National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Olatunde Oluwasola
The National Association of Nigerian Students has warned against plans to stop its protests.
Recall that the Department of State Security recently said some politicians are planning to mobilise Student leaders to stage violent protest across the state.
However, NANS in a statement its National PRO, Giwa Temitope on Tuesday, stated that any act to stop the apex student body from protesting is an infringement on citizens right.
The statement read, “We read with utter displeasure a statement issued by the Department of State Security through their spokesperson alleging of a plot by some politicians to mobilise students leaders for protest as regards the terrible socio-economic conditions the country has been plunged into.
“In the statement, the DSS was making efforts to deter students from joining protest which is an inalienable rights of everyone. As a matter of fact, it is internationally recognised domesticated with the provision of Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) which provides for right to peaceful assembly and association. Students, and, indeed the Nigerian people must be free at all time to protest whatever they might tag misgovernance of the affairs of the country.
“It is quite embarrassing that the DSS has derailed to the propaganda arm of the Federal Government whereby they raises false alarms and even pokenose in affairs that does not in anyway relate to their line of profession. It is indeed saddening that the DSS is today a poster child of unprofessionalism. But, it is not a strange trend.
“As an association, we maintain that we are not satisfied with how the Nigerian society is being run most especially as regards arbitrary fee increment across our tertiary institutions with University of Lagos being a model. Indeed, the failure of the management of the University of Lagos to honour the agreements reached at the meeting with them on Wednesday, August 2nd where they agreed to crash the new fee structure and refund students that have paid such has forced the National leadership of the association to fix a date of action at the University of Lagos for September 6th and the protest shall hold till the management reverses the hike.
“And, as against the propaganda being spread around by the Police authority in Lagos for some sort of permit before a protest could hold. It shows lack of understanding of the Nigerian law by the rank and file of officers in the Lagos State Command most especially the highest hierarchy there.
“Students are therefore enjoined to come out en masse and join in the protest for the immediate reversal of fee at the University of Lagos.”
