The South West Zone of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has dismissed media report linking it to a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.
The NANS Zone D, which said it did not author any petition against Gov Abiodun as published in one of the major newspapers in the country, warned against the use of the association’s name for political propaganda.
This is contained in a statement jointly signed by Com. Adegboye Olatunji (Teejay), South-West coordinator; Com. Kehinde Damilola (DaOsmos) Chairman, NANS Ogun; Com. Olusesi Tolulope (HOT)
Chairman, NANS Lagos; Com. Omotosho Surprise, Chairman, NANS Ondo and Com. Adeleke Qaudri Abidemi (Asiwaju)
Chairman, NANS Oyo, which was obtained by The AUTHORITY on Wednesday.
It reads : “This Press Statement is released by the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), South West (Zone D) to address and correct the misrepresentation of our stance in a publication of the Punch online platform where one of their reporters reported that NANS Zone wrote a petition to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the Governor of Ogun state, Prince Dr Dapo Abiodun.
“This is a total misrepresentation of the NANS Zone D position as such paper could not have emanated from us. We have no reason to write any petition against the Governor, hence, the petition should be considered baseless and lacking credibility.
” We found it as a ridiculous blackmail that the report of Punch on the baseless petition attached to our association name (NANS Zone D) was co-signed by two unscrupulous elements (sic) who both claim to be NANS PRO and Senate President respectively. These two names are not known officially by the Association and it can only mean they are a set of political jobbers using NANS to carry out their unscrupulous practices for pay as they are not Students of any Higher Institution in Nigeria.
“This is also a challenge to Punch and other media platform to always verify the personality of person to avoid such erroneous reports like this.
” It is important that we mention that on many occasions we have received calls and offers from ex student leaders and some other persons aligning with the political opponents of Prince Dapo Abiodun to help them use the noble name of NANS to carry out this blackmail as the authentic student leaders in the South West with different promises to pay us handsomely.
“But we have refused to be bought over, hence their resort to using some unscrupulous persons. Should we have anything with the Governor, it will be on principled and objective demands in the general interests of our members and not for irrational deals with some politicians.
“We wish to state categorically that as the leadership of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the South West (Zone D) and Ogun state in particular, we are pleased with the progressive way and manner in which Governor Dapo Abiodun has been governing and conducting the affairs of Ogun State with a special reference to rate of Industrial Revolution and the improvement in the Standard of Education in the State which was nothing to write home about at the assumption of office by Prince Dapo Abiodun as the Executive Governor of Ogun State.
“As the genuine student leaders of the Association, we wish to advise all students to desist from making themselves available for political propaganda by politicians and rather invest their time in productive venture. How can someone who claim to be a Student leaders be less concerned about how to resolve the on-going ASUU strike but jump at the call of any frustrated politician to be used as agent of political propaganda and blackmail?
“It is ridiculous that this set of jobless youths who claim to be Student leaders tagging a committed Governor with different names are nothing but sponsored blackmailers, doing the bid of their paymasters and political adventurers in Ogun State. As the leadership of the NANS Zone D, we wants to reiterate that these impostors are unknown to us either as members of NANS Zone D or as Executive Members in our Zone.
“We hereby make a demand that the defamatory and impersonating report be withdrawn from the PUNCH online platform within the next 12 hours with an apology to National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Zone D leadership and the Editor in Chief of the Punch should subject the reporter to investigation.”
