Full inaugural Speech: New NANS President, Lucky Emonefe Extends Hands Of Fellowship To Comr. Pedro Obi, Declares NANS is for the students interests alone

THE DAWN OF A GLORIOUS EPOCH

Being the inaugural Texts of the World Press Briefing of Comrade Lucky Emonefe, the newly elected President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) this day the 2nd of December, 2023 at Area 7, Garki Abuja.

Gentlemen of the Press, distinguished ladies and gentlemen.

Of the Greatest Nigerian Students!

You may recall that our great organization, the National Association of Nigerian Students went into a tediously competitive process of electing a new leadership. The process which started on Monday, the 27th of November, 2023 climaxed with my Election as the President of our dear Organization. Others members of the Executive and the leadership of the Senate were equally elected in the process.

Just as in a normal mass based democratic setting, where members abound with divergent political views, ours is no exception as manifested in the Convention Process.

Delegates were allowed to freely excercise their democratic preferences, the occasional skirmishes experienced notwithstanding. At the end of the operation, a winner must emerge. The beauty of democracy is that even in divergence still lie the unity and strength.

It is in this context that I express my hands of fellowship to other aspirants most especially Comrade Pedro Obi who lost in the Presidential race to join hands with me to take this our collosal revolutionary configuration to a desired glorious height.

Having said this, permit me to state the obvious that NANS under my leadership, in as much as will not be a rubber-stamp to Government decisions and policies, by the same token we shall not be used by any individual or groups to advance or achieve their nefarious agenda against the State. We shall closely monitor, analyse and scrutinize Government policies as they relate to general wellbeing of the students and greater welfare of the Nigerian citizenry before coming up with our position on governance.

Strictly speaking, our NANS is NANS for the students interests alone.

As a flow from the above, we hereby make a passionate appeal to Mr President to approve a National annual Bursary of N200, 000 to all Nigerian Students irrespective of their creed or tribe. This of course will act as pallaliative to cushion the effects of the hard economic situation occasioned by highly overdue economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Let me commend the proposed take off of the students loans scheme in January 2024. The NANS will like to be part of monitoring and supervisory body for the scheme to ensure strict compliance with the schemes’ terms and goals.

Without mincing words, the stoppage of the proposed remittance of 40% IGR of public owned tertiary institutions of learning to the Federal cover is another manifest of Mr President’s feelings correct gauging of the pulse of Nigerian Students and citizenry. The policy will no doubt have heavy toll and monumental pressure on wellbeing and survival of average Nigerian Students. Thank you, Mr President.

Lastly, like I said, the NANS will never shy away from it’s revolutionary responsibility of putting the Government in check when it is necessary. In the same spirit we shall not be validating any Groups or individuals to stop collaborating with the State on progressive students programs and policies. Thank you and God bless.

Lucky Emonefe
NANS PRESIDENT-ELECT