NANS Issues 2 Weeks Ultimatum To FG, UNIMAID To Reverse Registration Increment
By Madu Mohammed, , Maiduguri
The National Association of the Nigerian Students ( NANS) has given the Federal Government and the University authorities, especially University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) to reversed the increment on registration charges/fees or they would embark on massive non violence protest nation wide.
It could be recalled that University of Maiduguri Governing council in its 157 meeting held on Thursday held on 1at December, 2022 approved the review of registration charges for both postgraduate and under graduate students if the university.
Addressing world press Conference at the NUJ press centre, Maiduguri on Thursday, the National Vice President of the NANS, Comrade Suleiman Sarki urged the Shehu of Borno, traditional and religious leaders, philanthropist, and other well meaning individuals to intervention for the universities, especially UNIMAID to reverse the registration charges.
“With the 150 percent increment on the registration charges,, over 90 percent of students cannot afford to pay, which will lead to many students to be drop out and will invertible increase the number of crime”, added.
The Vice President said ” as we implore all Universities students not to proceed on the payment of the new registration charges and await the outcome of NANS strategic action plan, may we call across the country on all elderly statesmen, relevant stakeholders in the educational sector, traditional leaders, ulamas and priests to please intervene by prevailing on the Governing Council of all Nigerian Universities especially in Northeast zone to rescind their decision as NANS shall not hesitate to stage a mother of all protest against this decision”
As they embarks on consultations, consolidation and confrontation , Comrade Sarki said we are strongly hopeful that in Sha Allahu wahda, the new increase on the registration charges will not see the light of the day, we wish to urge all donor agencies rendering -humanitarian services across the Northeast zone to please extend their hands of humanity to our teeming students,”.
Sarki said I”t was pointed that top ten most literate nations in the world are at peace, while almost all of the top ten least literate nations in the world are in a state of either outright war or general insecurity from the foregoing, it is neither exaggeration nor understatement to say that the higher a nation attains education, the stronger the nation’s security. Hence, education contributes to the security of the Nation””
“Immediately after ASUU call-off its eighth months hold of service, Nigerian students wake up every day to surprisingly receive the news of sudden fee and other charges increment by Nigerian Universities, a decision which was kicked and totally condemned by leadership of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) especially the one of the Universities in Northeast, From their reasons for the action, that laboratories decay and rising costs of teaching and learning materials promulgated the increment, which birthed a unanimous resolution of the various Universities’ governing council, according to them, the new increment charges will ensure improved service delivery and quality of teaching” the NANS said.
The NANS Vice president further said ” the recent hike in registration charges by some Nigerian universities does not only come to us as a surprise but as an affront to the war against insurgency, banditry and kidnapping, such that students who are unable to pay the new fee might end up becoming drop out and this will add to the rising number of youth restiveness in the Nigeria and which may also in return increase the number of insurgents, bandits and kidnappers with fresh and dangerous intellectual school dropout due to university registration charges increment that they cannot afford i as a returning student from one of Universities in Northeast”
“I know that I cannot afford to pay the new registration charges. Therefore, the last thing that may happen to me is to quit my studies. By such, God forbid, many students may be tempted to aggressively and angrily join the team of insurgents, bandits or kidnappers as such, I want to let the whole world know before it is too late, that thousands of Nigerian university students may end up joining one of the above mentioned criminal sects,,” he further explained.
He said ” if government did not intervene to rescind the universities’ governing councils on the charges increment at this gesture, we are calling and urging the tycoons around the globe and international communities, to please rescue our universities from being collapsed, as the Nigerian government has no intention to prioritize the nation’s education as we implore all Universities students not to proceed on the payment of the new registration charges and await the outcome of NANS strategic action plan, may we call across the country on all elderly statesmen, relevant stakeholders in the educational sector, traditional leaders, ulamas and priests to please intervene by prevailing on the Governing Council of all Nigerian Universities especially in Northeast zone to rescind their decision as NANS shall not hesitate to stage a mother of all protest against this decision.