NANS; Once Upon An Association -By Kareem Itunu Azeez

A Few weeks ago, National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS) had presented an award to the YABATECH rector, Engr. Obafemi Omokungbe, they were nine delegates, assumed students representatives, in an environment where Student Unionism isn’t allowed, where the thriving of students mouthpiece and representation has being disbanded, yet some set went there to present an award, with the tag, “UNANIMOUSLY” selected.

Well, like all facet of Nigeria system, everything seems rotten from within, Now NANS also is part of it, now do you still wonder why the recently suspended strike lasted a newborn baby, and many future are also dwindled along the line.

In Nigeria, where all post are intertwined, one can hardly remove the wheat from the shaft, or even impossible, this is so because all activism today in Nigeria, have being handicapped into the corrupt political realm, little wonder you realize even today’s youths are no different from those scooping their futures and the ones upcoming for the sake of their own greed.

Usually I would succumb to the fact that age is not usually a necessity to elect leaders, however, for the survival of Students unionism and for it to grow to what it is expected as a voice of the Nigerian youths. But it baffles me if a 45 years old individual is the representatives of the Nigerian students, through an election that was marred by violence, hooliganism, and vandalism, which is now becoming a norm in the society we live in. Now if students, “Proposed” future leaders are not getting their acts right, then of what essence is the existence of the group.

Today’s NANS, is all about trying to get political connections, and be useful tomorrow for their selfish interest, this is not to forget the grassroot levels, the various SUG of every university, and even here in my school, where a speaker elected to represent the students interest becomes so arrogant to answer simple questions concerning what the association is doing per the sudden increment in school fees, well that is for another day, but in reality the truth and my conclusion remains they are just following the tracks of those ahead of them, they are all there for their personal gains.

Mr Asefon, though I hold no grudges against the newly elected president, but if he must save the NANS, and his face irrespective of whatever age he is, now is the time to eschew and filter the dirt which recent NANS has being used to clean now. Just like Kene Obiezu has written sometimes ago, to the Guardian about NANS and its new president, he said

-”Asefon has not been elected a government official. But if he can provide visionary leadership, NANS can rebuild its badly depleted credibility and again offer a powerful platform to Nigerian students. NANS can raise its voice in holding the government to account and opening up the civic space. It can force better conditions for Nigerian students who crucially will supply the next crop of Nigeria’s leaders”.

The system of Education in Nigeria, is an angle the NANS could have waved in, instead of waiting for issues to lead to strikes and lead to endless drags the shortly suspended strike will definitely return, this is just a simple fact considering the fact that today’s government will not fulfil its promise to the parties involved, secondly, ASUU on the hand will not waiver about the continuation of the strike, this is evidently clear because they don’t have their ward or children in most Nigerian government Universities, so it is pointless to them if you stay at home for another year or two. Tell me, isn’t it clears enough the future of education in Nigeria truly doomed. But things yet again could have being different if we have a functional NANS.

Whether or not this changes will be evident as quickly as possible, time will tell, but fast as possible too. Because the NANS that produce great freedom fighters is now the same one producing all this political jobbers who have lost the primary focus of its creation.