NANS Is Sick and The President Is Confused; Don’t Take Him Serious By, Maxwell Adegbenro

NANS, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have had different presidents leading them cutting across zones. I have had an engagement with Past Leaders as a students and activist in Ekiti, Ogun, and Edo State. Cataloguing from Femi Osabinu, Lekan Soyombo, Jude Imagwe and all seems to have gotten it far fearer below the best the students movement can produce. NANS was birthed in 1980 as a successor to the National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS) has been terribly ill and in sequence abused, exploited, factionalized, and wickedly politicized. The emergence of Mr. Yinka Gbadebo a.k.a Ayefele was to be breather been the only President whose emergence was not marred by chaos and electoral discrepancies as the 26th president of NANS until the recent activities popular at the unfocused leadership is gradually becoming an embarrassment to the movement and the student, a mistake of history. Ayefele is of course a house hold name in student movement, having played the game with previous national leaders like Saddam and Nwoye. He was before now an utter example of student’s liberation leading and following rebellious policy of management and government to grave in his days at EKSU. Though, rusticated from the Ekiti State University (EKSU), for assaulting the University’s Vice Chancellor is currently a diploma student of Local Government Studies at the OAU. Thus, one would have expected him to take cognizance of the historicity of his emergence as NANS president. But nay, under the watchful eyes of Yinka Gbadebo as NANS president, the blood of innocent Nigerian students have been the root of his pride and fame with atavistic impunity. A historical foreclosure of events that characterized the last few months under the watchful eyes of a student Leader turned Politician may re-open a can of wounds and hatred against their national officers especially those that housed demanding worries for the future of Nigeria students within the periscope of his terrain. In adverse ordinate not to defeat the purposes of this piece one must at least mention few examples in suffice. On 25th February, 2013, four students of the Nasarawa State University were gruesomely murdered while protesting against water scarcity and power outage. About seventeen students were arrested, one would have expected a rigorous investigation by the President and prompt checks on the IGP, Abubakar in line with defending the right and welfare of its students but this seems to be far from his consideration. Two days after, on February 28, 2013, Seyi Fasere, a 400 level student of the Ekiti State University was shot dead by the Police. He had gone to his home town Ilupeju to collect his tuition and on his way back, the bus conveying him ran into armed robbers at Oye Ekiti. All occupants disembarked and fled into the bush. Several minutes after the armed robbers had left; Police came, found Seyi Fasere hiding like all others. However, the one hundred thousand naira he had collected from his parents for his school fees was found on him and this as far as the Police were concerned was enough evidence that he was an armed robber. He was taken to the Police Station and shot dead by a Police man notoriously known as “Akobi Esu” (Devil’s Firstborn). Again, on 27 May, 2013, Ahmed Dayo, an ND I student in the Department of Accounting of Kwara State Polytechnic was shot inside a cab by Police men escorting a bullion van belonging to a first generation bank. Reportedly, the armed Police escort stopped the taxi and attempted to shoot at one of its tyres because it was getting too close to the bullion van. Unfortunately, instead of the bullet hitting the tyre, it hit Dayo in the vehicle and damaged one of his legs. On 12th June, 2013, students of University of Uyo (UNIUYO), during a peaceful protest, anti-riot police men supposedly invited to suppress the protest claimed the life an innocent student through the fired teargas canisters and live bullets endlessly leading to the death of Kingsley Udoette, a 200 level Zoology student of the University. 44 innocent and poor students were indiscriminately arrested mostly at the male hostel of the University at Udi Street in Uyo which is situated outside the premises of the University and on the streets. I did not see any reaction of Yinka Gbadebo till date instead he reneged; he totally turned a blind eye and deaf ear to this case. Many more students have been murdered in cool blood under the dispensation of Yinka Gbadebo, including those killed by the Boko Haram sect in the Kano College attack and other places like Nassarawa. Yinka Gbadebo-led NANS has done practically nothing to arrest the lust for blood of Nigerian students by the Police or bring the culprits to justice except pockets of compromised protests and empty press statements. I doubt if NANS has a record of these killings. With developments grating in our faces and the catastrophe of misrepresentation before the scavenge, Asuu face off with Federal government; It is not stunning to state that the movement have fallen into abyss of derailed and confused leader whose major interest is found in the culvert of selfish intents and greed. Obvious, that nothing to the best of my knowledge, in memory, has been heard from the NANS in the “democratization” process that is currently taking root in Nigeria. Instead the seal of power vested in the hands of Ayefele has been daunted by his whip of interest in negotiating positions and interest among political leaders, Governors and Senators and the hard question asked, therefore, is whether NANS  and its leadership have not loose is focus? Nigerian students and Nigerians in general should stop taking Yinka Gbadebo and his gang seriously. He had since lost the legitimacy to remain in office. Whenever the history of student’s movement in Nigeria is told, the name Yinka Gbadebo will be remembered not for accountability, integrity or principles but for treachery, indiscipline and inanities. In the 80s, NANS was organizationally and operationally effective, efficient to the core, and, was the most feared and respected entity within the Nigerian body polity. When it comes to mobilization, operations against societal-ills, military tyranny, national challenges, capacity building and capacity retentions programming[s], NANS, is indefensibly a force to count. Additionally, within the Nigerian civil society community, internationally and domestically, you cannot do without NANS organization and its operational mobilization grid-lock.  I am afraid, things seems to be on a downward spiral if not total collapse. Under the military dictators from the 80s came with it challenges and difficulties, with its constraints, NANS, was there knavery, unfettered, battled these national challenges explicitly. This it did regardless military spruce of illegal massive arrests, massive secrete killings, massive secrete tortures, massive disappearances, and heavy handedness across the Republic. Yet, NANS remained action parked, equal to these tasks, difficulties and why not now when the weather has changed to a democratic dispensation. We still have the interest of students trampled and mortgaged. A close shave with Ayefele in one of his usual visit to Ekiti when begging for money to finance his ambition to lead the students under the tree at Ekiti State Governors office, Yinka Gbadebo allured with determinism to rescue the students from the shackles of intimidation and oppression given the Ekiti State University dilemma under his Vice Chancellor a surgical illustration where students leaders fall victims. That impression if I were to be a senator of NANS is enough to defeat my diverse interest, he was in company of Yomi Oso, Williams (willie), Sunday Asefon and incumbent JCC Noah to meet with a top notch in the state for support. Apparently forgotten the trail of support petted on his dream, he loudly make commotion of a killing in Emure charging the human right activists to launch an investigation into the crisis, an attempt that will have tamed public love and sympathy if said without political coloration. A HOUSE THAT DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF WILL FALL In swift reaction to his outburst on Gov Fayemi, the zonal leadership remarked heavily to sound a note of warning to students that the President is not to be trusted and taken serious. “Although, we accept that our organization at the national structure is fast losing its credibility and reputation considering the Anambra Election in which the same President of NANS, Mr. Yinka Gbadebo, declared the organization support for Ifeanyi Uba of the Labour Party and just yesterday has also declared support for the former NANS President Tony Nwoye. This is a clear justification that the statements made by Mr. President of NANS shouldn’t be taken so serious, because information at our disposal is that Mr. Gbadebo may be charged for legal actions. One of the reasons why we appealed to the Governor and Government of Ekiti not to take him serious, was primarily because, some few months ago, Mr. Gbadebo, under the guise of being the President of NANS, having communicated the Ekiti State Government in writing, notified Ekiti State leadership that he wants to give Governor Fayemi an award as the Best Governor in Nigeria* based on his style of *GOOD GOVERNANCE, EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT and REDUCTION IN THE UNEMPLOYED ARMY OF YOUTHS” which Gov Kayode Fayemi rejected is believed to have angered Mr President coupled with the defeat invoked on his political interest not to have supported the appointment of Adeolu Oyebode as the Special Assistant Students Matters to the Governor. Of logical sympathy while piling the piece together was a reaction of South-West leadership of Nans to the lousy vituperation of Com Yinka Gbadebo aka Ayefele online where the Zone D leadership quickly ascribed that Nans is Sick and under siege. Of course the killing of students and all the money usurp by mortgaging the interest of students will speak volume after his tenure. Instead of taking a responsible and pro-student stance in the likely to be ended four months old ASUU strike, he chose otherwise, the oppressor. He is now bred by propaganda and blackmail of a government that does not appreciate the inviolability of agreements from. Today, we have a NANS president who speaks out of the abundance of the stomach, a NANS president without integrity, principles and accountability, a NANS president who is a tool in the hands of a corrupt political class. Evidence of his porous and confuse state of mind was evident in the Onitsha, Anambra State endorsement of the candidature of Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Anambra State (a man linked to fuel subsidy fraud and whose company, Capital Oil and Gas, has been taken over by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria because of his indebtedness). Also just last week as embedded in the press statement of his lower comrades (officers), Yinka Gbadebo is retorted to be ignored for endorsing Tony Nwoye again after several criticisms from his media aide and facebook agents. “Yinka Gbadebo finds it pertinent to issue a strong worded press statement castigating the political killing(s) in Ekiti State which he blamed on Governor Kayode Fayemi but cannot secure the release of UNIUYO students in custody or bring to justice those who take delight in shedding of innocent blood of Nigerian students. Of particularity, is, the recent grave and sad events this past months, the suffering of Nigerian-students is increasing, there is no end in sight and there is no fixed route in respect to planning and effective leadership in the land. NANS has not sent condolence letter to the Parents and students its government on the recent grave killing disaster. Also the students have been on season long loan back to their homes owned to Industrial action. I stand to be corrected, and my question is why and will the able leadership accept his mistake and take correction? Lives could have been saved if our hospitals were refurbished and equipped, life of our late comrade Oyebode aka Ibile could have been saved, if the roads were refurbished and paved; lives could have been saved if our Aviation Rescue Management Committee or Department were properly trained and equipped; lives could have been saved if this administration did its part, the Odua-gate perilous corruption is not dutiful for Mr President concern. The stealing and corruption log in Aviation, Oil industry seems not to appeal to Yinka Gbadebo but because a Governor refused his forlorn attribute form dolling cheap award on him, it broke his camel back and is willing to retaliate shamefully and the students leaders in South West refused to find that funny. My question is what has become of NANS today? Who leads NANS today in Nigeria and what are SUGs actions and inactions on these disturbing national challenges and difficulties? Let me end by re-writing minds of Yinka Gbadebo that the government and good people cannot be moved by your vile and torment against the person of Fayemi and the student leaders who does not belong to his cast of mind trading with the blood of innocent, watering the tree of his administration with innocent students blood. There is a ghost of stewardship that will hunt them in the fullness of time. MAXWELL ADEGBENRO writes from Ado Ekiti A public Affairs Analyst and Journalist.NANS, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have had different presidents leading them cutting across zones. I have had an engagement with Past Leaders as a students and activist in Ekiti, Ogun, and Edo State. Cataloguing from Femi Osabinu, Lekan Soyombo, Jude Imagwe and all seems to have gotten it far fearer below the best the students movement can produce. NANS was birthed in 1980 as a successor to the National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS) has been terribly ill and in sequence abused, exploited, factionalized, and wickedly politicized. The emergence of Mr. Yinka Gbadebo a.k.a Ayefele was to be breather been the only President whose emergence was not marred by chaos and electoral discrepancies as the 26th president of NANS until the recent activities popular at the unfocused leadership is gradually becoming an embarrassment to the movement and the student, a mistake of history. Ayefele is of course a house hold name in student movement, having played the game with previous national leaders like Saddam and Nwoye. He was before now an utter example of student’s liberation leading and following rebellious policy of management and government to grave in his days at EKSU. Though, rusticated from the Ekiti State University (EKSU), for assaulting the University’s Vice Chancellor is currently a diploma student of Local Government Studies at the OAU. Thus, one would have expected him to take cognizance of the historicity of his emergence as NANS president. But nay, under the watchful eyes of Yinka Gbadebo as NANS president, the blood of innocent Nigerian students have been the root of his pride and fame with atavistic impunity. A historical foreclosure of events that characterized the last few months under the watchful eyes of a student Leader turned Politician may re-open a can of wounds and hatred against their national officers especially those that housed demanding worries for the future of Nigeria students within the periscope of his terrain. In adverse ordinate not to defeat the purposes of this piece one must at least mention few examples in suffice. On 25th February, 2013, four students of the Nasarawa State University were gruesomely murdered while protesting against water scarcity and power outage. About seventeen students were arrested, one would have expected a rigorous investigation by the President and prompt checks on the IGP, Abubakar in line with defending the right and welfare of its students but this seems to be far from his consideration. Two days after, on February 28, 2013, Seyi Fasere, a 400 level student of the Ekiti State University was shot dead by the Police. He had gone to his home town Ilupeju to collect his tuition and on his way back, the bus conveying him ran into armed robbers at Oye Ekiti. All occupants disembarked and fled into the bush. Several minutes after the armed robbers had left; Police came, found Seyi Fasere hiding like all others. However, the one hundred thousand naira he had collected from his parents for his school fees was found on him and this as far as the Police were concerned was enough evidence that he was an armed robber. He was taken to the Police Station and shot dead by a Police man notoriously known as “Akobi Esu” (Devil’s Firstborn). Again, on 27 May, 2013, Ahmed Dayo, an ND I student in the Department of Accounting of Kwara State Polytechnic was shot inside a cab by Police men escorting a bullion van belonging to a first generation bank. Reportedly, the armed Police escort stopped the taxi and attempted to shoot at one of its tyres because it was getting too close to the bullion van. Unfortunately, instead of the bullet hitting the tyre, it hit Dayo in the vehicle and damaged one of his legs. On 12th June, 2013, students of University of Uyo (UNIUYO), during a peaceful protest, anti-riot police men supposedly invited to suppress the protest claimed the life an innocent student through the fired teargas canisters and live bullets endlessly leading to the death of Kingsley Udoette, a 200 level Zoology student of the University. 44 innocent and poor students were indiscriminately arrested mostly at the male hostel of the University at Udi Street in Uyo which is situated outside the premises of the University and on the streets. I did not see any reaction of Yinka Gbadebo till date instead he reneged; he totally turned a blind eye and deaf ear to this case. Many more students have been murdered in cool blood under the dispensation of Yinka Gbadebo, including those killed by the Boko Haram sect in the Kano College attack and other places like Nassarawa. Yinka Gbadebo-led NANS has done practically nothing to arrest the lust for blood of Nigerian students by the Police or bring the culprits to justice except pockets of compromised protests and empty press statements. I doubt if NANS has a record of these killings. With developments grating in our faces and the catastrophe of misrepresentation before the scavenge, Asuu face off with Federal government; It is not stunning to state that the movement have fallen into abyss of derailed and confused leader whose major interest is found in the culvert of selfish intents and greed. Obvious, that nothing to the best of my knowledge, in memory, has been heard from the NANS in the “democratization” process that is currently taking root in Nigeria. Instead the seal of power vested in the hands of Ayefele has been daunted by his whip of interest in negotiating positions and interest among political leaders, Governors and Senators and the hard question asked, therefore, is whether NANS  and its leadership have not loose is focus? Nigerian students and Nigerians in general should stop taking Yinka Gbadebo and his gang seriously. He had since lost the legitimacy to remain in office. Whenever the history of student’s movement in Nigeria is told, the name Yinka Gbadebo will be remembered not for accountability, integrity or principles but for treachery, indiscipline and inanities. In the 80s, NANS was organizationally and operationally effective, efficient to the core, and, was the most feared and respected entity within the Nigerian body polity. When it comes to mobilization, operations against societal-ills, military tyranny, national challenges, capacity building and capacity retentions programming[s], NANS, is indefensibly a force to count. Additionally, within the Nigerian civil society community, internationally and domestically, you cannot do without NANS organization and its operational mobilization grid-lock.  I am afraid, things seems to be on a downward spiral if not total collapse. Under the military dictators from the 80s came with it challenges and difficulties, with its constraints, NANS, was there knavery, unfettered, battled these national challenges explicitly. This it did regardless military spruce of illegal massive arrests, massive secrete killings, massive secrete tortures, massive disappearances, and heavy handedness across the Republic. Yet, NANS remained action parked, equal to these tasks, difficulties and why not now when the weather has changed to a democratic dispensation. We still have the interest of students trampled and mortgaged. A close shave with Ayefele in one of his usual visit to Ekiti when begging for money to finance his ambition to lead the students under the tree at Ekiti State Governors office, Yinka Gbadebo allured with determinism to rescue the students from the shackles of intimidation and oppression given the Ekiti State University dilemma under his Vice Chancellor a surgical illustration where students leaders fall victims. That impression if I were to be a senator of NANS is enough to defeat my diverse interest, he was in company of Yomi Oso, Williams (willie), Sunday Asefon and incumbent JCC Noah to meet with a top notch in the state for support. Apparently forgotten the trail of support petted on his dream, he loudly make commotion of a killing in Emure charging the human right activists to launch an investigation into the crisis, an attempt that will have tamed public love and sympathy if said without political coloration. A HOUSE THAT DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF WILL FALL In swift reaction to his outburst on Gov Fayemi, the zonal leadership remarked heavily to sound a note of warning to students that the President is not to be trusted and taken serious. “Although, we accept that our organization at the national structure is fast losing its credibility and reputation considering the Anambra Election in which the same President of NANS, Mr. Yinka Gbadebo, declared the organization support for Ifeanyi Uba of the Labour Party and just yesterday has also declared support for the former NANS President Tony Nwoye. This is a clear justification that the statements made by Mr. President of NANS shouldn’t be taken so serious, because information at our disposal is that Mr. Gbadebo may be charged for legal actions. One of the reasons why we appealed to the Governor and Government of Ekiti not to take him serious, was primarily because, some few months ago, Mr. Gbadebo, under the guise of being the President of NANS, having communicated the Ekiti State Government in writing, notified Ekiti State leadership that he wants to give Governor Fayemi an award as the Best Governor in Nigeria* based on his style of *GOOD GOVERNANCE, EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT and REDUCTION IN THE UNEMPLOYED ARMY OF YOUTHS” which Gov Kayode Fayemi rejected is believed to have angered Mr President coupled with the defeat invoked on his political interest not to have supported the appointment of Adeolu Oyebode as the Special Assistant Students Matters to the Governor. Of logical sympathy while piling the piece together was a reaction of South-West leadership of Nans to the lousy vituperation of Com Yinka Gbadebo aka Ayefele online where the Zone D leadership quickly ascribed that Nans is Sick and under siege. Of course the killing of students and all the money usurp by mortgaging the interest of students will speak volume after his tenure. Instead of taking a responsible and pro-student stance in the likely to be ended four months old ASUU strike, he chose otherwise, the oppressor. He is now bred by propaganda and blackmail of a government that does not appreciate the inviolability of agreements from. Today, we have a NANS president who speaks out of the abundance of the stomach, a NANS president without integrity, principles and accountability, a NANS president who is a tool in the hands of a corrupt political class. Evidence of his porous and confuse state of mind was evident in the Onitsha, Anambra State endorsement of the candidature of Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Anambra State (a man linked to fuel subsidy fraud and whose company, Capital Oil and Gas, has been taken over by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria because of his indebtedness). Also just last week as embedded in the press statement of his lower comrades (officers), Yinka Gbadebo is retorted to be ignored for endorsing Tony Nwoye again after several criticisms from his media aide and facebook agents. “Yinka Gbadebo finds it pertinent to issue a strong worded press statement castigating the political killing(s) in Ekiti State which he blamed on Governor Kayode Fayemi but cannot secure the release of UNIUYO students in custody or bring to justice those who take delight in shedding of innocent blood of Nigerian students. Of particularity, is, the recent grave and sad events this past months, the suffering of Nigerian-students is increasing, there is no end in sight and there is no fixed route in respect to planning and effective leadership in the land. NANS has not sent condolence letter to the Parents and students its government on the recent grave killing disaster. Also the students have been on season long loan back to their homes owned to Industrial action. I stand to be corrected, and my question is why and will the able leadership accept his mistake and take correction? Lives could have been saved if our hospitals were refurbished and equipped, life of our late comrade Oyebode aka Ibile could have been saved, if the roads were refurbished and paved; lives could have been saved if our Aviation Rescue Management Committee or Department were properly trained and equipped; lives could have been saved if this administration did its part, the Odua-gate perilous corruption is not dutiful for Mr President concern. The stealing and corruption log in Aviation, Oil industry seems not to appeal to Yinka Gbadebo but because a Governor refused his forlorn attribute form dolling cheap award on him, it broke his camel back and is willing to retaliate shamefully and the students leaders in South West refused to find that funny. My question is what has become of NANS today? Who leads NANS today in Nigeria and what are SUGs actions and inactions on these disturbing national challenges and difficulties? Let me end by re-writing minds of Yinka Gbadebo that the government and good people cannot be moved by your vile and torment against the person of Fayemi and the student leaders who does not belong to his cast of mind trading with the blood of innocent, watering the tree of his administration with innocent students blood. There is a ghost of stewardship that will hunt them in the fullness of time. MAXWELL ADEGBENRO writes from Ado Ekiti A public Affairs Analyst and Journalist.