Nigerian student groups shelve planned protest, dissociate from #Endbadgovernance agitation

Some groups of students under the umbrella of the Joint National Leadership of Nigerian Students claimed to be representing students’ associations across tertiary institutions have announced the postponement of their earlier scheduled protest against high cost of living in the country.

The group, which claims to represent the national leadership of the National Association of University Students (NAUS), National Associations of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) and the National Association of Nigerian Colleges of Education Students (NANCES), also distanced itself from the planned #EndBadGovernance protest scheduled to hold between 1 and 10 August.

“This postponement also comes with a dissociation of the associations from the 10-day protest being organised, with a call for all the tertiary institutions’ students to stay away from the protest,” the group said in a statement jointly signed by the National President of NAUS, Obaji Marshal; National President of NAPS, Ridwan Munirudeen; and the National President of NANCES, Eegunjobi Oluwaseun.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has also dissociated itself from the #EndBadGovernance protest.

Speaking on Friday during a meeting with the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, a professor, NANS president, Lucky Emonefe, said the Nigerian students were no longer part of the proposed protest.

Unions’ position

In the joint statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES, leaders of the three student bodies said they had initially planned to embark on a peaceful protest to draw government attention to the economic hardship and the rising cost of living in the country which they claimed had affected Nigerian students.

The statement reads in part: “We are aware of our rights as enshrined in the 1999 constitution, and have chosen to proceed towards exercising them very shortly.

“The present economic quagmire occasioned by the rising cost of living, hike in cost of commodities, hike in petroleum price, hike in electricity tariff, insecurity, poor funding of our institutions which presently affects more than 80 per cent of the population in the country, is felt most by young Nigerians studying for various academic qualifications across tertiary institutions.”

However, the student leaders said since their announcement of the planned protest they had received concerns from relevant stakeholders, leading to ‘marathon consultations’ with stakeholders including government officials and other well-meaning Nigerians.

The statement noted that the consultations “have offered assurances of quick action to the demands made”.

The group also noted that the security agencies had expressed concerns that it might be dangerous leading protests at this time as it could be hijacked.

It said it considered the significance of a nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest, which it noted could not be linked to a particular group, and following the concerns raised by critical stakeholders, especially the security operatives, it would not want to be mistaken for being behind the nationwide protest.

“For emphasis, the joint Leadership calls off its protest, and postpones it till further notice, while engagements and consultations would continue with the government, stakeholders and the association,” the statement added.

Protest

Young Nigerians have vowed to commence a nationwide 10-day protest from 1 to 10 August to demand economic and political reforms, especially the high cost of living.

As part of efforts to address the concerns, President Bola Tinubu has met with various stakeholders including traditional and religious leaders.

There have also been calls for restraint in some quarters, as the ssecurity agencies warn protesters not to go overboard and that they should prevent the protests from turning violent.

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The police have also asked leaders of the protests to submit their details to the police commissioners in their respective states.

On Saturday, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, met with the commanders of the mobile police formations across the country to discuss strategies to be deployed in the face of the defiant position of the youths.