The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) is seeking an interface with Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State over the non-payment of bursary and the dilapidated facilities in schools and colleges, including institutions of higher learning.
Heritage Akpan, National Treasurer of NANS, stated this during a world press conference, insisting that a student leader representative should be appointed to serve on the bursary committee to “create a nexus between the students and the bursary committee to ease the information and communication gap.”
Akpan, who was accompanied by other student leaders, including the Joint Campus chairman, Emmanuel Peter and Emmanuel Akpan, zone assistant secretary, maintained that Akwa Ibom State College of Nursing should be part of the beneficiaries of the bursary scheme.
Read also: TETFund, Bauchi varsity train 1,000 students, 15 staff on career development
“The Akwa Ibom State Government should set up a viable scholarship scheme to complement the bursary and s aide eligible students to follow their academic pursuit with ease, ” they stated.
While expressing gratitude to Governor Umo Eno for building model primary schools across the state with accompanying features as uniforms, school bags, and shoes for pupils, they said the effort was a quantum step towards a brighter future in the state.
“This press conference aims to highlight the abnormalities and salient issues concerning education and students in Akwa Ibom State, while also seizing this opportunity to commend Governor Eno, for his developmental strides in the state, ” they added.
“As we address the world today, we will ignite from the positive side of it by pouring encomium on the investment and gigantic strides of the governor in education.”
The students, however, thanked the governor for setting aside N1bn for bursary payments to Akwa Ibom State students in tertiary institutions.
They also lauded the state government for the exchange programme involving 39 students of Akwa Ibom State origin who participated in the Akwa Ibom/United Kingdom Education Exchange Programme in the UK on a learning tour to schools in the United Kingdom in partnership with the Borough of Southwark and more.
They proposed a town square meeting for students, as the governor has met with other groups, adding that they make up a population of 1.1 million, which should not be ignored.
“We sincerely appeal for a student’s town square meeting in the 11th federal constituency with the Governor, as the town square meeting is ongoing across the federal constituencies to harness more of the concerns,
“We may not feel good to discuss over the media till we have an interface with him a he has met with the market women, traders, businessmen, artisans, youths and traditional birth attendants, etc, but never met with the students’ leadership, not for once, against his campaign promises that he will meet with students quarterly.
Read also: Multi-Plan College offers scholarships to three students from Lagos schools
“Such an opportunity as a town square meeting with the students will provide the opportunity to discuss intensively and to crossbreed ideas, policies and framework for onward educational/student development.”
Akpan said the student community gave the governor the highest number of votes during the 2023 general election will constitute the largest number of voters.
“Primary school teachers should be immediately employed and deployed to rural schools to ease the educational manpower gap and to complement the concept of the model primary school vis-à-vis the education framework of the ARISE policy thrust”.
