Where is the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Leadership?

By

Carlisle U.O. Umunnah

New York City

cuu1_liberties@yahoo.com

 

 

With recent developments jarring in our faces in the homeland, Nigeria and disturbingly its citizens in the Nigerian-Diaspora-communities around the world are wondering on what the way forward is for the enterprise. It is stunning to state the obvious, that nothing to the best of my knowledge, in recent memory, has been heard from the NANS in the “democratization” process that is currently taking root in Nigeria. The hard question asked, therefore, is where is NANS Nigeria and its leadership?

 

In the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s, and down to 90s, NANS was organizationally and operationally effective, efficient to the core, and, was the most feared and respected entity within the Nigerian body polity. When it comes to mobilization operations against societal-ills, military tyranny, national challenges, capacity building and capacity retentions programming[s], NANS, is indefensibly a force to you can count. Additionally, within the Nigerian civil society community, internationally and domestically, you cannot do without NANS organization and its operational mobilization grid-lock.  I am afraid, things seems to be on a downward spiral if not total collapse.  

 

According to records, for example, under the British Colonial rule, its fraudulent Constitutional amendments of the 20s, 40s, and 50s were respectively challenged by the Nigerian Students Union organization or Government, at the tertiary institutions -including colleges, poly-techniques, at the Federal and States level respectively, it also partnered with its familiar overseas operational grid-lock on Foreign affairs. As it were, its nomenclature was known as NUNS, meaning National Union of Nigerian Students, which, after it was proscribed or banned by Shehu Shargari Administration in the 80s under former Minister of Education, Ali, changed its name to NANS. Under Ali Must Go Campaign, NANS was the mobilization-nerve-center and conscience of the nation.

 

NANS, The National Association of Nigerian Students, in collaboration with local Students Union Governments [SUGs] was ubiquitously in any national matters as affects Nigerian masses. Make no mistakes, when it sneeze the nations catches cool.  

 

The dispensation of late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe through the NCNC and his West African Plot, in partnership, to some degree with late Chief Obafemi Owolowo, leader of Action Group [AG], Aminu Kano, Peoples Progressive, and others organized vehemently and fearlessly confronted and expelled the colonial regime in 1960. The actions of these great compatriots changed Nigeria political landscape in that era. In Ghana was the icon, late Kwame Nkrumah, in South African countries, Nelson Mandela, Kenneth Kaunda, Robert Mugabe and others - all Pan-Africans pulled resources together to free their countries from foreign dominance and control.

 

In London for example, the likes of Asiodu, Emeka Ojukwu and others had a-significant impart articulating for a free society within the nation’s polity. In 1963, Nigerian became a Republic freeing itself from Privy Council I London, terminating Head State status of Queen Elizabeth from its palace in Britain. Thereafter, Nigeria, under Tafawa Belewa – Prime Minister, in secretive chauvinistic machinations wanted to sign a military technical-pact with London, NUNS defeated that move through massive protest across the land. Fundamentally speaking, NUNS operat ions was unison, the NUNS leadership records of the 60s, show the likes  of  Sir GTG Toby and Echerue – all UNN trained were among the leadership that rejected the military pact.

 

Under the military authoritarianism from the 80s came with it challenges and difficulties, with its constraints, NANS, was there unfettered, confronted these national challenges unequivocally. This it did regardless military tactics of illegal massive arrests, massive secrete killings, massive secrete tortures, massive disappearances, and heavy handedness across the Republic. Yet, NANS remained action parked, equal to these tasks, difficulties.

 

NANS of course would be totally weak, ineffective without its local SUGs. The likes of Ogagaoghene Emerotowho Ifowodo and co at UNIBEN, the late Chima Ubani [May his soul rest in peace, Amen] and co at UNN and others operationally managed the Students Union secretariats in their respective premier institutions. Ile-Ife, Ibadan, UNILAG, ABU with their local leaderships was no no-nonsense platform for corruption and culpabilities.   

 

When Ibrahim Babangida, annulled the June 12 elections presumably believed won by MKO Abiola, in addition to other criminal decrees, NANS leadership met at Ekpoma State University in former Bendel State, sat and deliberated at the Senate meeting; it swiftly rolled out two weeks directives to the fed, demanding that Babangida/Abacha regime de-annulled the June 12, 1993, Presidential elections or NANS will make it ungovernable for their military totalitarianism. Then came the petrol hick by Abacha regime, NANS and human rights community, civil society and patriotic Nigerians, market women, old peoples massively protested Abacha’s regime that illegally took over from illegal Babangida’s puppet - Interim-Government led by Shonekon.  NANS responded accordingly.

 

As it were, across the land, NANS, in collaboration with local Student Union leaderships, at federal and states level, confronted Abacha’s illegal regime. At the national level NANS led by, Dennis Inyang, as President, NANS with its Ad-hoc mobilization team, mobilized itself, mobilized the nation and confronted the military authoritarianism and totalitarianism under late Abacha’s regime. NANS questioned the late Abacha’s illegitimate-criminal decrees, and other illegalities including massive corruption[s] at all level, while our people suffered and continued to suffer.

 

Conversely, in UNILAG, under Omoyele Sowore, President, UNILAG partnered with LASU, and effectively mobilized Lagos and its environs. This was the case across the country; ABU, Ibadan, UNICAL, FUTO, IMOSU, and Port Harcourt were on high alert.

 

At UNIBEN [NANS HQRS for National Mobilizations; NANS Chief Mobilization Officer [CMO], under severe military infiltration of its campuses, responded – also during mobilization operations, this operational mobilization nervous center also, served as base for Zone B Mobilization Chairman, Fetus Ukejeh.

 

DSU, UNIJOS, and others brought the Republic to a stand still, called it to order, pleaded, and demanded for accountability and responsibility and respect for the rule of law and respect for the constitution; NANS also demanded that the country allow the presumably, winner of the June 12 election, MKO Abiola, to govern according to the will of the people as displayed on June 12.   By 1995, NANS had a new fledging leadership, led by Ogunlana Oludare, which maintained all actionability.

 

The reason the writer is expanding on this political trajectory is because we have not heard from NANS since 2000 or so, and I am forced to ask hard questions as to the status of NANS and local students Union in Nigeria.

 

Of particularity, is, the recent grave and sad events this past weekend, everyday the suffering of Nigerian-masses is increasing, there is no end in sight and there is no specifics recourse in respect to planning and effective leadership in the land. NANS has not sent condolence letter to the Nigerian masses and its government on the recent grave air disaster. I stand to be corrected. And my question is why?

 

A plane crash with a staggering 117 persons’ on board perished. Then the passing away of President Obasanjo’s wife, First Lady, Stella Obasanjo, in Spain’s hospital and, a student of Nigerian decent, Olamide Adeyooye a senior in University  here in the United States, her body was found burned-out in chicken house in Mississippi, while missing in Illinois State, are very disturbing circumstances and no word from NANS. Shame.  

 

May their precious souls rest in perfect peace and may their families find the fortitude and strengths from God, to bear the irreparable loss, Amen. These and many other disturbing jarring circumstances, and there is neither communiqué from NANS nor anything from the local Students Union Government [SUGs] in this whole enterprise – Nigeria.  

 

Let there be no confusion, make no mistakes, we put squarely these incidents at the feet of the current administration for failing to effectively plan, effectively response to these incidences in a timely manner; and the lack of appropriate appropriations of resource allocation of national resources at the right urgent and immediate needs of Nigeria is appalling, for example depleting infrastructures like, roads, clean water, equipped hospitals and others makes it even troubling to comprehend. It is a shame.  

 

Lives could have been saved if our hospitals were refurbished and equipped, life of late comrade Chima Ubani could have been saved, if the roads were refurbished and paved; lives could have been saved if our Aviation Rescue Management Committee or Department were properly trained and equipped; lives could have been saved if this administration did its part, managed 2.5 million barrels of oil per day, transparently and responsibly, via massive capacity building and massive capacity retentions innovative initiatives for its teaming populations’ enjoyment and betterment.  

 

My question is what has become of NANS today? Who leads NANS today in Nigeria and what are SUGs actions and inactions on these disturbing national challenges and difficulties? 

 

We appeal to this administration: Federal, States and local governments, to show compassion, mercy and kindness to its dying masses, do something about electricity, do something about decaying learning institutions that have been hijacked by secrete societies and more in Nigeria, do something about quality rather quantitative intellectuals that are turned out each year, these and more are avoidable not inevitable circumstances.

 

It was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who once said, “True compassion is more than throwing a coin to a beggar. It demands of our humanity that if we live in society that produces beggars, we are morally commanded to restructure that society.” 

 

And, I will add that in a society that produces beggars, dropouts, corrupted mines, secrete-societies, half-baked graduates, and so forth, it demands its humanity, and morally commanded her to restructure that society. 

 

 

 

Has NANS being corrupted, compromised, betrayed, miffed, and hijacked by the fed, States and or Nigeria’s intelligence community to its demise? What has become of NANS and Nigerian Student Unions Government [SUGs] across the land?

 

Whatever happened to this great institution – NANS, and Students unionism in the homeland, remember that your future and my future are tied together and that our future is corrosively blink.

 

Remember, that you are the conscience of the nation, remember that posterity and history will not absolve you vacillate rather, posterity it will hold you responsible for your ineptitudes, will hold you accountable for betraying and failing the Republic. It will not forgive you if, you are a latecomer, a gatekeeper and a traitor of this enterprise – Nigeria.  

 

Wake up NANS and speak for the nation will listen - the time is come.

 

 

Carlisle U.O. Umunnah:  

 

Former NANS Chief Mobilization Officer 1993/94