…includes vocational training institutions in student loan
…no indigent students will miss FG’s loan – Gbajabiamila
NOSA EGHAGHA
ABUJA Nigeria – President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday met with the leadership of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), at the Presidential Villa, even as he promised to intervene in the recent increase in tertiary institutions school fees hike.
The President has also directed that students in vocational training institutions should be included to assess students loan expected to commence in few weeks time.
Speaking to State House Correspondents, after meeting with President Tinubu, the NANS President, Lucky Emonefe, said that the delegation visited President Tinubu with some demands which included the delay in the implementation of the student loan, which was initially scheduled to take off from January, 2024.
According to Emonefe, other issues raised includes the hardship being faced by Nigerian students as a result of the economic meltdown and the hike in school fees by the management of various institutions in the country.
The NANS President said the President assured that he would wade into the fees hike to ensure that the arbitrary increase becomes a thing of the past.
“The leadership of NANS, led by my humble self, came to pay a visit to Mr. President, to see him, as the father of this country. So I led the delegation to visit him. We came, first, to thank him for the various educational policies that he has introduced; first is the students loan, he’s a lover of education and education is the bedrock.
“He equally released funds for intervention; UBEC and TETFund, given to students, because that is development of infrastructure. So we came in to thank Mr. President.
“It does not end there, the yearnings and the aspirations of Nigerian students, I came in to table them before Mr. President, including issues of hike in school fees and various other challenges; high cost of living for Nigerian students, what they are passing through, as a father who listens.
“I came to relate these things to Mr. President and Mr. President is accessible, he listened to us and he promised us he’s going to look into that, that he’s going to include more youths in his government, that we are the future leaders.
“He specifically said that he wants the student loan to work so that those who don’t have access to education…, that education is a right. So that is our reason of visiting. Mr. President and we know things will turn around for the better, soonest.
“So we’re conveying the message back to our students, that Mr. President will look into the challenges they are facing in various higher institutions and those higher institutions that are increasing school fees will put an end to it. So it is the challenge that Nigerian students are facing, we believe that the school fees hike will be a thing of the past.”
Asked whether he got any assurances from the President on the ultimatum the students body issued to government over the high cost of living and the complain that the students loan didn’t take off in January as planned, he said that Tinubu explained the reason behind the delay in the taking-off of the loan.
He said, “On the issue of the student loan, the little delay was the expansion. Mr. President expanded it for inclusion of some vocational training, which is highly commendable.
“In one or two weeks from now, the launching of the student loan will begin, that is as for the student loan, all steps have been put in place to commence it immediately and Mr. President will launch that. He has equally promised to include students in the process.
“On the issue of the hardship that we’re facing, Mr President didn’t give a specific time, but he said things will turn around soon and students will start feeling it. I think that was the response.”
Meanwhile, the Presidency said that the government was making frantic efforts to avert the planned strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
The Presidency also assured that no indigent students will be denied the government student loan to be launched in the next three weeks.
Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila disclosed the NANS leadership in his office at the State House, Abuja.
However, Gbajabiamila called on Nigerian students to speak up against voices condemning the Student Loan Funds policies saying the scheme is to ensure no student irrespective of their birth circumstances is deprived of quality education.
“There may be another looming ASUU strike, and we are trying to address that, we are looking at issues that concern ASUU, the impending strike and I believe we should be able to avert that as you have said earlier.
“We can always do our best to avert strikes such as this. Luckily, we have a President who is more than anybody determined that the days of strike are over and left behind. We are hoping to be able to avert the strikes”, he added.
The Chief of Staff affirmed the determination of President Bola Tinubu towards the successful take-off of the scheme adding that the program would be launched within the next few weeks.
“Mr President is determined that we see it through and see it through successfully. It was supposed to be launched in January but it is anything worth doing and it is worth doing well.
“We are hoping it will be launched in the next two to three weeks, we are trying to dot the I(s) and cross the T(s) before it is launched to ensure we have policies that cannot be faulted.”
He added that the student loan scheme, when successfully launched, will become part of the legacies of the present administration.
Gbajabiamila solicited the support of Nigerians to ensure that no indigent student, who is genuinely in need of the loan, is left behind.
“Now we are going to need you in the success of this policy because, generally, it is a well-received policy but there may be one or two segments of the society for the reason some people in some quarters may be kicking against it, this policy is for the Nigerian student, it is to make sure that no student is left behind when it comes to education.
“It is to make sure people are not deprived of their education just because of circumstances of their birth that itself is unconstitutional.
“Now that the child of indigent should not be deprived of what should be a right, not to make education a privilege but a right.
“So when voices speak up against it we expect you to rise for support, this is something that you all support, embrace and work towards its success”, he said.
The Chief of Staff also applauded youth representation on the Federal Executive Council saying the government is working on the establishment of a Youth Advisory Council that would advise the President on youth matters and other injunctions towards youth development.
