By Adesina Wahab
The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has said no student association has been sidelined and that it has not breached any protocol in its membership of the JAMB Committee on Life Skills and Critical Thinking.
A statement on Sunday by the National President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, the association also cautioned sister unions against spreading misinformation and jurisdictional overreach.
“My attention has been drawn to a press statement currently in circulation from the leadership of NAUS, NAPS and NANCES, calling out the JAMB authorities over the constitution of the Committee on Life Skills and Critical Thinking.
“At the outset, it is pertinent to set the record straight on the activities, segregation of powers, jurisdictions and limitations of all sister unions. To be clear, NANS remains the mother body for all sister unions, the apex representative body representing Nigerian students, and the umbrella body unifying all student structures both within Nigeria and in the diaspora.
“From this point forward, it is imperative that all sister unions be properly guided, informed and educated on the range of their scope and activities. While each sister union has its autonomy, they also have their respective jurisdictions and limitations when it comes to acting on and addressing issues bothering on the welfare and representation of Nigerian students as a whole.
“Therefore, all sister unions must come to terms with the fact that it is not within their purview to address issues that affect the general student populace. The activities of NAUS are limited to university students, those of NAPS are limited to polytechnic students, and similarly, the activities of NANCES are limited to colleges of education. Thus, sister unions can only be involved in policy formulation and activities that are particular to institutions within their respective jurisdictions. Therefore, when it comes to matters, policy formulation and activities that involve the general student populace and are not peculiar to a particular institution, NANS is the apex representative body that covers and is responsible for such engagements.
“Contrary to the claims of the sister unions that no student body was carried along or represented, JAMB reached out to me in my capacity as the NANS President to be a part of the committee. For the avoidance of doubt, the student constituency was duly represented.
“On the day of the inauguration of the committee, I was away on other official assignments and, for that reason, the NANS Vice President, Special Duties, Comr. Ernest Nkereuwem, represented me at the event. To this end, I call on all sister unions to refrain from hurriedly addressing issues without prior fact-finding. I enjoin all sister unions to seek clarification before issuing press statements on issues bothering on the welfare and representation of the general student populace going forward.
“To this end, on behalf of the leadership of NANS, the apex student representative body and the umbrella body unifying all student structures, I apologize to the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, for any inconvenience the media outrage might have caused him. The student constituency was properly carried along, and we were fully involved and part of the process.
“NANS, as the apex student representative body and the umbrella body unifying all student structures both within Nigeria and in the diaspora, will continue to champion, support and advance initiatives, models and policies that address the welfare of Nigerian students.”
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