Students vow to shut down Nigeria from Sept 15

But how really is NANs of today?

By Ologeh Joseph Chibu

In a bold move, Nigerian students have vowed to shut down the country in efforts to force the Federal Government to stop ceaseless fuel hike.

The National Association of Nigerian Students,(NANs) promised shutdown of all major cities across the country, effective 15th September.

The protest is in response to the recent hike in fuel prices and the perceived gross incompetence of the Director General of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Meye Kyari and other officials.

The Nigerian central authority has increased fuel by 400 percent in the past one year with disruptive consequences on purchasing power, job and food security amidst hike in transport and energy cost leading to almost unprecedented misery.

The notification of this impending action was issued by NANs officials Senator Okunomo Henry Adewumi, the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). In the statement, Senator Adewumi expressed deep concern over the incessant increase in fuel prices, which he described as having brought “untold hardship to the masses.”

It is uncertain how effective the protest would be given the fact that NANs has largely lost its ideological strength and it’s leadership driven by personal gains unlike in the past when NANs commanded local and global respect.

Today, many NANs leaders themselves live flamboyant lifestyle,courtesy of the ruling class they are expected to confront in the first place while most threats of mass action have been used as bargaining chips for material gains.

NANs in recent years had taken reactionary positions against Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, (ASUU) and even rose against traditional allies like the Nigerian Labour Congress, (NLC)

The NANs leaders however emphasized that the students would no longer “stand idly by while our future is mortgaged by the actions of a few,” demanding an immediate reversal of the fuel price hike and the removal of Mr. Kyari from his position as the NNPC DG.

The statement called on all Nigerian students to join the nationwide protest to paralyze economic activities in major cities across the country.

“We shall not be silenced, and we shall not be intimidated. We shall rise in unison to demand a better deal for Nigerian students and the masses,” Adewumi declared.

The protest, NANs said is anticipated to be peaceful and lawful, as the students have urged relevant authorities to take necessary measures to maintain law and order during the shutdown. The notification was also copied to key security agencies, including the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigerian Armed Forces, as well as all state governors.