Niger State Concerned Students (NISCS) has distanced itself from the purported endorsement of the Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello’s re-election bid.
The union made this known in a statement signed by its Chairman, Comrade comrade Moh’d Yusuf.
The group maintained that as the constituted umbrella for all Niger State students saddled with the responsibilities of advocacy and engagements on students matters and affairs with members within Nigeria and the diaspora, the leaders would not allow the body to be dragged into partisan politics.
The statement reads in part; “Information at our disposal indicate that there is a strong plot by the government in collaboration with some faction of imposters that are parading themselves as officials of our noble Union. We are aware that these imposters have received huge amount of money for the endorsement of the re-election bid of the incumbent in Niger State.
“We will NOT sit back and watch this kangaroo endorsement to damage the image of the Union. The Student Union body is apolitical, and even where such a decision were to happen only a legitimate Congress shall convene to decide,” the statement read.
“As leaders of this noble Union, it is with great concern and of importance that we issue out a public statement on the plot to drag this pristine Body into partisan politics, contrary to the aims and objectives of the Union.
“Niger State Concerned Students (NISCS) warned that the union will not tolerate the continuous muzzling by the government through it aides and members of the State Executive Council. Entrenching infractions and gross violation of the Constitution and throwing NISCS into unending crisis of legality and legitimacy of leadership.” It further alleged
“In an attempt to occupy the Institution, government in Niger State have since supported a defacto leadership. the frantic attempt to enforce the name of the institution in a wasteful endorsement of an administration whose image has been laundered on the altar of bad governance, undemocratic culture, and misplaced priorities is a pointer to the key actors of the lingering unrest in NISCS.
“There are congent reasons why an endorsement as solicited by the incumbent administration in Niger State is cannot be granted in a hurry-if contemplated at all.
“The reasons will include the following:
“The administration of student scholarship scheme a legacy of past administrations in the state which had been a source of support to many students in time past in the state had been sabotaged by Gov. Abubakar Sani Bello with no pallative whatsoever. This has led to a sharp under-development of the nation’s future human capital in the state and sent frustrated youths engaged in various forms of social vices.
“The increment in the tuition fee for non-indigenes students of higher institutions of learning within the state is high and its affecting a lot of young people from pursuing their education, which the body is highly against.”
“The monthly subvention that allowed for the smooth running of the Students body have in the past years of this administration been always diverted to strangle the organisation and keep it out of issues of governance on education and students welfare. We remember how with great difficulty the organisation laboured to evacuate students schooling in localities that had suffered banditry and other forms of violence with no significant contribution from the State government who had remained indifferent to the needs of the affected students.”
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