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The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has expressed its readiness to engage directly with President Bola Tinubu to address the contentious increase in the prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.
This was disclosed by the Secretary of NANS, David Bariereka, during an interview on Channels Television in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Amid rising tensions and growing public discontent, NANS has been actively seeking dialogue with major stakeholders in the petroleum industry, including notable businessman Aliko Dangote, oil marketers, and the Minister of State for Petroleum.
The student body aims to explore viable solutions that could mitigate the impact of the fuel price hike on the Nigerian populace.
The call for engagement with the president comes in the wake of NANS’ firm stance on proceeding with a planned nationwide protest, scheduled for September 15, 2024, in response to the recent fuel price adjustments.
According to Henry Okuomo, the Senate President of NANS, while appearing on Channels Television’s program ‘Sunrise Daily’ last Friday, the union is determined to hold the government accountable for the economic hardships exacerbated by these increases.
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.
The post NANS Ready To Meet Tinubu, Dialogue With Dangote, Oil Marketers, Lokpobiri On Petrol Price Hike appeared first on Naija News.
