The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has given the Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu a 14-day ultimatum to recall the 13 vice chancellors, who were sacked by the Federal Government in February.
NANS National President Comrade Tijani Usman Shehu, in a letter to the minister, dated April 27, explained that the ultimatum became necessary following failure of the minister to take advantage of the window of opportunities provided by students to resolve the issue amicably.
In the letter, entitled: “NANS Demands Immediate Reinstatement of the Vice Chancellors of 13 Federal Universities Within 14 Days,” the students described the alleged refusal of the minister to reinstate the sacked vice chancellors as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari as nothing but “a bald-faced attempt to politicise our universities and arrest academic progression by the jugular and we have vowed to resist this.”
The students stated that having appealed to the minster’s conscience and reasoning, “you (minister) will heed our call for the reinstatement of the sacked 13 vice chancellors within 14 days of this notice or face the full wrath of Nigerian students.”
Failure to heed their demands, NANS warned that this would be interpreted as an “invitation for the The students said they are perplexed and deeply perturbed by the minister for defying the voice of stakeholders in the sector as well as the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari by vehemently refusing to do the needful, noting that, “Your actions at this juncture in sticking to your guns on the sack of the Vice Chancellors make the perception clearer that you took all these actions to favour your personal interests.”
NANS reminded the minster that most developed countries of the world were able to achieve that feat because they did not mix politics with the issue of education.
Describing the sack of the 13 Vice Chancellors as unilateral and unconstitutional, the students noted that the action is unhealthy for the Nigerian educational system.
students to occupy your office and demand your resignation.” The Nation
