FCE Akoka Students Tackle NANS Over Attack On Management, Alleged Neglect

The president of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka in Lagos, has dismissed the Joint Campus Council (JCC) of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) ‘s claim that the institution is on autopilot.

In a reaction to the allegations, the school’s SUG president, Comrade Junaid Michael, said the claim that the welfare of the students had been neglected was misleading and false.

Michael said the content of the recent press release credited to the leadership of the JCC of NANS, Lagos Axis, dated Monday, April 29, 2025, and signed by its chairman, Comrade Abdul-Raheem Abdul-Quadri, and public relations officer, Comrade Ridwan Ajayi, was far from the truth.

He said the statement, which claimed a deliberate snub by the college’s management and painted an exaggerated picture of leadership failure and neglect on the campus, was not only misleading but “deeply unfortunate, unfounded and unpatriotic.”

The SUG president said it misrepresented the events that transpired and ignored the protocols that govern the operations of any academic institution.

Michael said on the aforementioned date, the NANS JCC Lagos entourage, under the leadership of its chairman, “paid a courtesy visit to our institution. As a responsible union, the Students’ Union Government, under my leadership, warmly received the team.

“After our lengthy and frank discussions, the chairman of NANS JCC made a request for an audience with the dean of Student Affairs and the acting provost of the college.

“It is important to categorically state that I informed the NANS chairman that, in line with institutional protocol, such a request must be formally submitted through the Office of the Students’ Union President to enable proper communication with the said officials.

“This is not an arbitrary procedure – it is the standard administrative channel for engagement, especially in a federal institution governed by clear rules and due process.

“Out of courtesy and magnanimity, I personally assured the chairman that upon receipt of the formal letter, my office would facilitate and expedite the meeting with the acting provost and dean of Student Affairs.

“Sadly, and to my utter dismay, no such letter has been submitted to my office to date. It is therefore shocking and disingenuous for the NANS JCC Lagos leadership to go to the press to claim they were deliberately snubbed,” he said.

Michael said that while it is true that the institution has faced challenges, as is common with many public institutions across the country, it is false and malicious to state that the school is running on autopilot or that the welfare of students has been abandoned.

He said the current management, in collaboration with the SUG, had taken steps to address them, including safety, academic scheduling, and welfare.

“According to him, it is disappointing that a body that claims to represent the interests of Nigerian students would stoop so low as to politicise and weaponise internal challenges for cheap publicity and relevance.

“The welfare of students should never be used as a bargaining chip in a game of false narratives and reckless rhetoric.

“This remains the reason we are urgently calling on the federal government and our college governing council to put a final closure to the issues that caused the last crisis in the college, so that the process of appointment of a new provost can commence.”

Michael cautioned NANS to stop distorting facts under the guise of activism.

“Let it be known henceforth that while the Students’ Union Government of FCE(T) Akoka remains committed to engaging with credible, transparent, and development-focused student bodies, we shall not tolerate any attempt – by any individual or group— to bypass protocol, distort facts, or bring disrepute to our institution under the guise of activism.

“If the leadership of NANS JCC Lagos wishes to genuinely engage with our college administration or the student leadership, it must do so with respect, orderliness, and compliance with due process.

“Any further attempts to defame the image of our college, or to make unfounded claims to the media without exhausting legitimate channels, will be met with stern resistance,” Michael warned.