NANS Leadership Says No Clean Bill of Health For Dogara

Comrade Chinonso Obasi

The President of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has disassociated himself and his association from the activities of some student leaders who recently gave the Speaker of the House of Representatives , Hon. Yakubu Dogara a clean bill of health over the accusation of budget paddingwhich is currently tearing the legislative house apart.

Speaking exclusively to The Authority in Abuja, Comrade Chinonso Obasi, the NANS  president described as shameful and disgraceful a statement which was attributed to one Habib Salau, who claims to be the   chairman, NANS coordinators Forum, and signed by coordinators of its blocks of Zone A, Zone B, and Zone C, and which sought to defend the embattled speaker, whom they described as having placed high premium on masses-oriented legislations and inclusive governance.

The statement which the leadership of NANS told our correspondent was both unauthorized and illegal, had said, among other things that, “as we critically examine  the kernel of the matter, it recurs in very lucid terms that honorable speaker  Yakubu Dogara has remained in the forefront of the anti-corruption war being   waged   by   the   President   Muhammadu   Buhari   led   rescue government.

The statement had also claimed that, “It still remains fresh in our collective memories that the Speaker Dogara came out in clear and unmistakable terms to condemn acts of corruption, going a step further in exposing the antics and tactics of corrupt individuals. Yakubu Dogara deserves an excellent rating to the extent that the anti-corruption  crusade is concerned and only the prejudiced or ill-intentioned will turn around to accuse him of corruption where no evidence of such exists.”

The NANS president, who was accompanied by some members of his team to our office , on 9th August 2016, said that the students body which was trying to make the association  to toe the line of probity and transparency, in line with the anti-corruption stance and philosophy of the Buhari's administration, was ashamed that any student or youth leader would publicly or secretly identify with the demeaning allegation which has been   described as despicable by all the segments of the society.

According  to Comrade  Obasi,  at  this time   when  the youths  of this  country should be hankering their leaders with principles who have  the  capacity to bring   about   a   new   Nigeria   of   which   the   youths   would   be   the   greatest beneficiaries, it  is  a  big disappointment that  any youth that  claims to be a leader or aspires to leadership, should identify with any person or persons who being accused of such heinous infractions against the long-suffering masses of the people. 

For the NANS president, ” At a time when our once viral economy is going into recession, despite our huge resources in terms of human and material wealth,when salaries of workers are not paid and some states are contemplating the reduction of their workforce, in order to afford payment of salaries, it is ignoble and insensitive for anyone who calls himself a youth leader to say the least, the zonal leadership of our noble association, to pass a vote of confidence on those accused of budget padding for pecuniary gains and stipends”.

The NANS leadership who alleged that it was approached to perform what itdescribed   as   ‘this   shameful   and   despicable   act’   but   had   turned   down   theovertures, alleging that it was the same bait that the so called student leadershad   swallowed,   without   considering   the   amount   of   disrepute   they   were bringing the students who they are leading.“

For   the   present   leadership   of   NANS”,   Comrade   Obasi   said,   “integrity   iseverything and we will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to re-orientate the students and other youths along the line of bringing back the cherishedvalues   of   honesty   of   purpose   and   integrity   in   public   life,  in tune with the aspirations of the present administration”. 

Comrade Chinonso Obasi who was a   member of the last National Constitutional  Conference   as   a   representative of the   youths   said   that   his association supports   and   backs   President   Muhammadu   Buhari   in   his   anti-corruption campaign   and   will   embark   of   nationwide campaigns   and programmes to mobilize support for the president’s anti-corruption fight.

“ Because NANS is no longer “business as usual” and we will not be subornedinto becoming anybody’s bulldog or appendage for cheap monetary benefits,the National Leadership of NANS hereby uses this medium to disassociate our association from this disgraceful and unsanctioned act of ignominy, while the Senate and Congress of NANS under the auspices of the legitimate Presidents of the various Student Union   Governments will take appropriate steps to  sanction the erring officers that had, without   regards for   constituted authority, rubbed our  worthy  name in  the  mud  of  corruption”,  the  NANS president  stated.