NANS Gives UNILAG 48 Hours To Reverse Increased School Fees

“Unfortunately, the VC, out of her sheer disregard for agreement decided not to honour the decision made at the meeting. Rather than do that, she entered into an unholy alliance with the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State to clampdown on student protest whereby some of our Comrades were injured and some including the National PRO of the association were arrested and taken to the Police headquarters, Lagos State Command.”

Stating its resolutions, NANS said, “As an association, we want to state for the umpteenth time that we are against repression in any form. We condemn the arrest and hereby state that;

“We acknowledge the directive of the federal government asking authorities of tertiary institutions to halt fee increments. However, we insist that the federal government must go beyond this lip service and address the challenge of underfunding education.

“The introduction of the Students Loan Act, and the insignificant budgetary allocation to education is a great indictment and casts great aspersion on the government’s resolve to confront the deteriorating state of our institutions.

“Accordingly, the management of the University of Lagos is hereby given 48 hours ultimatum to immediately reverse the fees as agreed upon and refund students who must have paid the astronomical fees.

“Consequently, all students Union Presidents, NANS leadership, and the Nigerian students are hereby put on notice to begin mobilizations. We shall be hitting the Unilag gates again. The Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Folasade Ogunshola said categorically that we can only protest for three days at the gate and leave. She dared the Nigerian students, called us weak, and insignificant. We will meet her at the barricades. The country is bleeding economically and education cannot be traded for illiteracy. It is our fundamental human rights to be educated.

“The Police authority must henceforth stop repression of students and people’s protest.

“(That) We warned all higher education and Unity Schools never to add a kobo to the school fees. This is why we will be elaborately campaigning on the #FeesMustFall!

“Finally, we thank all Nigerians who rose when we were arrested and shot at by the police. We especially love the level of solidarity and radical statements from our campuses most especially the Great Ife Students Union, the University of Ibadan Students’ Union amongst others. The Lagos JCC, NANS Zone D, Groups, and the entire civil society. This is a joy to the heart and a poser to the fact that a new student movement is rising collectively again!”