Former NANS president dissociates self from association

A former president of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Abdul Mahmud has renounced his membership of the students’ umbrella body over its recent ‘reckless’ activities.

NANS had issued an ultimatum to the Nigerian government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resolve the ongoing strike.

The Nigeria student’s body also threatened to mobilize members to disrupt the 2019 general elections if both sides remained adamant after expiration of the deadline.

However, Mahmud believes it was out of place for NANS to have interfered in ongoing strike, issuance of threats to ASUU and associating with Nigeria president Muhammadu Buhari.

“It is your choice to decide your programmes of action, but the choice does not include threatening ASUU, the historical ally of NANS- alliance that dates back to 1982.”

“I ask that my name is removed from all records and archives of the association. I shall issue a formal statement to this effect,” Mahmud said in a tweet.

While citing NANS activities in 1984 when Buhari was military president, Mahmud reminded the student union of how it was maltreated by the Buhari administration, saying it should not associate with the Nigeria president on any grounds.

“Nor does it include the visit to Buhari, the then dictator who gave Nigerian students bullets when they asked for bread in 1984,” Mahmud said

Mahmud listed “The reckless threat issued to ASUU to forcefully eject its members from their homes. The ill-advised visit to Aso Rock, at a time students, reel under the pain of strikes” as his reasons to renounce his membership of NANS.

Mahmud, who was the 8th President NANS  from 1990 till 1992, said only members of the association without a historical background would associate themselves with Buhari.

“Only a generation without a sense of history will continue to walk the shamed path you have walked since 1999.”

“Recall that in 1984 when Buhari attempted to hike tuition fees and hostel fees, withdraw feeding & ban students unionism in higher institutions, NANS resisted him.”

“That year- 1984- NANS, which was 4 years old at the time was banned by “Buhari and its President, Lanre Arogundade, arrested and locked up in Ife Prison till he was overthrown by IBB in 1985,” Mahmud said.

He said his promise to be a part of NANS “Save Education Rally” had been nullified due to the withdrawal of his membership of NANS.