As the Ondo state governorship election is getting closer, various reports have shown that the National leaders of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) led by Comrade Danielson Bamidele Akpan have endorsed the governor of the state, Rotimi Akeredolu for second term.
AMILOADED recalled that the National President and some other NANS leaders shunned students’ nationwide protest on Wednesday to visit the Ondo Governor.
The students who protested in Abuja at the Ministry of Education under the umbrellas of National Association of University Students (NAUS), National Association Of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) and National Association of Nigerian Colleges of Education (NANCES) demanded for immediate reopening of schools.
While they were protesting, the National President, former NANS Senate President, Olalekan Smart Edward and others were at the Governor’s office at Alagbaka in Akure and declare support for the Governor for his second term.
Our correspondent learnt that the National NANS leaders led by its President have been in the state for three days, where they have embarked on inspection and monitoring of the Governor’s projects.
Speaking, the former Senate President of NANS, Olalekan Smart Edward said Governor Akeredolu’s projects are speaking for him within and outside the state.
He said: “Your projects are speaking for you. President Buhari has commendations for you. APC has commendations for you. Outsiders have commendations for you. And we agree that there must be consistency in development. Governor Akeredolu is doing well.”
In his remarks, the NANS President, Comrade Danielson Bamidele said the national delegation of the student body has been in the state for three days for inspection and monitoring of the Akeredolu administration projects, adding that the Governor has done creditably well.
He described the road projects executed by the Akeredolu administration as quality, stressing that that Governor has embarked on enduring projects.
The NANS President appreciated Governor Akeredolu for his interventions at the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa (OAUSTECH) which he said, has turned the school around for good.
He equally appealed to the Governor to reconsider the tuition payable in the state-owned institutions in the state.
Responding, Governor Akeredolu who said students are important to his administration, disclosed that he had instructed his team to find out the tuition payable in other state-owned institution so as to know what step to take on the reduction of tuition in the state.
He said: “Students are important to us. It will take all of us to sit down to have this discussion about tuition. It’s not a discussion of the deaf. All of us will be hearing. A time when you go to Abuja and take N9 million as against when you go to Abuja now and get far less and you have to pay salary.
“Unlike somebody that decided not to pay for seven months. I met seven-months’ salary arrears and I have paid six. So I prioritized the workers’ welfare. We shore up our IGR to spend more on infrastructure. I note what you have raised on this issue of fee.
“At my last meeting, I have said let me have where they are paying less than what we charge here. What we found out was that for those newly admitted, we still charge the lowest in tuition but for the second year and all, we have state owned institutions that charge lesser then us. And if not for this issue of Covid, we have decided to reduce it. We will reduce it.
“It’s not a matter for political gains. I know by the time we announce it they will turn it to political gains. We will make sure that by next week we make the announcement on the fee.”
Meanwhile, when our correspondent put a call on Saturday morning to Danielson to further confirm from him if the NANS National has endorsed Governor, he picked the call but when he noticed it was the voice of our correspondent, he hanged the call immediately.
Efforts to speak with him further prove abortive as he continuously hanged the call of our correspondent.
Leave a Reply