in their honour.”
