Newly elected President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Pedro Chibuzo Obi, has said that the emergence of the new student leadership was a new dawn for Nigerian tertiary education students even as he said his campaign thrust of 3Cs – Capacity, Content and Competence – will be fully deployed in serving and protecting the interest of students.
Obi, a PhD student of Delta State University, Abaraka in Delta State, disclosed this on Saturday at a post-NANS National Convention press conference in Abuja.
He blamed Seyi Tinubu for the violence witnessed at the NANS Convention venue in Abuja, saying the son of the President abused his privilege by deploying security operatives to interfere with the activities of the student body in order to decide who becomes the NANS President.
“As you may recall, the NANS National Convention was slated for 27th – 30th November 2023 in Abuja and student leaders across Tertiary Institutions mobilised themselves to Abuja for elections of a new leadership.
unfortunately, and as you may have seen, certain individuals masquerading as government agents picked unnecessary interest in our organization to the extent of making strong attempts at forcefully imposing unpopular leaders against popular choices of the students.
“Many biases such as political party affiliation, closeness to corridor of power and subtleness of candidates were considered. However, the fierce resolve of student leaders who gathered frustrated these inimical attempts at hijacking the leadership of the organisation.
“The senators resisted imposition of Mr. Seyi Tinubu’s candidate who is not a known student of any Tertiary qInstitution in Nigeria.
“The Department of State Security (DSS) was excessively deployed for partisan roles working for Mr Seyi Tinubu to determine who should enter the venue and who should not, unleashing mayhem on comrades and genuine students leaders who did not align with their ungodly interest, against all odds, Nigerian Students resisted all the intimidations, and elected the new Leadership of our organization now led by me Comrade Pedro Obi, a PhD student of the Delta State University, Abraka.
“The convention is successfully over and as espoused in my campaign manifesto, it is a new dawn for the students. The 3 Cs, Capacity, Content and Competence which I promised to brodughr to bear will be fully deplored in serving and protecting the interest of Nigerian students.
“This administration shall strive to work with utmost intellectual sagacity in resolving challenges that may confront us. But we assure that we shall not be tools in individual’s hands at the detriment of students interest. Ours shall solely be tailored to restoring order, dignity and elimination of all Anti educational policies against the students, as we collaborate with Federal Government and Government at all levels to uplift the Nigeria educational sector.
“Let us at this junction call on the general public to give the necessary solidarity and support to the newly elected NANS President and his executives as we begin to consciously serve as the voice of the voiceless and genuinely defend the interest of Nigerian Students.
“Soonest, we shall have reasons to invite you again for the unveiling of our irreducible minimum agenda for the administrative year for which we have been elected.
“On behalf of my executives, I thank Nigerian Students for their resilience, confidence reposed in us and urge them to support us as we journey along to reposition our beloved organisation – NANS,” Obi stated.
