NANS wants review of students loan scheme

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has expressed worry over the student loan scheme, saying that it would leave students with the burden of paying debts.

NANS President, Comrade Pedro Obi, stated this during the association’s National Executive Council inauguration and handing over ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday.

Obi lauded the intentions of the loan scheme but said that it came with its own risks.

According to him, “It’s no longer news that President Tinubu has signed the Nigerian Student Loan Scheme into law, even though it was done without the representatives of NANS.

“Today, I will address shortly the critical issue of the Nigerian student loan, acknowledging its potential benefits but also highlighting the inherent dangers it poses to the education sector.

“While the loan scheme aims to provide financial support to students, we must also recognize the risks it carries, including the burden of debt on young graduates, the potential for exploitation by unscrupulous elements, and the widening gap in access to quality education.

“We must proceed with caution, ensuring that any loan program is accompanied by robust regulations and support mechanisms to safeguard the future of our students and the integrity of our education system.

“It must be noted, fundamentally, that this loan scheme shouldn’t be a clog in the wheel of adequate funding of critical infrastructures in our institutions.”

He affirmed his commitment to protecting the interests of Nigerian students and seeing to it that no one is oppressed.

According to him, “Today marks a pivotal moment in the history of our nation’s student movement. As I stand before you, deeply honored and profoundly humbled by the trust you have placed in me, I am filled with a sense of duty, purpose, and revolutionary fervour.

“For today, we embark on a journey that will redefine the very essence of our struggle. A struggle not just for the rights and welfare of Nigerian students, but for the liberation of our people from the shackles of oppression, exploitation, and injustice.”

During the handover, the outgone President of the NANS, Usman Umar Barambu, stated emphatically that Comrade Pedro Obi is the legitimate president of NANS.

He added that there is only one NANS and elections were conducted by the standards of the constitution of NANS, hence no other NANS exists.

According to him, “Let it be clear that we have one NANS. We conducted our elections by the constitution of the organization. As stipulated that the ASG should do accreditation, he did that and we have a new set of leadership. But some people are not happy with it, we don’t have a problem if they are not happy with it.

“I believe with the calibre of people that are here, Nigerian students are happy with the leadership. It is my duty to hand over to the legitimate president of NANS, who is Pedro Chibuzor Obi.

“Bola Ahmed Tinubu is our President today because they declared him winner and most importantly, Muhammadu Buhari handed over to him. We have a similar situation here in NANS. Pedro is the president of NANS and I’m handing over documents and assets of the organization.”

Pedro Obi

Barambu also presented to the association a coaster bus from TETFUND.

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