The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have disagreed with the assertion by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that Federal Government’s student loan scheme would keep the beneficiaries perpetually indebted.
ASUU had also argued after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa that the initiative would not allow universities to have enough funds to function effectively.
But, NANS said that contrary to ASUU’s assertions, the scheme represents a ray of hope for many students, especially those facing financial hardship.
It therefore advised the umbrella boy of university teachers not to interfere in the implementation of the scheme that would provide a ‘nobody’ access to higher education.
“If ASUU has any genuine concerns or reservations about the programme, it should address them openly and transparently. It is time for ASUU to prioritise the interests of students and support initiatives that will benefit the entire student community,” NANS Senate President Akinteye Babatunde, told The Nation yesterday.
Babatunde said it was disheartening for ASUU to oppose a programme dedicated to providing much-needed relief to countless students.
“ASUU’s attempts to speak on behalf of students regarding the Student Loan Programme are unwarranted and unacceptable. Students are perfectly capable of voicing their own opinions and advocating for their own interests. ASUU should not speak for students without consulting them directly,” he added.
ASUU had after its NEC meeting said it was sceptical of the loan scheme because similar ones in better-managed economies failed.
It wondered why the initiative would succeed in a clime where corruption, nepotism and other unsavoury tendencies killed the Education Bank project after over five years of its existence.
The union stressed that if state and federal governments truly wanted to invest in the lives of Nigerian students, grants and scholarships should be made available to them while the Needs-Based Budgeting System should be restored to the university system for greater efficiency.
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