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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The National leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has dissociated itself from the call for protest and demonstration in response to the recent fuel price hike.
NANS said the explanation became necessary following some recent information from some individuals it claimed were not its officials who attempting to destabilise the student community and mobilizing it for demonstration over the recent decision to hike the price of fuel.
NANS, however, sympathised with the students’ population following the pains caused by the economic policies of the Federal Government. It insisted that neither protest nor demonstration is the solution to the challenge, as both would not bring succour to the people, but further worsened the situation.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, on Saturday, the Coordinator of NANS Zone A, Comrade Bilal Kurfi, said the Forum of Zonal Coordinators of the association condemned the action of one Henry Adewumi Okunomo, who claimed to be student of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology and NASS leader, adding that he was unknown to the national leadership of NANS.
He asked the security agencies to carry out further investigations on the matter to avoid destabilisation of the students’ community.
Kurfi said: “Rather than marching to the streets in protest that can be hijacked to further heighten the already mounting and escalating tensions in the system, we believe that dialogue, rather than confrontation should be adopted to resolve the crisis, because we are intellectuals and not street urchins or political thugs that can be hired by anyone or a group of moneybags to destabilise the country.
“We also resolved to engage in an extensive dialogue with the Federal Government and NNPCL on how to bring a reduction to the price of petrol to mitigate the effect of inflation on our colleagues.”
He maintained that NANS was strongly committed to peaceful and constructive engagement, and would not be part of any activity that might compromise the safety and well-being of students and the public.
