THE leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has said it is ready to meet with President Bola Tinubu if need be, over its demand for the reversal of the recent increase in prices of Petrol Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol.
The Secretary of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), David Bariereka revealed this during an interview with News Point Nigeria in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to him, the student body is currently in discussion with key stakeholders in the petroleum industry, including businessman Aliko Dangote, oil marketers, and the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), to seek a solution that would alleviate the public’s burden.
The development comes after the student body insisted on going ahead with the planned nationwide protest against the increase in petrol price.
The group had earlier fixed September 15, 2024, for the nationwide strike.
The Senate President of the NANS, Henry Okuomo while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily last Friday, said the union was capable of holding the government accountable as it was not happy with the current hardship situation in the country.
He said, “We are not threatening a strike. That is what we are going to do because of the current situation of the country. Nigerians are currently facing a lot. We are facing hardship, and now, the government has increased fuel prices again. This has affected us as students. And as student leaders, we don’t have a choice now but to fight for the people.
“We are occupying one of the largest stakes in the country, having over 40 million Nigerian students in the country.
“With that, we think we should make our voice loud at this time to save the Nigerian people from this undue stress and suffering being put upon them by the government.
“We have determined that on the 15th of this month, no going back. We are hitting the street hard.
‘We are going to demand not only for a reduction in fuel price but for other things that are affecting the nation in general.
‘We are going to do it. We will hit the streets if the government does not reverse most of the hardship policies before then.”
The group earlier called for the removal of the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL), Mele Kyari.
However, in a new development, Bariereka urged students across the country to discountenance calls for a national protest.
He said the association is not yet mobilising for protest.
Bariereka, however, acknowledged the growing hardships faced by Nigerians due to the price increase.
He emphasised that the NANS leadership intends to exhaust all avenues of negotiation and engagement with relevant authorities before resorting to protests.
He expressed the association’s continued commitment to advocating for fair treatment of Nigerian students.
He also pointed out the success of their recent agitation against the electricity bill hike for Band A users, which he said led to the president’s appointment of a committee to explore the use of solar energy in Nigerian universities.
Bariereka urged Nigerian students to remain calm and await clear directives from the NANS national secretariat regarding the next course of action, in response to the fuel price hike.